Chicago Fire: Has Veljko Paunovic wasted Djordje Mihailovic?

It’s been a tough season for Chicago Fire prospect Djordje Mihailovic. But has he and his development been the victim of head coach Veljko Paunovic’s mismanagement?

Djordje Mihailovic was one of the hottest names in all of MLS going into the 2019 season. He had starred for the United States Men’s National Team during the January camp, and even scored on his international debut against Panama, and was linked with a move to several European clubs. Chicago Fire fans were excited to see him carry his good form into the new campaign.

That hasn’t been the case, however, as Mihailovic now usually finds himself on the bench. He has endured a tough campaign, scoring three times and providing only one assist, which is quite poor for a central midfielder.

The whole situation was summed up quite nicely on Saturday night when Chicago took on the Columbus Crew. Mihailovic was only subbed on with five minutes to go in the contest, but he was able to make an impact, starting off the attacking move that led to the last-minute equalizer.

While some of the issues with this season are obviously down to the player, Mihailovic has been let down by those around him. The biggest culprit has been Fire head coach Veljko Paunovic, who has effectively wasted a crucial year in the youngster’s development. As mentioned earlier, Mihailovic finds himself settling for a spot on the bench most weeks.

It was a different story at the beginning of the year. The 20-year-old started ten of the opening twelve games of the season. The Fire hadn’t made a dream start to the campaign, but they were hovering around the playoff line at least. There was reason to believe the team just needed to gel before making a run, and Mihailovic was viewed as a key part of that process.

However, he soon found himself out of the lineup. Usually playing alongside Dax McCarty in the middle of the park, Paunovic started using other players in that spot. It began with Mo Adams, who impressed at first but was eventually traded to Atlanta United. Brandt Bronco got a few games in but soon found himself slotting in at right-back due to the Fire’s lack of depth at the position. And then things then got kind of weird as Fabian Herbers became the go-to central midfielder for a stretch.

Brought in from the Philadelphia Union in the offseason, Herbers had been used as a forward or winger throughout his time in MLS. He made a few substitute appearances up top for the Men In Red early on, grabbing a goal against the Seattle Sounders, before slowly making his way backwards, playing a little as an attacking midfielder before quickly dropping as deep as McCarty at times. To his credit, Herbers tried to make it work, running all over the pitch at times. However, he just didn’t have the technical ability, losing the ball on too many occasions and putting pressure on the Fire backline as a result. His run there eventually came to an end and a defensive reshuffle led to Bronco returning to the midfield, with Mihailovic having to settle for a handful of minutes at the end of games.

Looking back through recent history, Fire fans have gotten used to this kind of thing. Mihailovic is yet another name added to the long list of young players Paunovic has failed to properly utilize. When Paunovic was first hired, the expectations were that he would actually get the most out of those with potential. He had just lead Serbia to the U-20 World Cup title, winning with a team with less talent than other countries. Chicago also had a number of youth products in the academy ready for their chance, so the future looked very bright. The initial prognosis could not have been more wrong.

More from MLS Multiplex

• Javier Milei Elected in Argentina: Potential Impacts on MLS and Signings of Argentine Players
• Orlando City and New York City FC in the Battle for Matías Arezo; Grêmio Enters Negotiations! Who Will Come Out on Top?
• USA, Honduras, Panama, and Canada Close in on a Spot in the 2024 Copa America
• De Gea Turns Down Al-Nassr’s Lucrative Offer: Speculation Points to Possible Reunion with Messi at Inter Miami
• Messi’s Magnetic Impact in the United States

His first season with the Fire saw the likes of Joey Calistri, Collin Fernandez, and Jon Bakero all shipped out of town after coming in with so much hope. Things would get worse. Paunovic ruined better and better players. The full-back pairing of Matt Polster and Brandon Vincent were incredible in 2017, but both would be gone within a year, with the former joining Scottish side Rangers and the latter just flat-out retiring.

Role players like Jonathan Campbell and Drew Conner followed, leaving a hole in the Chicago roster, while Diego Campos no longer has a natural position and Grant Lillard looks like a shell of his old self. Elliot Collier might never play for the Fire again after being loaned out and Raheem Edwards has seemingly been banned from playing for whatever reason according to whispers on the internet.

Paunovic has proven that he is unable to help improve young talent, instead ruining them before eventually forcing them out of the club. And so, with all that being considered, wasting a year of Mihailovic has been one of the worst things Paunovic has done.

It’s an open secret that the youngster won’t be with the Chicago Fire long. European clubs are already trying to sign him up. However, this season will surely have some teams now doubting Mihailovic. If he can’t start for a struggling Fire team, how will he cut it across the pond? Even if a club is still interested, his value will have plummeted due to Paunovic’s mismanagement, potentially costing the club millions.

Even the US national team could be affected as Mihailovic was one to watch out for in the future. Not many Americans possess the technical ability he does, especially at a young age. He got off to a dream start by scoring on his debut and seemingly had a spot in the program for the years to come. That would all change if he fails to develop, as others will pass him by on the depth chart.

Luckily for Mihailovic, he will get to escape the dumpster fire developing in Chicago during the international break. He was named to the United States U-23 team that are preparing for the upcoming CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament. He will get to play under more capable coaches there and get to show how talented he truly is with scouts across the planet watching.

It might be just what the doctor ordered for Mihailovic, who can focus on himself, furthering his promising career while away from Chicago Fire head coach Paunovic.