Six weeks to go and the silence is deafening. The MLS 2008 season opens the last week of March and while other clubs around the league are hustlin’ players in and out, the Chicago Fire have had a rather uninspiring off-season. While there have been major staff-level changes, a new Technical Director or Academy Coach just doesn’t quite get the fans hyped up and hopeful. For the record here’s a quick version of the story thus far.Chris Armas and Paolo Wanchope both announced their retirements at the end of 2007 season. One of them will be sorely missed, and no doubt canonized as one of the club’s all time greats. The other should  simply be shot out of a cannon.
   

    As a parting gift, Juan Carlos Osorio left midfielder Ivan Guerrero unprotected in the San Jose expansion draft, and the New Earthquakes wisely nabbed him. Guerrero may or may not remain with the club when it is relocated in two years time, however. Long time fan-favorite defender Jim Curtin, having suffered major injury setbacks, was jettisoned to Chivas USA. Finally, after a protracted contract waiting game, goalkeeper Matt Pickens landed a gig with Queens Park Rangers of the English Coca-Cola Championship (fka, the First Division, fka the Second Division).
   

    None of the departing players were irreplaceable. In fact, some should have been replaced some time ago. Problems arise, however, when there are no replacements. A few of the Fire’s draftees are highly regarded of course, but it is doubtful they are ready to make the game-day impact the team needs.
      

    New Head Coach Denis Hamlett, along with his new and burgeoning backroom staff, have been searching far and wide for the player that will make that impact. Promising talks with Paris-St. Germaine forward/winger Fabrice Pancrate stalled. Polish international Tomasz Frankowski, on the other hand, has been training with the Fire in a “let’s see what we see” arrangement. A contract for the 33-year-old striker has yet to be announced, however. It may be that in the fallout from David Beckham’s move to L.A. that European players are demanding star-player wages in a league whose other talent is somewhat undervalued, but the Fire Front Office are gaining a reputation for failing to finish the deed.
   

    The Fire’s biggest signing so far? The not-so-triumphant return of Andy Herron. A striker of middling impact for the Fire, scoring 15 goals in 44 games from 2004 through 2006, Herron played for three other clubs since, including MLS rivals Columbus Crew, with equally uninspiring results. Announced late February 14th (in the middle of this writing, as a matter of fact), Herron’s transfer makes Frankowski’s arrival less likely: while both strikers who have struggled in recent years, the Costa Rican is a few years younger than the aging Pole. It would reason that Herron comes a sight more cheaply than Frankowski would as well.
   

    The European almost-got-ems, departures, and coaching staff shuffle have made for a busy off-season, but in the end there hasn’t been any clear roster improvement. Time remains, but it looks like the Fire will field a team in no great way different from last year’s squad, a squad that unimpressively squeaked into the playoffs, but in spectacular fashion. Much the same, this winter has been unimpressively spectacular - or spectacularly unimpressive.