Chicago Fire officials preach patience in rebuilding roster
The message from Chicago Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez to the team's fans came through loud and clear: Relax, we got this.
"Our silence should not be misconstrued as work has not been conducted or results have not been achieved," Rodriguez said Tuesday on a conference call from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, site of the player combine ahead of Thursday's MLS SuperDraft.
One more thing.
"No, I don't think fans are frustrated" by the team's silence and half-full roster, Rodriguez added later. "Fans are smart. We don't conduct our business to win a day of positive PR. We conduct our business to win championships. So it's more important to me that we remain disciplined with our process and remain focused against our plan. That we remain nimble to react to some unforeseen circumstances or some opportunities that may arise.
"I think fans appreciate that. They appreciate it better when it all comes together."
In other words, help is on the way.
• Help is on the way in the form of a European center back who agreed to terms - "That contract is not yet signed, but we have no reason to believe there will be any hang-ups," Rodriguez said - and should be announced within a week. There's also another center back the team hopes to sign away from some European Champions League teams that also want him.
"We remain singularly focused on our plan, on our process," Rodriguez said. "We want to resolve the center back position. We think we have enough firepower in the team as it is. But we need to improve the defensive side."
• Help is on the way in the form of two MLS veterans who have agreed to terms with the club and whose paperwork is working its way through the league office.
• Help is on the way from the No. 1 overall pick in Thursday's SuperDraft or via the two teams that made solid trade offers Tuesday to the Fire for that pick. Other teams also have inquired about the pick, he said, with one team's offer rejected. The Fire also has a second-round pick, plus two picks in next week's supplemental draft.
"Whether we keep (the No. 1 pick) or we move it. On Thursday we'll be a better team," Rodriguez said.
In exchange for the top pick, Rodriguez said the Fire will need a top-flight starter or multiple assets that could include a good player, other picks or allocation or targeted allocation money.
• Help is on the way from a coaching staff to assist new coach Veljko Paunovic, to be announced in about a week but most of which is in place.
"The staff has been working together, and beautifully so, and we feel good about that," Rodriguez said.
• Help is on the way from international players. The Fire expects to use all eight international slots on its roster.
And if the Fire doesn't have a full roster in place by the time preseason training starts Jan. 25, well, no big deal.
"We're not driven by numbers as much as we're driven by quality, as much as we're driven by ensuring that the people we bring in share our values," he said. " ... It's a marathon, not a sprint."
In other words, we got this.
That's all well and good, but Rodriguez would be smart to remember one important thing. After six years of mediocrity or downright ineptitude, most Fire fans aren't as patient as Rodriguez seems to think they should be.
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