Evidence might point to the contrary, but L.A. Galaxy striker Landon Donovan says his team isn’t that bad, and that the worst thing upper management could do between now and next season is to continue its policy of cleaning house when things don’t go well, the U.S. international told the L.A. Daily News. “There’s a lot of good players here, very good players, and if you have a fire sale and just get rid of everybody, you’re just going to be further in the hole,” said Donovan, who became captain again after the injury sustained by David Beckham. “That includes [Coach] Frank [Yallop].”
Donovan says the Galaxy’s last two games — losses to Mexican club Pachuca in the SuperLiga final and a 2-1 home defeat to Real Salt Lake-as evidence. Indeed, results notwithstanding, the Galaxy looked far from poor in its last two games. “It’s almost like we just have to go out and play and hope eventually things are going to go your way,” Donovan said. “A couple of years ago, we won the title and we weren’t a very good team, and we kept everybody because we thought, ‘We won it, we should keep everybody.’ This year is the opposite.”
However, “Of course, there will be some changes,” says the Daily News, especially if the Galaxy fails to get the other designated player slot that would allow the team to keep Donovan next season. Meanwhile, Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas has made turning over players something of a habit in his two seasons in charge, and sounds far from finished. “We certainly need to upgrade,” Lalas said Friday.