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bgnewf
10-02-2009, 10:01 AM
As we all know getting into the playoffs this season is going to be a closely run thing. We essentially need to run the table and will most likely need some help along the way. If we do get in who knows how well or how poor we will do. We won the Nutrilite but crashed out of the CCL. Putting those issues aside for a moment I think that the events of this week have taken away the last single excuse this club has for long term success.

Mo has made some (credit where due) good moves, specifically De Guzman, DeRo, Frei, Cronin, Attakora,the transfer dollars for Mo Edu (that will go a long way to paying for the grass), etc. are all good things that lay groundwork for the future. The club seems serious about the Academy and that it has a critical importance to the long term future of the club.

Our ground is full on gameday. We have reasonably well established support and the visibility of the club appears to be growing within the community. I see TFC kit everywhere.

We have built a strong base of Canadian talent with the best Canadian player in the world under contract as a DP and the best under 21 Canadian (Attakora) developing into a wonderful professional, important in a league that has domestic player quotas and considerations.

The ownership of the club is willing to spend dollars when they feel necessary. They broke the bank for a DP. The acquisition of GOL-TV will give the club a great chance to build their brand. They are not doing this on the cheap lads. Credit where due.

Next season we will have a grass surface, on MLSE's (and Glasgow Rangers) dime.

http://209.85.62.26/5895/3/emo/willy_nilly.gif


These great developments auger well for our long term future but all is not well.

I would submit in a parity league like MLS you need to rely upon your coaching staff to come up with three or four wins on their own based on choices of tactics, substitutions and formations. I think maybe only once or twice has this happened this season (O'Brien White coming on and scoring late comes to mind). Have we really had a quality MLS coach in three seasons? A thread on the U Sector board this week spoke about our penchant for giving up late goals. The numbers speak for themselves, here they are in graphic form courtesy of U Sector board member RexdaleTaxi FC:

http://209.85.62.26/5895/3/upload/p6649234.jpg

Successful clubs that are well coached can shut teams down and hold on for wins. Our Director of Soccer chooses the coaching staff.

Our squad is built on a lot of allocation dollars that Mo has acquired through his wheeling and dealing. I think you would need a Phd. in mathematics to figure out how many allocations dollars he has picked up and when they expire. I think it is safe to say that a significant amount of allocation dollars we have used to build the squad are about to expire relatively soon which means we will have to perhaps get rid of players we may not want to in order to stay under the cap. Already we have probably had more squad turnover than any other club in this league in the last three years. That is most likely going to continue.

For three seasons now we have struggled with our central defense and of course scoring from the striker position. The numerous attempts Mo Johnston has made to address these critical deficiencies have not as of yet panned out. O'Brien White and Nana Attakora are hopefully part of the answer for the long term, but it is too soon to tell with such young players.

At the end of the day I really think it all comes back to Mo Johnston. All of the excuses are now about to be removed from the equation. I would ask you all to ask the question that I have been asking for a long time. Is Mo Johnston the guy to build this club into a success going forward now that we have no structural impediments to success?

Whoop
10-02-2009, 10:11 AM
Another great post newf!

Answer:
No

TorontoBlades
10-02-2009, 11:01 AM
The one thing we can do is always keep our fan base strong and passionate. That way there will always be pressure on MLSE to continue to build us successful teams. There is tons of pressure on Mo and I think he's done a great job, but if he's fired at least I know that whomever they bring in has to be of a pretty reputable quality and they know there will be no free ride.

billyfly
10-02-2009, 11:06 AM
No more games, no more games...

http://x65.xanga.com/4238731415d3016239683/b11680605.bmp

Beach_Red
10-02-2009, 11:43 AM
As we all know getting into the playoffs this season is going to be a At the end of the day I really think it all comes back to Mo Johnston. All of the excuses are now about to be removed from the equation. I would ask you all to ask the question that I have been asking for a long time. Is Mo Johnston the guy to build this club into a success going forward now that we have no structural impediments to success?



Some people are going to disagree, but let's say you're right and now, "we have no structural impediments to success." What would it say about an organization that doesn't give the guy who got rid of many of those impediments the chance to keep building? Would that have any effect on future candidates for the job looking at the organization?

Certainly taking over the team now would be a better job than starting it from scratch was, so more people would be interested in the job now than were then. I would just hate to see the organization doing anything that would make qualified candidates go somewhere else.

TFC has to compete with other teams for personel, so how they treat the people they have now will matter. And what kind of a contract will they offer, how much money and for how long? What did the original coaching staff get, one year contracts? A lot of qualified guys would (and probably did) turn that down.

