If only Peter Nowak was still a Man in Red. The Fire legend is back in Chicago this weekend as the head coach of the Philadelphia Union, but perhaps heād be better served anchoring an unsteady Fire midfield still looking to find its form under new coach Carlos de los Cobos.
Section 8 fixture Ben Burton, for one, might be pining for the old days in Chicago. He takes to the Soap Box this week to talk about Nowakās legacy, the Brian McBride-Collins John tandem and a serious lack of character on the field.
MLSsoccer.com: Peter Nowakās back in town this weekend. What do you make of his new role in Philadelphia?
BB: Weāre actually having a little party for him (Friday night), and heās gonna come out and say hello to all the old school fans. We still embrace him. Heās our legend. As weāve been saying lately, āyour coach, our legend.ā
MLSsoccer.com: Is Peter the greatest player the Fireās ever had?
BB: Thatās a tough one. Lubos Kubik was always my favorite, but Peter was obviously up there with Hristo Stoichkov, and even in recent years, Cuauhtemoc Blanco was very good. Peter was the heart and soul of the team, and even if he wasnāt necessarily the best player, he was the epitome of the team.
MLSsoccer.com: So whatās the epitome of this 2010 team?
BB: Are you sure we canāt just keep talking about the glory years instead of this team?
MLSsoccer.com: We have to move on.
BB: Okay. The coach is trying out some new things, so Iām not so worried right now. You bring a coach in late, you have to let him get used to the players. Iām not happy with the way theyāre performing, and I think they need to toughen up and speed up in the midfield. But you give them a break for the World Cup, bring them back and put their nose to the grindstone, as they say, to see if we can make a season out of it.
MLSsoccer.com: What do you make of de los Cobosā changes?
BB: Iām not worried about the choices heās made. Iām more worried about the players themselves. Heās given a lot of guys opportunities, and no oneās truly grabbing hold of them. And thatās really disappointing. The only thing that irks me about his choices is that Iād like to see two strikers instead of one, especially if our midfield canāt hold the ball for more than two seconds. Itās a bit of a conundrum.
MLSsoccer.com: So who do you put up top?
BB: Brian McBride and Collins John up top is what Iād like to see. Patrick Nyarko has been really successful on the right, but until he learns how to strike the ball, then he shouldnāt be up top. With Patrick on the right and Justin Mapp on the left, McBride and John up top, you have a decent start. But thereās a gaping hole in the middle just not being filled by anyone.
MLSsoccer.com: What would help?
BB: Heās been hurt, but John Thorrington would help, because he has some speed, and we lack that. And he has tenacity. We donāt have either right now in the midfield. You canāt teach speed, but you certainly can teach a little grit. Someone has to step up and take control.
MLSsoccer.com: What do you make of de los Cobosā offseason moves?
BB: Krzysztof Krol has been one of our best players. Heās made some mistakes, but heās successful at going forward, and heās very good on the ball, for a defender especially. Heās been a bright spot. Iām still waiting to see John produce, because Iāve seen him in training and he has the skills to really be an above average MLS striker. Iām hoping to see him break out. Julio Martinez Iāve been disappointed with, because I thought we finally had a true right winger that we havenāt had in a long time. Weāve had Nyarko there or Chris Rolfe before, but itās been a long time since we had a great one there. Martinez doesnāt look like heās the guy.
MLSsoccer.com: Will you guys become a threat to win the Eastern Conference?
BB: I think weāre going to be a playoff-bound team, even if it doesnāt look like it right now. We need a midfield acquisition, and someone has to do it. Maybe with this World Cup break people will watch some good soccer, maybe have a few beers and relax, theyāll come back reinvigorated. But someone has to take control of the team, because we donāt have that sprit out there right now. Someoneās wearing the captainās armband right now, but there doesnāt really seem to be a captain. Someone has to fill that role.
MLSsoccer.com: Will the Fire make a move to get another Mexican player to fill the hole left by Blanco?
BB: Iād go elsewhere. Itās hard to find a good Mexican player at a good price, because they have a league that theyāre successful in already. We already have a Mexican coach, and I donāt want to cater to any one individual nationality. I donāt think thatās the way to go. We should cater to building a successful team. Chicagoās proven they have fans and theyāll come out for a successful team; theyāre a good fan base. But thereās just something about this team that has no character. That character could come from the Ukraine, from Russia, I donāt care. But you offer these fans character, people will have something to latch onto and embrace.