Rather than wade through the misery of the Fire’s dismal showing at Chivas USA last night, I’ll leave the game recap to someone else and focus on some (kind of) constructive criticisms. The Fire’s recent skid has been called Denis Hamlett’s first test as head coach. How the Hammer addresses the problems made clear last night will be the real indicator of his perception and innovation and, ultimately, give verdict on his first term at the helm of the Chicago Fire.

1. Chad Barrett is not, and won’t become, the caliber forward the Fire need. His early season glut of goals had many believing he had finally turned that mysterious corner and “come good,” as they say. All those goals came when Hamlett was running a 2-forward system, and Barrett has suffered as the lone striker in recent games, scoring just one goal in the month of June thus far. Where Barrett fails is in one v. one situations and carrying the ball up for himself. He doesn’t create his own goal scoring opportunities, or at least doesn’t finish them well. If this is what the Fire are looking for in a forward, then Barrett is not their man. He can still flourish in a two man attack, provided his confidence hasn’t left him, but he isn’t the versatile, free-scoring destroyer the Fire need to feed off such a potent midfield and make them truly unstoppable.

2. Justin Mapp is trade bait. Every player has streaks and slumps. Mapp’s streaks, however, last for 20 minutes and his slumps last for 2 full games. If he was going to become the All-Star, national team regular left-side wonderwinger he has been billed as, he would have done it by now, his 6th season in MLS. He seems to lack the psychological build required for players of that level. The excellent players who dominate defenders and inspire goals, force themselves upon the game. Mapp, however, lets the game dictate his performance. When things are going well, so is he. When they are not, he absolutely disappears from the face of the Earth. His true value is as trade bait. MLS clubs will still trade for Mapp (Ahem. Toronto.). If he succeeds elsewhere, that’s fine. The hard fact is that he is not doing so here and the Fire have a ready and rather intriguing replacement in Steven King. The Mapp Experiment has failed. Why not try a new one?

3. A single striker system ain’t gonna cut it. Not with Barrett and not with wingers who disappear at the first sign of a bad result. A tactical change can inspire a change in performances as well, and it throws opponents off the scent. Changing formations makes large parts of opposing teams’ preparations null and void, and allows players to interact in new ways. A simple 4-4-2 could do wonders. A midfield featuring Rolfe and Blanco will be as potent has it had been, and with an extra target up front. The biggest benefit to having a pair of forwards, and one often overlooked, is that it allows the forwards to hold the ball more, and give time for the midfield and attacking fullbacks time to advance. The Fire are sitting on a perfect pairing as well. Andy Herron is fast and tall. Tomasz Frankowski is a deadly poacher. Nyarko and Rolfe fit the same billing, but with even more speed and range in Rolfe.

4. CJ Brown is over. Believe me, it pains me to say it, but it’s the sad truth. He was beat repeatedly by Chivas’ pacy forwards, and on more than one occasion was bailed out by last ditch tackles by Bakary Soumare. When our backline is returned to full strength, continuing to play Brown would be sentimental at best, and as we learned with Paulo Wanchope, sentimentality can kill. As with Armas, however, I hope that the Fire organization can find a place for Brown on the coaching staff. He deserves every bit of respect and appreciation that is afforded Armas and will always be a Fire legend. Unfortunate to have found himself injured at the beginning of his last season, he may not fully recover, and playing him will be dangerous.

5. John Busch saves the day, everyday. Okay, so I didn’t learn this last night. I knew it already, but he continues to amaze even as the rest of the team melts down and the backline goes leaky.