Given the disjointed nature of performances recently, it makes sense to double down on the DoF model again, with full responsibility of player recruitment given to only the DoF and scouts.
At the moment its all a mish mash of performances, primarily spearheaded by attackers rumoured to be brought in on the recommendation of the coaching team (Gakpo, Nunez and Diaz all thought to be the coaching teams signings). And it looks like it - some of these players look like square pegs in round holes, not offering the level of synchronicity or cohesion that your Manes or Firminos provided. There's effort there, but it just doesn't have the link up play, pressing or sheer presence on the field like before.
I'm looking forward to seeing who is brought in on the scouts recommendations this year. But I think the squad looks a bit of a mess at the moment and things might only get seriously better with sales of some big names who don't fit and incoming players.
At the moment, many of the young players like Danns and Clark look better attuned to high intensity, high pressing football than Diaz, Nunez, Szobo and maybe there's something to be said for that given they have been primed to play that way from such an early age, even if they perhaps don't have the raw skill that some of the incoming players have.