(with apologies to Animal House) What this forum needs is a really stupid, useless thread, and we're just the guys to write it! What would this season have been like if Reyes, Olsen, Quaranta and Rimando would have been healthy all year? Would the team have found a way to screw it up anyway, or would it have made a real difference?
We would have had a much better record which would've covered up the complete ineptitude of the coaching staff. Therefore, they'd still be around next year and we'd never make it from a playoff also ran to a contender.
hmmmif they were healthy one of the following would have happend: 1. Ray would have killed everyone 2. I would have killed everyone. 3. Thamlin would have hit one in the eye with a donut, resulting in hristo killing Thamlin, resulting in us killing Hristo, in turn igniting the largest brawl ever seen on RFK's hallowed grounds.
Well, aside from Q1, our team would have been vastly improved. We would have had fewer defensive lapses, a stable midfield, and probably would have finished the season in second or third. But the "what if" game is pointless, because it's just that: what if? What if we signed another forward? What if we had played our rookies? What if we had a stable lineup? What if... The list goes on and on. None of that changes the fact that we underachieved this season.
I think if any "What If"-ing is to be done, it needs to be focused on next season. Like, what if Stoitchkov stopped being such a damn primadonna and played with as much passion for the club as he did with Barcelona, or just accept that his best days are behind him and stay on the bench as a coach? What if Reyes reclaims his place and our backline becomes the most solid in the league? What if Diablo accepts a somewhat lessened role on the field and maybe focuses more on helping develop and encourage the younger players? I just want to forget this season since it started and ended so crappily.
What if? Sure it would have made a difference. As I made the point today. Chicago would have looked a lot different without DaMarcus, Thornton, and Evan Whitfied on the pitch (comparable to Olsen, Rimando, and Reyes). The Fire had hardly any injuries all year, which was huge for them. That being said, our problems began with injuries, but they by no means ended there. It's not an excuse for our exit.