Not firing Cummins in the middle of a season says to the next coach that he'll at least get a full year. Really, it's time for the team to get a long-term coach in here. Does management have the okay from ownership to make that kind of offer now?

maninb
10-02-2009, 11:46 AM
^ If Mo wants a new coach he'll get one. Though this may also depend if the team makes the playoffs or not...

trane
10-02-2009, 11:47 AM
Great post, that graff illustrates the problems, defensive lapses particullalry late have cost us alot of point over the three seasons. Mo has brought some good players, not perfect, but the team at present has what it needs to compete, but he is responsible for the coach as well. In that department he has failed.

Parkdale
10-02-2009, 11:53 AM
No more games, no more games...

http://x65.xanga.com/4238731415d3016239683/b11680605.bmp




hahaha... you've been killing it with that today!

rocker
10-02-2009, 11:55 AM
still got 3 league games to play, boys. this thread is more of a year commentary.

we have many offseason months to discuss next season.

TFC07
10-02-2009, 11:59 AM
Yeah, kudos to MLSE for stepping up and taking TFC seriously. I know they take a lot shit here, but at least they're investing in TFC and can actually handle pressure.

Mo needs to do a better job! The pressure should be put on more on Mo than anyone else.

Parkdale
10-02-2009, 12:01 PM
Mo needs to do a better job! The pressure should be put on more on Mo than anyone else.

The coaching needs to be better, and the decision on who coaches falls on Mo's shoulders.

Hitcho
10-02-2009, 12:32 PM
Re the OP:

1. Mo has only appointed one head coach, that was Carver. Seasons one and three you cannot count (CC was forced on us in effect), and you can't blame Mo for Carver walking out. I agree that Mo needs to make a good appointment now, but let's wait and see if he does so before we judge him on the head coach issue, especially since grass and a DP will help him a lot in bringing a decent coach in.

2. The allocation point is interesting, but the actual numbers are too murky to make any decisive statements about. It also looks like the salary cap is going to be raised next season, in which case Mo will have played a blinder with the allocation usage and he can keep the squad intact and probably add to it too.

3. So I would go the other way: if Mo does appoint a top MLS coach like Nicol and the salary cap issue does go away because of an increase, then Mo's route to an amazing job perfectly completed is virtually done. The new coach will want to add (hopefully) a wide player and do a bit of tinkering no doubt, but after that's done Mo will have achieved the near impossible from when we started, because everything will be in place for the coach and players to go and win some trophies. Mo's job will be done:

Top MLS coach appointed
Top Canadian talent in place
Squad stacked with great young talent
Grass
DP
Squad rounded off to satisfaction on new coach

What else could we seriously ask of him?!

DangerRed
10-02-2009, 12:44 PM
What else could we seriously ask of him?!

Better defenders and some replacement for the outflow we're about to experience (Robinson is looking to coach, Jimmy might be done soon and Serioux has a recurring injury).

Not to mention, of course, Nick Garcia, who is a huge, slow liability. And old.

[NBF]
10-02-2009, 01:10 PM
What about getting a good Centre Back and Left Back to improve the defense for next season? Left Winger?


The 2010 team will look like this if I'm correct:

----------------------Frei---------------------
Attakora------Gomez------(Empty1)---(Empty2)
----------------------------------------------
--------------------Serioux-------------------
----------------------------------------------
*Ibrahim----DeGuzman----DeRosario---**Barrett
----------------------------------------------
-------------------O. White-------------------

*Cronin- I think playing Cronin on the right wing might be better than Ibrahim, but i prefer the attacking combination of the 4 midfielders.

** Barrett gets a pass here, otherwise I would say bring back Ricketts:)

maninb
10-02-2009, 01:27 PM
Anybody know if there's any standout CB/LB available in next year's draft? I also think Gueverra will be moved for a solid defender before next season...

Wooster_TFC
10-02-2009, 01:34 PM
I don't know that we are free of structural impediments. We still have the issue of being in Canada, which limits our roster via International rules (which is tightening up next year even), as well as possible contract problems to do with taxes (there were reports that DeRo's salary would have to double coming to Canada just to pull in the same after-tax as he did in Houston, if I recall correctly).

Those things aside, I think Mo has done a good job in some aspects (young talent, MLS trades, handling the funky MLS rules - mainly), and a poor job in others (established players that can handle NA/MLS, long term cap situation). I think Mo should be doing 1 thing and 1 thing only this off-season: find an actual manager.

There's a specific reason I use the term manager and not coach. I think it's this person's job to determine what personnel (from a players and coach standpoint) should be brought in, even for trials. They need to be making the calls on this not Mo. Mo's job in this case should be simply to fit them in under the cap and do the negotiations.

