Landon Donovan spoke out against the state of the LA Galaxy on Sunday, saying his old club doesn't have "a real plan" as it nears the end of a woeful season.
The Galaxy are on the brink of failing to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2008, when they endured their worst-ever points total of 33 in 30 games, despite Donovan winning the Golden Boot with 20 goals.
With four games left to go this season, LA has just 27 points through 30 games, the second-lowest in MLS, one above Colorado. And Donovan, now an analyst for Fox Sports, criticized his former club in his on-air assessment on Sunday.
"It doesn't look like they have a real plan for what they want to do or who they want to be," Donovan said. "When you build a team, you build down the middle. Any coach, general manager, sporting director will tell you that. You need to have solid pieces."
With the exception of a 3-0 win over last-placed Colorado, the Galaxy have otherwise scored just two goals since Sigi Schmid replaced Curt Onalfo as manager in July. LA hasn't beaten an MLS team other than the Rapids since May 27.
But despite LA's lack of goals, Donovan said Schmid believes goalkeeper is the first position that needs to change, with Brian Rowe, Jon Kempin and Clement Diop all struggling this year.
"When we asked Sigi Schmid, how do you start to rebuild this, his first answer was, 'I think we need to upgrade at the goalkeeper position,'" Donovan said. "He's not happy with the goalkeeping position as it lies now."
Donovan also slammed the Galaxy for the winter signing of Joao Pedro, the 24-year-old who has provided just one goal and two assists despite 26 starts in his first season in MLS.
"We're not to the point in Major League Soccer where you can miss on a player like this," Donovan said. "And I'm not saying he's a miss yet. He's still going to take some time to understand.
"But when you're spending a million-and-a-half dollars on a player, you need someone who is absolutely contributing and you can count on. And he just hasn't quite been that guy yet."
And Donovan pointed to Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes, whose club beat the Galaxy 2-1 on Sunday, as an example for the Galaxy to follow.
"He knows exactly what is happening at all times, from their first-team players down to the academy, he's got his fingerprint on everything," Donovan said of Vermes. "And that kind of clarity is something, candidly, that the Galaxy are missing right now."