Crunch Time: United’s front office must step up—or step down.

Editor’s Note: We’ll have a comprehensive tribute to the now-departed Christian Ramirez tomorrow. Until then, here’s a look forward.

They did it.

Minnesota United’s front office has done what bordered the unimaginable, but in the end, the trade of Christian Ramirez seemed more inevitable.

But yet it happened. As hard as it has been—and will be—to cope with Superman’s departure, we do need to take a moment to look past it, though we only have to look as far as Wednesday.

Wednesday is a doomsday of sorts for United. The secondary transfer window closes, marking the Loons’ last shot of bolstering the roster for the increasingly difficult playoff push.

Something needs to happen before then. Needs to.

I, and plenty of other people around United, have said from the get-go that a No. 6 (holding midfielder) needs to be signed this window. I would consider the entire window to be a failure if one doesn’t arrive.

There’s no longer any excuse for the front office. The team has acquired plenty of allocation money from Los Angeles Football Club for Ramirez.

So let’s see it happen. Let’s see some ambition, some drive, some sign that the team is trying, at least a little bit, to succeed this season.

It’s gotten to this point:

The front office has mismanaged situation after situation, including trading away two of the most popular locker room figures this year.

So now we’re on the last straw. Loons fans have every right to be fed up with the front office. If they don’t bring in a No. 6 or extremely strong defensive reinforcement, it will be time to say that the show’s over.

Step up or step down.