We were never going to have all 3 for all of 2015. Pirlo was not available until summer, and the club made the reasonable decision to wait on getting a third DP until summer when more players are available. Then CFG screwed us by holding Lampard until summer as well and that was a handicap from which we never could recover.
My what-if is that Lampard shows up for camp, and maybe doesn't get hurt as he did in the PL before coming over to us. Of course maybe he does anyway, but it's my what-if. Then the club gets a summer signing DP who better suits us. I also agree Pirlo was quality for the first 1.5 years, but he never was the right fit. Also, if you're taking on an aging player who needs defensive cover he needs to produce goals at a Zlatan level, not what we got from Pirlo. Anyway, if all that happens, then maybe we make the playoffs in 2015. But my what-if is not all rosy: maybe Kries is not fired, and we never hire Vieira. Or maybe Mix never goes fully into the doghouse and has a good career here. Maybe we're not playing coaching roulette, with more stability. Or maybe that is true but we also have less success and a less pleasing style of play because Kries stalls club progress. Or maybe it is just better. The further you get away from the divergence the greater the range of plausible scenarios.
Yes. The what if is what if Lampard is here at NYCFC from his signing and doesn't go to Man City on "loan". He doesn't get hurt and has to rehab. We would have had Villa and Lampard (and Mix and Poku) all playing together from the beginning. Kreis wanted to sign a young South American DP in the summer. Let's say that happens. Maybe we score a few more goals during the season and make the playoffs. Kreis doesn't get fired. We don't have the 3rd pick in the SuperDraft and we don't have the leverage to trade for Jack Harrison...
But I do think the club is in a better position with Vieira in 2016 than Kreis getting another year despite the potential upside results from 2015 if everything went well. We've clearly seen an evolution in the style of play that Vieira started and Dome built upon. Unfortunately it looks like Ronny is ruining it.