Neal: Eric Ramsay has been a steady hand for Minnesota United, despite the chaos

Loons fans might believe that Eric Ramsay invented the wingback, just because they aren’t used to seeing one around these parts.

But Ramsay has had to be more tactically agile than even he imagined since taking over Minnesota United in February. Deploying wingers who can defend as well as get forward is just one way he’s been able navigate a season during which he watched his roster suffer more injuries than the Twins.

He’s more flexible than his predecessor, Adrian Heath. You were going to see a back four with Heath no matter what. And few substitutions. So, yes, Ramsay is different. Is he better? Not sure, yet. That’s why the next nine remaining games, presumably with a more stable roster, will tell where the Loons are headed with Ramsay.

It looks like they are heading down the right path despite their 9-10-6 record heading into Saturday’s game against Seattle. They absorbed a six-game losing streak in June and July to remain a playoff contender, as they occupy a wild card spot in the Western Conference.

But keep in mind that the Loons have used 32 players this season. They used 30 all of last season. In addition to injuries, international callups during our crazy summer of soccer also gutted the roster. Then chief soccer officer Khaled El-Ahmad attacked the recent transfer window, adding six players.

Through all of this upheaval, Ramsay kept things from cratering.

Five games into his tenure — remember that he didn’t begin until the fourth game of the season while El-Ahmad completed his manager search — he switched from a four-man backline to defending with five. But his wingbacks will charge forward where there are opportunities. They beat Charlotte 3-0 on April 21 and have pretty much stuck with the back five since then.

In the aftermath of midfielder Emanuel Reynoso’s departure, Robin Lod has been asked to play farther up the field. And the veteran has responded with a career-best 17 combined goals and assists.

Honduran defender Joseph Rosales has blossomed under Ramsay as a left wingback who can get forward. And Rosales has been lethal on set pieces. Fellow Honduran Kevin Arriaga also raised his game under Ramsay but was transferred when he made it clear he was going to run down his contract.

While the Loons kept summoning players from MNUFC2 to fill out rosters, Ramsay kept things from falling apart. This is encouraging stuff from the 33-year old coach.

“I don’t think we played with the same backline once in that tough period we had,” El-Ahmad said. “But look, you learn about yourself. You learn about your staff. You learn about what players can and can not do. What stood out to me was the patience, the openness to try things and do the best with what you have instead of having the attitude that this is bad.”

On Tuesday, Ramsay stood on a practice field in Blaine with a grin as he just presided over a training session that was missing only two players. One of them was Argentine playmaking midfielder Joaquín Pereyra. Striker Kelvin Yeboah, a transfer from Genoa who was on loan at Standard Liege, practiced with the team Tuesday and will add scoring punch.

Ramsay nearly has his full team back. He can’t wait to begin cooking with his new ingredients. I can’t wait to see what he does with a pinch of health and a dash of new transfers.

“We have pretty much worked with three different groups over the course of the year,” Ramsay said. “We had the group that started well. We had the group that was very small as a consequence of all the players we missed for various reasons. And now we’ve got a new group with six additions. And we have a competitive game just around the corner.”

That would be Seattle at Allianz Field on Saturday. The Sounders are to the Loons what the Yankees are to the Twins. If Ramsay gets his fortified roster playing well enough to beat Seattle for just the second time ever, the Loons playoff hopes will receive a boost. And reaching the postseason will make Ramsay’s Year 1 an improvisational success.