Former USA national team star Alexi Lalas has urged Toronto FC to use vision when searching for a replacement for recently departed director of soccer Mo Johnston.

Johnston was sacked in September and Lalas believes it is important for the club to find an apt replacement so that the team can move forward in a positive manner.

"They need a real clear view of what they want to be on the soccer field," the ex-LA Galaxy president.

"How they want to play, the formation they want to play, the type of players they want to attract and they need someone who can articulate that consistently and clearly from Day 1 to the fan base, to the organization and, most importantly, to the players."

And Lalas, who is currently a pundit on ESPN and ABC Sports, is of firm belief that the Toronto coaching job, vacated by Preki last month, is one that many managers will covet over the off-season.

"I look at it as one of the greatest opportunities for someone to come along in a long time because you have committed ownership, you have a rabid fan base, you have a stadium, you have a relevancy within your market and you have a willingness from people to a certain extent to give you a chance, and also, let's hope, you can only go up," he added.

"It's a wonderful opportunity for somebody, and maybe for a couple of people, to come in there and do things in a different way to right that ship because it's not a complete mess. At times I know from a fan's perspective it may look like one, but it's not, it really isn't. It's got a lot going for it."