2008 vs 2009 - Come down off the ledge

[Pookie]

Like most of you, I was watching last night's game and getting a sense of deja vu. I've seen this ending before.

Heartbreaking.

And then you remember how many games we pissed away last year only to miss the playoffs by a few points.

Is this history repeating itself? Has the team improved?

Well, if you at the numbers at face value... we haven't improved.

In 2008, we were 7-8-4 at the 19 game mark. This year we are 7-7-5.

1 point better.

However, what is encouraging is that in 2008, we started well then tripped all over ourselves. Starting at game 13 with an unispiring 0-0 draw at home to Kansas City, the team fumbled their way to a 3-9-6 finish. Losing confidence, games, the Canadian Championship and playoff dreams along the way.

Why should we be optimistic in 2009?

Going deeper into the numbers, in games 13 - 19, the team went 1-4-2 and in the middle of that lost the Canadian Championship. It never improved.

If you look at 2009 and our games 13-19, you find that we are 3-3-1 and have the Club's first Cup.

So, yeah, last night felt horrible and reminded us of 2008. But despite the result, confidence this year should be at a much higher level which in theory, should bode well for a stronger finish.

[Beach_Red]

Thank you.

This team is clearly better than last year's.

[rocker]

we just gotta survive that late-August/early-September road trip (Chivas, Seattle, Colorado). After that, it's 3 games at home, 3 on the road... so the disparity in home/away games is gone by that final 20% of the season.

[Shakes McQueen]

we just gotta survive that late-August/early-September road trip (Chivas, Seattle, Colorado). After that, it's 3 games at home, 3 on the road... so the disparity in home/away games is gone by that final 20% of the season.

Yeah, that three game stretch is going to be brutal. I am hopeful we could take away six points from Chivas and Colorado, but I still don't know if we have what it takes to beat Seattle.

I get the feeling we are looking at more like 4-5pts, at the most.

- Scott

[Davenport]

Thank you.

This team is clearly better than last year's.

No way.....there's a very good chance we'll finish second from bottom.
Very poor effort from everyone involved....from Johnston to Cummins, to the players.....none of them are good enough or wise enough. End of.

[TFC USA]

^^

We say that after every loss.

I think we will be in playoff contention and whether or not we make it is in the players' hands.

[Davenport]

^^

We say that after every loss.

I think we will be in playoff contention and whether or not we make it is in the players' hands.

Disagree....it's in Cummins' hands.
The players are obviously not good enough. He needs to organise them so they are at least difficult to beat away from home. Sadly I don't think he's got it in him.
On a points per game basis we're 10th out of 15 MLS teams...not good enough.

[mmmikey]

i love when ppl say "end of".... :rolleyes:

a few players are obviously hurting us. this is a funny game though, do one or two things right and u can get on a real roll. i haven't given up on this team, although the more i see robbo passing to cummins or guy's running full steam at our slow back line the closer it will get.

i have spoken. end of.

[TFC USA]

It's really in both Cummins and the players so I have to agree.

[Davenport]

i love when ppl say "end of".... :rolleyes:

a few players are obviously hurting us. this is a funny game though, do one or two things right and u can get on a real roll. i haven't given up on this team, although the more i see robbo passing to cummins or guy's running full steam at our slow back line the closer it will get.

i have spoken. end of.

It's not just the players who are hurting us.
Don't forget Johnston and Cummins.
Johnston is the one who's brought in these naive players and it's Cummins who can't organise them into a team that can defend properly. It's schoolboy stuff FFS.




...end of.

[TFC USA]

Mo is getting a Brazilian again.

[Davenport]

Mo is getting a Brazilian again.

and a pedicure........

I saw him down the spa yesterday.

[Super]

We definitely have a stronger team than last year, but whether or not the team actually plays up to its strength is another question. I think they've been underperforming quite a few times, and now it's time for them to step it up and get us into the play-offs. I think we can do it, but I worry that the amount of away games yet to go will kill our chances. However, we need to believe in the team and keep hoping for the very best. It's not over yet.

[mmmikey]

cummins may or may not be the solution long term. coaching and building a squad are a part of any product u put on the field. but ultimately the players need to play the game and some player's are making dumb mistakes throughout the game. maybe that's coaching but i can't tell for sure. for all we know cummins goes ape shit at velez and wynne's defensive mistakes and robbo throwing away possession. i just don't know. his substitutions weren't great last night that's for sure. at that point in the game WHY NOT BRING ON GOMEZ FOR ANOTHER CENTRAL DEFENDER. GOD. calm blue ocean calm blue ocean

mo.. could he be better? sure. could he be worse. absolutely. it may not be all 5 star moves, but i think he has done a good job building the squad and moving around pieces. i disagree with some moves and would like to see some players move on, but i am not of the opinion that mo is doing a shit job. he is doing an acceptable job. not stellar, not shit.. acceptable. if i see the squad stop improving quality wise, then ill agree with u on him.

[OneLoveOneEric]

I think we do look better than last year on the field. We have real glimpses of quality that we didn't have before, but the consistency is as far away as ever.
And while playoff contention is obviously a good measure of where we stand, I think that in this league each year the bottom playoff spots are almost assigned at random, so it really doesn't indicate our overall quality very well.

[UltraSuperMegaMo]

I was wondering if risking bringing on Gomez might have been a good idea too, at least he would have been able to run with the their forwards and contest balls in the air a little better.