Last season started with hope for the Chicago Fire, but it did not take long for the feeling to dissipate in the windy city. It only took a couple months for the team to devolve into the rolling dumpster fire that finished last in MLS. That’s not to say there were not any positives, but not enough to prevent a mass house cleaning. Zach Lahey does a full 2015 season review which recaps the Shakespeare worthy tragedy that took place during 2015.

Frank Yallop was sacked before the season ended and the Fire hired Serbian U-20 coach Veljko Paunovic. Many analysts said that the Fire put Paunovic in a bad spot with a young and, generally, inexperienced roster. One thing that is overlooked is the overall youth of the remaining squad and how the coach will take advantage of it.

The average age of the current squad is 22 years old, with no players thirty years or older. Paunovic has shown he can bring out the best in his younger players. His path to the FIFA U-20 World Cup had to go through top squads such as the United States and Brazil. This shows Paunovic knows how to reach his players in addition to being an ample tactician.

Three players that come up in nearly every discussion are defender Joevin Jones (age 24) and midfielders Matt Polster (age 22) and Harry Shipp (age 24). Both men have shown hints of greatness in Yallop’s system, although Shipp often felt out of position. These two will need a patient mentor to help them reach their full potential and Paunovic offers that leadership. By moving these players to a more modern 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation, Shipp and Polster should be able improve what was the worst scoring offense in MLS.

Chicago may also be following Columbus Crew SC, Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy’s lead on finding a leader who will help encourage academy growth. With the general focus in MLS shifting away from high priced DP’s to more on young, homegrown players; This may be Chicago taking an overall change of coaching philosophy. While they do have DP striker Gilberto, Chicago seems more interested in trying to follow the FC Dallas and Crew SC model to build consistency over one and done seasons. Paunovic should play a positive role in the upcoming Superdraft where he will be looking to bolster a youthful, but ultimately shallow defensive squad.

The first year may be a rough transitional period as Paunovic gets used to the travel strain and tactics of Major League Soccer. Additionally he has to overcome the losses of veterans Mike Magee and Jeff Larentowicz. In the grand scheme of things Paunovic should give the Fire what they need to develop solid teams year in and year out without having to invest in high priced players. 2016 marks the start of a brand new chapter for the Chicago Fire; Veljko Paunovic will ultimately decide how it is written this year.