TORONTO

Toronto FC top boss Tim Leiweke has been talking about “ticking boxes” since his arrival, offering fans a visual understanding of how he and new general manager Tim Bezbatchenko plan to build TFC into a North American power — or at least something that offers more than an MLS reserve side.

Picture a giant poster at MLSE headquarters filled with blank boxes and check marks — a way for TFC’s top brass to determine the wants and needs of a club that could finish 2013 with the least amount of wins in its seven-year history.

As a result, we’ve created our own TFC spreadsheet of sorts, complete with 10 items, ticked and unticked, the Reds need to look at maintaining or checking off if things are to improve over the next few years.

Checked

GOALKEEPING

Good enough comes to mind. Is Joe Bendik a top five ’keeper? Probably not. But he has kept TFC in a lot of games and stolen a few points in the process. Had Milos Kocic still been between the pipes, the Reds would have had an additional box to tick come January. Bendik, though, is solid enough and cheap enough, to keep around. The addition of No. 2 ’keeper Chris Konopka also provides decent coverage at a spot TFC is fairly solid at.

Unchecked

DRAFT PICKS

Toronto FC has none in 2014 after Paul Mariner’s asinine decision to send the club’s only first-rounder to Vancouver in exchange for Eric Hassli. After watching former TFC GM Kevin Payne make a mess of this year’s draft — leaving Andrew Farrell (NE), Dillon Powers (COL), Deshorn Brown (COL) and Kekuta Manneh (VAN) on the board was inexcusable — TFC has to invest more in the MLS SuperDraft moving forward.

Unchecked

DESIGNATED PLAYERS

From a production standpoint, very few DPs have been as useless (over a single season) as Danny Koevermans has been in 2013. Yes, the big Dutchman is coming off an ACL injury, but he should have returned to TFC’s lineup back in May. Furthermore, was Torsten Frings worth the roughly $5 million the club paid him over 2½ years? Nope. Some other names to think about: Julian de Guzman, Mista, Max Urruti ... You get the picture.

Checked

SOLID HOLDING PRESENCE

Whether it’s Kyle Beckerman in Salt Lake or Osvaldo Alonso in Seattle, every playoff-calibre club in MLS has a holding midfielder who completes a high percentage of passes and earns a high number of recoveries. Without, you’re dead, as TFC fans know all-too well. Now, though, TFC young gun Matias Laba has shored up one of the most important spots on the field, meaning management can focus its attention elsewhere with the off-season approaching.

Unchecked

CENTREBACKS

You need two of them — Steven Caldwell and another. At the moment, the Reds need an upgrade over Doneil Henry, 20, who remains a top prospect but still produces baffling moments on a near-weekly basis. Toronto’s top brass has indicated central defence isn’t a concern heading into the off-season, a monumental concern if you’re a supporter who has watched the Reds concede needlessly all season.

Unchecked

FULLBACKS

A huge question mark heading into the off-season. We’ve seen two sides of Ashtone Morgan this year — the early season immature version and the progressively better wing back who’s capable of producing spirited moments out of the back. But with Richard Eckersely’s status still up in the air, TFC has to go out and find a player who can come in and make an immediate impact. Mark Bloom isn’t a first-team option, neither is Ryan Richter. It’s possible Eckersley’s potential successor could come from within the league.

Unchecked

AN ATTACKING MIDFIELDER

The absence of a mature threat through the middle is obvious when you scan TFC’s current roster. Quick question: Who’s pulling the strings at TFC? Providing the final pass? Jonathan Osorio’s too young and Toronto’s other box-to-box midfielders — Jeremy Hall and Darel Russell — don’t offer enough going forward. Top teams have all-star calibre central players, guys like Diego Valeri (POR) and Tim Cahill (NY). The Reds need to fill this role with one of their two remaining Designated Player slots.

Checked

WIDTH

That’s not to say Toronto can’t improve here. It can. But with other needs more pressing at the moment, TFC’s wide midfielders will suffice for now. Alvaro Rey has proven he can provide dangerous moments and Bobby Convey has been around the block enough to succeed with the right mix around him. Additionally, Jonathan Osorio has shown he’s capable of filling in on the wings should the Reds need cover.

Checked

FRONT OFFICE

The general feeling around MLSE headquarters is the club has finally found the right guy, new GM Tim Bezbatchenk, to run the show. I know, I know. You’ve heard that before. But for the first time in a long time the Reds will be buyers come January, meaning TFC is hopefully done making dumb, snap-judgment decisions that have buried it for years. Bez said all the right things at his introductory press conference last week. Let’s see if he follows through with it.

Unchecked

GOAL SCORING

After Robert Earnshaw (seven goals), the rest of TFC’s rostered forwards have combined to score four goals this season, making it abundantly clear that the Reds are desperate for goal scorers. Trading for Bright Dike was a decent start, but he won’t be expected to pot more than five goals a season as a reserve. Toronto’s certain to use at least one of its DP slots for this “box”, but that won’t be enough. Head coach Ryan Nelsen needs to find sizable upgrades over Andrew Wiedeman and Justin Braun.