How Greg Vanney Can Rebuild LA Galaxy’s Legacy

Ever since winning MLS Cup in the 2014 season, LA Galaxy has been a shadow of its former self. The most iconic MLS team has become one of the league’s biggest jokes. From poor results on the pitch to wasted money on failed transfers, nothing seems to be going well for Galaxy. The only positive in the past 6 years was when Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived and they made the playoffs a year after his arrival. However, it wasn’t a positive shift of the entire organization but rather just the brilliance of Zlatan. After he left, they went right back to being back to mediocre.

With the recent hiring of Greg Vanney for the head coach position, Galaxy is entering a new era. The ex-Galaxy player turned coach brings hope to the organization with the masterful job he did in turning Toronto FC from one of the worst MLS teams to MLS Cup and Supporter’s Shield winners. He completely transformed the culture of the club, making Toronto the example of MLS excellence year in and year out. His 2017 MLS Cup winning Toronto is arguably considered to be the best team in MLS history and at the very least one of the best MLS teams of all time.

Vanney has quite a daunting job ahead of him with LA Galaxy. With so many years of mediocrity at Galaxy, fans have lost patience and another bad coaching stint would most likely take them over the edge. Unlike, Guillermo Barros Schelotto though, Vanney has already proven that he has what it takes to create a winning culture and team in the MLS.

So how exactly can Vanney revitalize LA Galaxy and bring them back to their former glory days? Before going into potential Vanney line ups and the LA Galaxy roster we need to look at his system and tactics to see how everyone will fit.

Tactics

The core problem that has haunted LA Galaxy in these lackluster years has been a lack of identity. Galaxy hasn’t had a playing philosophy or identity since they won the MLS Cup in 2014. Having an identity provides guidance and consistency in every aspect of a club. From the players signed, lockerroom environment, and on the pitch performance every aspect is guided by a club’s identity and philosophies. When no such identity exists, the club has no guidance or direction.

Greg Vanney comes into LA Galaxy having a clear identity on how he wants his team to play and the kind of players he requires to fit his system. Vanney likes his team to be electrifying on offense through an aggressive possession-based but fluid style with an emphasis on attacking the wide space. On defense, his team normally sits in a high-mid block in a man-oriented pressing system. This clear identity and style was key to Vanney’s success at Toronto.

Vanney is a flexible coach when it comes to formations but he tends to favor a 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2. However, because of his philosophy of fluidity, the formations aren’t rigid but rather constantly adapting or changing depending on the opposing team. The first example we see of the fluidity of his system is when his team has the ball.

Build Up Phase

On offense, Vanney’s team shifts to a 4-1-4-1 from the 4-4-1-1. The box-to-box midfielder (8) pushes up while the more creative second striker (10) drops down beside the number 8. The defensive midfielder (6) drops down even deeper to be the link between the defense and offense.

Vanney likes his teams to build-up starting from the back. During the build-up phase, the fullbacks stay back to be passing options for the centrebacks and the six. The six, the single pivot, moves laterally to follow the ball being passed across the defensive line to be a passing option to connect the defense to the offense. Once the six receives the ball, his job is then to start the attack by either playing a through ball over the top for the wingers, play a splitting pass to the striker (9), or play it short to the create ten.

This six is the heart of Vanney’s system because he links the entire team together, provides cover for counters, and is always an available passing option to reset play. The six can very much control the tempo and pace of the game in this system. Michael Bradley played this role perfectly at Toronto and had been crucial to Vanney’s system working.

The six requires strong positioning, passing range and defensive capabilities. However the six is not just stuck in front of the centrebacks. Vanney’s system relies on fluidity and balance. If the six finds an opportune space in the attack, he has permission to join the attack. However, when that happens it is up to the eight to sit back instead and cover for the six. Balance.

Finding who can play this six role effectively at Galaxy will be a major priority for Vanney.

Wide Overloads

After the build-up phase is when Vanney wants his team to exploit the wide spaces by creating numerical advantages with overloads. As mentioned earlier, he wants fullbacks to stay back during the build-up phase but this role completely changes once the build-up phase is over. Once build-up is over the fullbacks can push forward push into the attack but not whenever they want. They push when there is an opportunity to create these wide overloads.

A common scenario in Vanney’s system is that the six will play the ball to the ten. Depending on what side that occurs, the winger will then cut inside into the half-space, to allow room for the fullback to overlap and join the attack out wide. At the same time the nine shifts towards the side that this all happening to further overload that area. This gives Vanney’s team a four versus three overload in the wide space. This forces the left-back to mark the winger and leaves the fullback open (light blue).

This isn’t the only type of overload that Vanney drills his team teams to do. There are different variations for different formations and situations within each game. In other scenarios it could be the box-to-box midfielder who runs into the half space and the number ten overlaps. Vanney prepares his team for any possible circumstance. That’s what made Toronto so difficult to play against for so long. Vanney’s teams are flexible and fluid enough to adapt to anything thrown at them.

