What has worked well for FC Dallas under Peter Luccin

The interim manager has had some good moments.

Photo via Mike Brooks

Last week, in our Subscriber Q&A, a couple of questions were raised about interim manager Peter Luccin and whether or not FC Dallas would retain him after this season.

I’ll stand by what I said in my replies, but I wanted to expand a little bit more on what has worked well for the club since the Frenchman took over.

Here are five things that have stood out to me over the last two months. I might discuss what hasn’t been effective later this week if time allows.

Top guys playing their best

When June hit the calendar, it was clear that former head coach Nico Estevez was struggling to get the very best out of his top players. Three players really stand out to me as getting more done under Luccin.

• Before Luccin took over, Petar Musa had five goals and two assists. Since Luccin took over, Musa has nine goals (eight in MLS play, one in USOC play).

• Before Luccin took over, Paul Arriola had one goal and one assist. Since Luccin took over, Arriola has two goals and two assists (plus another assist in Leagues Cup play).

• Before Luccin took over, Sebastian Lletget had one goal and zero assists. Since Luccin took over, he has five assists (plus one more in USOC play).

I’d also say that guys like Asier Illarramendi, Nkosi Tafari, and Maarten Paes have all played better since Luccin took over. I’d venture to guess that had Jesus Ferreira been healthy during this time, he, too, would be playing at a higher level again.

Whatever the case may be, Luccin has been able to get these guys in their correct spots in the lineup and has pushed the right buttons to get them to perform at their very best.