As one of the worst seasons in club history wraps up for the LA Galaxy on Sunday, the main priority going forward will be finding players who can impact the first team immediately. That’s a crucial part of the plan to shake the Los Angeles club in the offseason and come back stronger in 2018, a plan which also includes adding more depth to the squad.
“Obviously we need to add some players in key positions down the middle of the field,” said Galaxy head coach Sigi Schmid. “We need to improve our defensive situation because injuries really caught up into it this year.”
The Galaxy allowed 62 goals before the last game of the season and will look to make changes that will most likely affect the team’s defense. “We need more capable replacements and we need more capable starters,” said Schmid.
The offseason plan will begin in earnest after the players take some time off following the team’s last game of the season on Sunday against FC Dallas. “It’s sort of set for you in MLS. The CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) tells you who can train, how many weeks they have off and all that stuff,” explained Schmid.
After a week off, some of the players are scheduled to return to the training grounds, including the team’s three Designated Players Giovani dos Santos, his brother Jonathan and Romain Alessandrini.
“I will stay here with my family. I want to prepare to the maximum for my preseason,” said Alessandrini, who recorded 13 goals and 11 assists in his first season with the club. “I won’t go back to France. It is my choice.”
Other players will be on that November camp as well, though their names have not been revealed.
“On that period, we will most likely look at some guys from our second team and we will probably get some trialists to look at,” said Schmid. “Everybody is an individual case. There are guys that have contracts guaranteed, others that we need to look if we will pick up their options.”
One big question mark heading into the offseason will be the possible return of Ashley Cole. The veteran defender voiced his desire to come back to the club after the team’s last home game and confirmed that he is in talks with the club to be part of the squad in 2018.
When asked about Cole, who started 28 games in his second full season with the Galaxy, Schmid was noncommittal. “I think Ashley played very well, we have spoken and that will remain between us,” he said.
The preseason camp ahead of the 2018 campaign will begin for the Galaxy on Jan. 22, and Schmid is already planning on how it will be approached.
“We will go away during the preseason, we will look for some good fitness work and get some good number of games,” said Schmid, who believes the LA Galaxy will look very different on all aspects next year.
“We need to improve our day to day training situation, we need to make our training more competitive,” he said. “You only do that by extending your roster and making sure that you have a deeper roster”.
