How much of this is Kasper's fault?

The reasons that Soehn must go/will go are legion. I want to talk about the other half -- player acquisition under Kasper.

Last night watching Fred give the anti-demonstration of how to play outside in a 3-5-2, I realized Kasper has been unable to find a viable replacement for Josh Gros. Two years and counting. I assume that Soehn and Kasper discuss formations and tactics and try to come to some consensus on what type of players to look for. Kasper has to know Tommy wants to and will play the 3-5-2, yet DCU has absolutely no midfield players who are appropriate for the role.

Instead, DCU is full of withdrawn forwards -- Moreno, Quaranta, Pontius, Khumalo or central attacking midfielders -- Gomez, Fred, Szetela?, Jacobson? and central defending midfielders -- Simms, Olsen, Jacobson? some random PDL/USL-2 pickup. That is player acquisition at its worst -- players who can't play in your formation of choice.

Give Kasper credit for Jackovic and the draft (his first successful one ever), but look at Fred, the Gonzalo "brothers", Gallardo, Emilio (one season wonder), the various USL-2 and PDL castoffs and you see his "eye" for "talent" needs serious corrective lenses.

What I'm saying is if Soehn goes and Kasper stays -- don't expect much to change. The mediocrity just will be different.

 

Quaranta agrees about Gros -- from Tenorio's interview

On the demand it has on the midfielders/defenders to play a three-man backline and whether it's getting tougher as the season goes on with so many games:
Sure. We have to look at the personnel here and understand that Josh Gros isn't here anymore. What suits us as a team, I'm not sure if it's three or if it's four, but that's not my decision. But in the end it doesn't seem like it fits us right this second and the guys that we have on the outsides, it's very difficult it puts a lot of work on us. It's almost like playing as a right back and a right midfielder and that's not what I was taught to do, is to play as a right back, so...