And some of you thought no one cared about the Dynamo …

I wrote a column in Sunday’s Chronicle looking at the big-picture state of Houston’s Major League Soccer team.

By Monday morning, I was on the phone with a longtime season-ticket holder in Austin, receiving a lengthy letter from another longtime supporter, and still receiving Twitter messages from mostly frustrated Dynamo fans.

Diehard soccer believers can debate on-field and roster decisions as much as they want. John Walker, president of business operations, made it clear during a recent interview that the Dynamo know they have serious work to do in multiple areas.

“I think it’s a positive thing that fans have reacted to the column and are voicing their own opinions. It shows the passion that exists and that soccer matters to a lot of people in this city,” Walker said Monday. “We’ve solicited feedback ever since I started, through surveys and focus groups, town hall type conference calls and lots of face-to-face conversations, and that’s been a big part of our decision making process. We’ve heard a lot of good things from fans, as well as some areas where we need to do a better job, and we’re working on those.

"Obviously we know that not every decision will make every fan happy, and we know that winning cures a lot, but our job is to take that feedback and use it to inform decisions that will improve the overall fan experience on and off the field. If we can do that, and start to really channel that passion for soccer toward the Dynamo, you’ll see the Dynamo become ‘cool’ in the city and really start to take off.”

One thing was clear in the responses I received: Passionate fans believe the Dynamo are going backward at a time when MLS is expanding and other franchises are exceling. And that was the main point of Sunday’s column.

The primary complaints: The team isn’t spending enough on its roster; ownership doesn’t care enough about the on-field product; there is no plan to improve the club over the short and long term.

A couple of those were heard daily during the Astros’ painful rebuild. But the Astros always had a plan -- even when they were losing 111 games, engulfed by drama and firing a manager who was supposed to last a decade – and Houston’s MLB team consistently communicated its long-term vision to its fanbase.

Enough of my writing.

On to the more important voices …

Donald Lee, season-ticket holder since 2006: “I want to see them try. I want to see them try to be competitive. There doesn’t seem to be a strategic vision for success. … Mediocrity seems to be the goal.”

“I’ll always support the team but I can’t keep putting the sort of money into it. I can’t care more than the owners. If the owners aren’t going to try harder, I can’t keep putting the sort of money into it that I have in the past. I’ll always be a supporter. I’ll always be Forever Orange.”

Kevin Musgrave: “I've been a season ticket holder since 2006 and it hurts to see the ownership group and front office put so little effort into what could be a top club in MLS. I hope that you can help give the fans a voice and some sort of change can be made.”

“They talk about the upgrades they've made to the stadium and worry about the pregame music being good in the hopes of generating a good atmosphere, but of all the games that I've been to the best atmosphere is when the stadium is full and the team is fun to watch. Having affordable concessions is nice, but nobody is deciding to go to the stadium because they have cheap nachos. They go for the product on the field. Until the product improves everything else, including rebranding, is just lipstick on a pig. Walker was correct that the Dynamo will be relevant again at some point, and that point is when we have an owner that is willing to do more than the bare minimum.”

@RAHurtado: “Thank you for the article, @ChronBrianSmith. The challenges that this club are facing have not changed in the past 5-10yrs. That’s ridiculous and very frustrating as a season ticket holder who is trying to find reasons to continue supporting.”

@AdrianColchado: “The @HoustonDynamo want to be relevant again, WIN. As a former season ticket holder, 12 years straight, nothing draws fan support than winning.”

@texassurf: “They use to fill up cougar stadium. Got good turn outs at new stadium. Then let a lot of fan favorites leave or traded. Hard to follow when didn’t know players. Also. Too many games during the day in the summer. Just my opinion.”

@EricCarmona15: “I'm more likely to go if the away team has a good player, because a big name draws in people. Why can't they just get a big name player?”

@robroy77: “Rebranding to Houston FC and coming up with a logo that looks good would go a long way to getting more merch in peoples hands. Thus building more excitement and recognition. Better players though is the obvious move.”

@coasterron: “Houston heat is enough to keep many fans away and I am one of them. Breezes do not flow thru the stadium like that do at other stadiums such as Constellation Field due to suite placement. Think Globe Life Park for air flow. Hot.”

@DougRG88: “I am a big soccer fan. Two reasons I stopped going to Dynamo games. One, ownership is too cheap to bring in anything close to top talent (esp compared to days gone by). Two, yes outdoor stadium with almost no ventilation in summer is a non starter here (poor design).”

@TheClayElkins “When Jim Crane bought the Astros and reduced the club to bare bones, I admired his honesty when he told the fans straight up that the club would have to endure some hard times before it can get better. It was risky, but bold...and he was right. Dynamo need owners w/ (guts).”