A large part of that fluidity comes with the elite playmaker, the number ten, in Vanney’s system. Vanney has had the opportunity to coach some brilliant MLS playmakers that have been key to his teams. Vanney’s flexibility to adjust his tactics to put his playmaker in the best possible position to thrive is why they have thrived under him. Nevertheless, Vanney needs an elite playmaker just as much as the playmaker needs him.

Playmaker

While the 6 is the heart of Vanney’s system, the 10 is the brain. They are the puppetmasters of the offense and the catalyst of the attack. While we will be referring to the playmaker as the 10, it doesn’t mean that they necessarily play a traditional number ten role. His two most notable playmakers being perfect examples of not being traditional number tens.

First, it was Sebastian Giovinco who Vanney played as a second striker behind Jozy Altidore in a 4-4-2. Then there is Alejandro Pozuelo who played more as an advanced midfielder and winger. However, there is one common denominator between Vanney’s playmakers regardless of their playstyle. Full creative freedom.

Part of the reason that the system we have seen from Vanney has heavy emphasis on fluidity is to get the most out of these playmakers. Vanney doesn’t want to limit their creativity in any way. The 10 moves around the pitch wherever he thinks is best to make something happen. Vanney coaches his team to make sure they know what to do when the playmaker roams.

With the ten roaming, an unorganized team can get exposed. They need to know how to adjust their positioning to not only support the playmaker in the attack but cover on the defensive side as well. That’s where Vanney does an excellent job in making sure his team can adjust fluidly.

Defense

On defense, Vanney prefers a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 in a man-oriented high press. The most defining aspect of his system is the man-oriented part. A lot of modern defensive systems have zone-oriented systems. When defending, each player has to cover a specific zone that they are in charge of marking any opposing player who enters that zone. However, once that opposing player leaves the zone the player doesn’t follow him out of it but rather his teammate who has that new zone covered does.

In a man-oriented system such as Vanney’s, instead of players having zonal assignments they have player marking assignments. Each player has a specific opposing player they need to mark throughout the game. The specific player they need to mark can change throughout the game but they will always have a marking assignment. For Vanney, the most important of these assignments is the marking of the opposing double pivot.

Vanney puts a strong emphasis on marking the opposing midfield double pivot. Most teams in MLS play with a 4-2-3-1 and have a double pivot of midfielders to provide defensive stability and help the build up on the offense. If they are tightly marked and unable to get the ball it forces the opposing team to have to play wide which is what Vanney wants.

While Vanney has a very particular philosophy and system he wants to play, he still remains flexible to adjust his tactics on a game to game basis. Now that we have an understanding of Vanney’s system, it’s time to see how the current LA Galaxy’s roster fits into his system.

Roster

While the team’s 2020 record may not reflect it, on paper, LA Galaxy has a decent roster with potential but is missing some key pieces. However, the roster that Vanney is inheriting is better than the one he inherited at Toronto FC when he arrived in 2014. The roster has a mix of experience and youth but depth outside the first 11 is lacking. With that said, there a still quite a lot of question marks surrounding the roster.

Let’s first take a look at how Galaxy would line up in Vanney’s system if there was a game today. This is assuming if the recent reports on Pavón going back to Galaxy are true.

Defense

Analyzing the roster starting from the back to the front, we will start with the defense including the goalkeeper position.

At goalkeeper, new signing Jonathan Bond should be the day one starter. Bringing much experience from Europe and using up an international roster spot, he has clearly been brought in to play day one. Behind him, Galaxy has great depth at the keeper position with Klinsmann. Unfortunately for him, it looks like he will continue to be a backup keeper as he has been the majority of his young career.

As for the centreback pairing, this was an issue in the 2020 season that finally received attention this offseason. Whether it was because of coaching or individual reasons, LA Galaxy has struggled to find an inspiring centreback pairing for years now. With new signing Derrick Williams, Galaxy and Vanney are getting exactly what they needed. Williams is a left-footed centreback with great mobility and passing range. All traits suited to the high defensive line and possession based style Vanney likes his team to play.

As for his partner, Steres was the most consistent of the centrebacks last season. It could very well be DePuy or Gonzalez with no one out of contention with a new coach. However, Steres seems to fit the profile of centreback who fits Vanney’s system the best of these three. Centrebacks in this system will have to defend in transition often so it also important to have great fullbacks who can help cover.

Luckily for Galaxy, they do possess some top-quality fullbacks. Fullback is by the strongest position for the Galaxy on the defensive side. With the recent acquisition of MLS Cup winner, Jorge Villafańa from Portland, they are getting one of the most consistent MLS left-backs of the past 6 years. Combined with the young and explosive Araujo, it will make for potentially one of the best MLS fullback pairings in the league.

Both players also have large engines and can run at top gear for 90 minutes and more. This might prove to be even more useful with the lack of pace at centreback. They will probably find themselves having to run back on defense often to help their slower centrebacks stop counterattacks. Behind Villafaña and Araujo, Galaxy also has some good depth with Oniel Fisher, Danilo Acosta and young Josh Drak.

