FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Making a fundamental change with two matches left in a successful season opens a coach up to criticism.
Revolution head coach Steve Nicol's decision to bench Andy Dorman, holder of 61 straight starts in the Revolution midfield, in favor of rookie Wells Thompson for Oct. 6's 2-1 loss at Chicago could have remained temporary.
But Dorman hasn't been restored to the starting lineup since being dropped as Thompson has shifted out to the right wing to allow veteran Steve Ralston to assume the playmaking duties.
Nicol says Dorman, who scored seven goals in the first half of the season before his form apparently dropped off, knows why Nicol made the change and attributes it to the fixture crunch during the middle part of the season.
"It's frustrating for Dorman," Nicol said. "I feel for him. He probably suffered more than anyone because of the schedule. I wouldn't call it a loss of form for him; it's a physical thing."
Dorman's best attribute in the attack is his ability to make the late run into the box by seeing where the defense leaves space and finding that hole.
Nicol suggests the physical toll deprived Dorman of his greatest asset.
"The late run he makes is such a great thing, but it takes a lot of out of you physically," Nicol said. "The schedule's nullified it."
In Dorman's absence, Thompson has assumed Ralston's place on the right wing. Nicol lauded Thompson's defensive work after the first leg in New York and suggests Thompson has made the right wing his home with his recent performances.
"The spell Wells has had in the team has come more away from home than at home," Nicol said. "That's tough for a young player and he's done well. He's picked it up on the defensive end and he's making better decisions."
The former inhabitant of the right wing channel believes Thompson has something to gain by being more aggressive in running at defenders but indicates Thompson has done well to recover from his own mid-season slump.
"I think Wells is doing well," Ralston said. "He had to learn a lot this year. I think he hit a wall in the middle of the season. The college season is 20 or so games. This is a long season and he hit a little lull. But he came back from that and he's playing with a lot of confidence right now. He's just so quick and so dangerous."
Thompson's emergence allowed Ralston to slide into the middle to cover Dorman's absence. Ralston has featured in a variety of positions during his Revolution career, including stints at right-back when New England shifts to a 4-4-2 formation late in games, and notes he's more than happy to adjust to a central attacking role.
"I enjoy playing on the right or in the middle," Ralston said. "Steve likes the fact that I can move around on the field."
Ralston's insertion into the middle came with the mandate of keeping more possession of the ball as New England had struggled with maintaining possession in the middle of the park in the weeks prior to the change.
Now Nicol wants Ralston to provide more cutting thrust to accompany the increased possession.
"Ralston's just a quality player," Nicol said. "At home, you'll see him more in and around the final third than he has been. You always want more in terms of goals and assists, but we wanted to keep the ball better and he's helped us do that."
Kyle McCarthy is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
