Eleven manager Martin Rennie addresses Zach Steinberger loan

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indy Eleven signed Zach Steinberger in January, seemingly to become a focal point of new head coach Martin Rennie‘s offense. A versatile attacker who can play as a No. 10, winger, second striker or flat central midfielder, Steinberger experienced a breakout campaign with the NASL’s Jacksonville Armada FC in 2017, especially during the first half of the season.

But perhaps due to Rennie’s proclivity for playing multiple central defensive midfielders, Steinberger was never thrust into a permanent role. He didn’t look bad when he saw the pitch, but also wasn’t exactly stuffing the scoresheet. In 17 regular-season appearances for Indy, he recorded one goal and one assist. But it’s worth noting that he only went a full 90 eight times, and three of his appearances were brief cameos off the bench of 13 minutes or less.

Whatever the case, Steinberger’s return to the Circle City didn’t work out to perfection. In late August, the Eleven loaned Steinberger to fellow USL Eastern Conference club North Carolina FC, where he made an immediate impact.

In three appearances for North Carolina FC so far, he’s scored three times and dished out an assist, most of which came from his two-goal, one-assist debut against the Charlotte Independence in a 6-2 thrashing. He’s gone a full 90 twice already since moving to Tar Heel country and put in 81 minutes in his other start.

So, what happened in Indy? Steinberger simply wasn’t an ideal fit in Rennie’s system. Rennie doesn’t utilize a traditional No. 10, instead often preferring a 4-3-3-ish setup with the three midfielders not playing particularly wide nor high up the pitch. The wing forwards generally take on plenty of responsibility behind the ball, so the formation plays more like a 4-5-1 at times.

In other words, Rennie loves him some CDMs.

Matt Watson and Nico Matern are “Rennie’s guys” and — in hindsight — were always bound to have a leg up in the pecking order coming into the season. Then there are veterans Brad Ring and Juan Guerra, two other central midfielders who, like Watson and Matern, aren’t incredibly attack-minded. The Eleven midfield is an extremely crowded place, plus CAMs take a backseat to CDMs in Rennie’s system.

“Zach’s a really great guy, and I really like him and like coaching him,” Rennie said. “I was probably the first one to congratulate him on his performance (Aug. 25). But it was just we’ve got a lot of good players in the same position, and I think we need to let players get in a rhythm and play. It’s an opportunity for him to go to a good place, to a good club and have a chance to do well. He couldn’t have done any better in his first game, so good luck to him.”

Photo credit: Jessica Stone Hendricks Photography

Looking back, the best solution probably would’ve been to give Steinberger first crack at regular minutes on the right wing after Nathan Lewis’ string of bad games left him out of the rotation. But Eugene Starikov and Seth Moses have both played well on the right side. The left wing could’ve been another option, but Soony Saad and Tyler Pasher, when healthy, have both produced some huge plays this season.

It’s not even necessarily a case of Rennie not rating Steinberger; in fact, the former probably wouldn’t have bothered bringing the latter into the fold to begin with were that the case. It’s more so a scenario in which Rennie ended up acquiring a surplus at his favorite position, and Steinberger’s skill set kind of got lost in the shuffle of Rennie’s preferred tactical setup.

Sans Steinberger, Indy’s gaffer remains confident in his side’s depth in the center of the pitch.

“I feel good about the midfielders that we have.” Rennie said. “I think we just need a little chance to get the team in a rhythm of a game a week and get the lineup settled, and let guys really connect with each other and play at a high tempo.”

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

Still, it seems odd to loan out a player as talented as Steinberger to an in-division opponent, especially a club that’s vying for a playoff spot with a game or games in hand on numerous teams above them — the Indy Eleven, for one. Indy (45) holds a 10-point edge on North Carolina (35) right now as North Carolina sits just below the playoff line, but imagine if the two clubs’ paths cross in the playoffs and Steinberger is in the North Carolina FC starting XI.

The deal wasn’t a win-win for all parties involved. It was a massive win for Steinberger and North Carolina FC, and a head-scratching loss for Indy. Eleven supporters are left to ponder why Steinberger was signed and underutilized, then shipped out of town to an in-conference foe still in the playoff picture.

Steinberger may well end up back on the Indy roster once the loan deal expires, but if past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, don’t expect him to waltz back onto Rennie’s roster and suddenly get handed a much larger role — that is, if he returns at all.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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