Midfield

The biggest question in the midfield is who is going to be Vanney’s new Michael Bradley. The only defensive midfielder on the Galaxy roster as of writing this is young Panamanian international, Carlos Harvey. Most of his playing career in the US has been in USL but was brought up to the Galaxy first team late into the 2020 season. While he certainly has potential, his professional playing experience is limited.

With the number six role being the heart of Vanney’s system, it is crucial to have a general in that position. As previously mentioned, this player needs to be defensively solid, have good positioning, and a strong passing range. Harvey does possess these traits at a core level but will have to refine them in order to run the midfield as Bradley did at Toronto for Vanney. Bradley came into Toronto an established player, Harvey is in the complete opposite stage of his career.

As for the number eight, Dos Santos is a fantastic player for Vanney to have in that role. He’s great in possession and able to unlock defenses with his late runs and passing in the final third. All skills very much suited to the number eight role under Vanney. However, the concern would be those times when Dos Santos does have to come back to defend which isn’t his strong suit. As well as the lack of depth in the midfield, a common trend throughout the rest of the positions in this Galaxy team.

Wingers

Things get interesting when it comes to the attacking players of Galaxy. One of the few bright spots of Galaxy in the past couple of years has been Cristian Pavón. However, his loan finished after last season and he is technically a Boca Juniors player as of writing this. Galaxy is keen on bringing him back and the feeling is mutual with Pavón. Bringing him back should be another priority for Galaxy.

Pavón has been one of the few dynamic Galaxy players since arriving in 2019. In many games, Pavón seemed to be the best chance for Galaxy to create something on offense. With Vanney preferring his wingers to cut into the half-spaces, Pavón could flourish under him. Both Pavón and Álvarez working the half-spaces would help get the most of their individual creative abilities. They would also both be cutting onto their stronger foot. All that combined with the fullbacks, Villafaña and Araujo, overlapping could prove to be a nightmare for opposing teams to defend against.

Once again, the winger options behind these two is very limited and the quality drops off significantly.

Striker and the Number Ten

Perhaps the two biggest questions surrounding this roster have to do with the striker and the number ten positions. The first question is whether Chicharito will bounce back from a disastrous debut season in MLS. LA Galaxy is paying him a fortune and he will need to pay it back this season will goal production. His lack of production wasn’t necessarily all his fault, however. Apart from the off-field issues he went through last season with his injury and divorce, on the pitch Guillermo did not set up Chicharito for success.

Chicharito is a pure poacher, he needs service to get the most out of him. Many times last season, he was too isolated up top and the only service he would get would be desperate crosses. This made defending against Chicharito and Galaxy very straightforward for opposing teams. Vanney’s Galaxy won’t be so drab and predictable, further helping put Chicharito in the best position to thrive.

Vanney’s use of the playmaker also known as the ten will also be advantageous to Chicharito. Part of the reason why Jozy Altidore thrived under Vanney was that he had Giovinco to keep opposing teams’ attention and to play off of. So many times teams would focus on stopping Giovinco that Altidore was left openings to exploit to score easy goals. This suits Chicharito even better with his excellent off-the-ball movement and his poaching nature. However, this leads us to the biggest question for this roster.

Who will be Vanney’s Giovinco or Pozuelo in LA? As of right now, the best choice would be Lletget, however, he is nowhere near the level of either Giovinco or Pozuelo. He doesn’t possess the creativity, flair, or technical ability to run the offense. Galaxy needs their elite playmaker who can link the offense together and single handily take over games. If Galaxy bring back Pavón, they would have no more Designated Players slots left to bring in that number ten.

Finding this player should be the number one priority for Galaxy. There is a case for Álvarez slotting in more centrally as that second striker/playmaker and it would give him creative freedom to operate in the middle. However, Álvarez is still very much raw and isn’t consistent enough to lead the offense just yet. Galaxy may have to wait out Dos Santos’ contract, renegotiate it or sell him in order to make space to buy an elite DP playmaker. This should be something that LA should highly consider because of the difference an elite playmaker can make in Vanney’s system.

Continuing with the trend, the depth in these positions is severely lacking and needs to be addressed in order for Galaxy to make it through a long season.

Conclusion

While this LA Galaxy team has potential it will not by any means be an easy task for Vanney to get them back to winning ways. There are four main keys to give this team the best shot of winning in the 2021 season. The first is to sign an elite playmaking Designated Player. The second is to resign Pavón. The third is to get Chicharito scoring. Lastly, the fourth and most overlooked one is to get Harvey comfortable playing in MLS. While these won’t guarantee Galaxy becoming contenders in the West, they sure will put Galaxy in the best position to succeed.

Greg Vanney has already built up one club from being at the very bottom to be at the very top year in and year out. His time and impact at Toronto will go down as one of the most impressive coaching stints in MLS history. However, LA Galaxy is a rebuild and will provide its own unique challenges. With the rich winning history both the Galaxy and Vanney have, he will have high expecations to live up to. What a story it would be if the ex-Galaxy player turned coach turns things around at his old club. While there is a lot of work to be done, LA Galaxy is in the best hands to rebuild its legacy.