LAG Confidential Round Table: What needs to change for next year to not be a complete disaster?

Mike Gray: The mentality.

Five MLS Cups have filled LA's giant trophy case, but left the organization content and lacking hunger, that innate desire to succeed. There were plenty of warning signs this season could be a disaster, and the front office addressed those red flags with an unwavering confidence in the organization, a gamble that failed miserably.

Now that the Galaxy's bravado has been beaten into the ground and changes in the FO are imminent, will we see a different LA Galaxy in 2018?

Jamie Pham: I think the most obvious and easiest answer is to get a whole new team but I don’t think that is going to happen so the short answer will be: defense.

With Ashley Cole going to get a year older, Robbie Rogers’s future in doubt, the goalkeepers inconsistencies, and revolving door of center backs, they have given up 58 goals so far this year (the only team worse is Minnesota United at 59). They really need to fix their defensive mistakes before they can do anything else.

Ilkay Can: What needs to change next year?

1. Front office needs to make the right changes in player identification. It's early in his MLS career, but Ciani doesn't look like a keeper so far. I do think the FO knows that changes need to be made (the worst record in team history helps with that), but do they have the chops to identify the right players?

2. Prioritize the right positions in the offseason. #1 is the defense. #2 is the forward corps. Yes the Galaxy need help in midfield, but these two positions are first and foremost the ones to fill.

3. Find a consistent goalkeeper. Brian Rowe looks like a competent backup, but not a starter that bails out the team when the defense goes bad. This is not a DP position, but the team has to do some scouting.

4. Find good CBs. Jelle Van Damme and his red cards this year screwed the team. Jermaine Jones shouldn't be playing at CB. Ciani looks as slow as a snail. Daniel Steres and Dave Romney are depth but not starters. As we watch the Galaxy leak a tremendous amount of goals, this is one of the highest priorities for 2018.

5. Need a striker that makes clever runs. Oh Robbie Keane, how we miss you.

6. Creative playmaker - hopefully Sebastian Lletget is the one that can combine with Alessandrini. If he's not, or if he can't recover from his injuries (doubtful with his age), the Galaxy need to go find one.

7. Team unity. This team looks like they don't like playing with one another. At all. Need a decent captain and a new locker room dynamic. Desperately.

8. The players to keep: Romain Alessandrini, Jonathan Dos Santos, Emmanuel Boateng, Gyasi Zardes (yes, I'm recommending keeping him), Pele Van Anholt. Note one of the Dos Santos brothers isn't on this list.

Chandrima Chatterjee: There’s a distinct hole in leadership, culture and identity. There’s a distinct hole in leadership, culture and identity. You can view the saga like characters in the Wizard of Oz - AJ DeLaGarza, represented the Galaxy’s heart, Robbie Keane was their courage and Bruce Arena acted as their brains).

It was impossible to fill all the gaps in one single swoop which is what they hoped might happen this year, focusing on the developmental path they’ve strived to promote and hone. It’s time to dismember the old way of doing things - brotherhood and an almost fraternity-like behavior, based less on merit and more on kinship.

They had a chance to bring in an “outsider” to shake things up with their coaching twice this year but instead opted for a hire-from-within mentality and again decided to play it safe by mounting the pressure on Sigi Schmid.

Kyle Sennikoff: One of the things that hurt us the most, in my opinion, was the depth. That caught up to us quickly. Having to resort to sub-par third string center backs, midfielders, right backs, is not a recipe for success.

However, having an entire offseason to work with, I believe that Sigi Schmidt can build a roster deep enough to compete throughout an entire MLS season.