De Guzman needs to be partnered with a stronger ball winning presence in midfield to be effective. When he keeps it simple (one and two touch distribution, playing the way he faces) he is an effective linking player. Where he gets in trouble is when he dwells on the ball too long, either forcing a low percentage pass that results in a midfield turnover or simply getting outmuscled in physical challenges. He’s only as good as the players around him so in essence he’s not going to elevate the level of play of his teammates (clearly evident last year on numerous occasions prior to his knee injury). Mariner, who knows a thing or two about getting serviceable players to fit this league, probably wouldn’t have shelled out anywhere near the dough that Mo did for a player of De Guzman’s skillset in relation to this league.

Even though he’s still recovering from surgery, De Guzman has a lot to prove and he will need to show that he’s THE MAN to make the midfield tick. The worst case scenario for him is if he has a slow start to the year and a less heralded option comes in and does the job in the holding role with the team playing well in the process.