Once that is done, he can then focus on building up the scouting system, maybe bringing in a cap expert or some other FO types that will help him do his job. Much akin to Dave Poulin, Dave Nonis, et al with Brian Burke. Mo should be a big-picture facilitator, not a guy mucking about in South America, or worrying about player designations and salary caps.

ilikemusic
10-02-2009, 01:47 PM
Re the OP:

1. Mo has only appointed one head coach, that was Carver. Seasons one and three you cannot count (CC was forced on us in effect), and you can't blame Mo for Carver walking out. I agree that Mo needs to make a good appointment now, but let's wait and see if he does so before we judge him on the head coach issue, especially since grass and a DP will help him a lot in bringing a decent coach in.


I would argue that we can.

Either Mo hired Carver knowing that he might leave (which is reprehensible because he hired a coach who wasnt committed) or he hired Carver having no idea that he might leave (which is reprehensible because he hired a coach he didnt know well enough).

I think the whole Carver fiasco can only be blamed on Mo.

Anyway, great post newf. People need to have that late goals stat shoved in their face as often as possible.

Its fucking pathetic.

Hitcho
10-02-2009, 01:52 PM
;742164']What about getting a good Centre Back and Left Back to improve the defense for next season? Left Winger?


The 2010 team will look like this if I'm correct:

----------------------Frei---------------------
Attakora------Gomez------(Empty1)---(Empty2)
----------------------------------------------
--------------------Serioux-------------------
----------------------------------------------
*Ibrahim----DeGuzman----DeRosario---**Barrett
----------------------------------------------
-------------------O. White-------------------

*Cronin- I think playing Cronin on the right wing might be better than Ibrahim, but i prefer the attacking combination of the 4 midfielders.

** Barrett gets a pass here, otherwise I would say bring back Ricketts:)

Serioux has an injury, he's not going to be dead or retired next season. Brennan and Robbo will both play next season, and what about Fellinga? Plus Garcia will be traded, someone will take him as an experienced US defender, he just doesn't fit into our system well.

Hitcho
10-02-2009, 01:58 PM
I would argue that we can.

Either Mo hired Carver knowing that he might leave (which is reprehensible because he hired a coach who wasnt committed) or he hired Carver having no idea that he might leave (which is reprehensible because he hired a coach he didnt know well enough).

I think the whole Carver fiasco can only be blamed on Mo.

Anyway, great post newf. People need to have that late goals stat shoved in their face as often as possible.

Its fucking pathetic.

??!!??!

Mo isn't God, how could he possibly have known that Carver was going to get into a hissy fit about the league and walk out part-way through the season? It is utterly stupid to call an inability to predict the unknown "reprehensible". Why not blame the Kennedy assasination on Mo as well? He must have know thatw as coming... :facepalm:

Besides which the rumour persists that Carver was only third choice for head coach. Let's face it, the pool of people to bring here wasn't exactly deep: plastic pitch in Canada for a new team in a backwater league with a squad that's currently complete crap even by MLS standards. In the circumstances Carver was a good result. What would you have had Mo do, pass on Carver inc ase he wasn't sure JC would stick it out for five years and go for 11th choice instead, who he may have had a slightly better feeling about commitment-wise, regardless of football coaching ability?

It's the GM's job to get in a head coach, that we can agree on. Mo has only had one stab at that, it was hailed as a good move at the time, Carver imploded unexpectedly (no-one on here saw it coming) and he gets his second effort this off-season. But to blame the JC implosion on Mo is just baffling.

ilikemusic
10-02-2009, 02:08 PM
Mo isn't God, how could he possibly have known that Carver was going to get into a hissy fit about the league and walk out part-way through the season? It is utterly stupid to call an inability to predict the unknown "reprehensible". Why not blame the Kennedy assasination on Mo as well? He must have know thatw as coming... :facepalm:

Yes. That comment is :facepalm: worthy.

How could he have known Carver would get into a hissy fit?

By making it clear to Carver what he was getting into and making sure MLS was something he could handle. Which he clearly did not do (or at least not effectively).

Thats business. If you hire someone who does something stupid, it reflects poorly on you for hiring them.


It's the GM's job to get in a head coach, that we can agree on. Mo has only had one stab at that, it was hailed as a good move at the time, Carver imploded unexpectedly (no-one on here saw it coming) and he gets his second effort this off-season. But to blame the JC implosion on Mo is just baffling.

Unexpectedly? Nobody here saw it coming?

So I guess shitting all over his players, screaming at the fourth offical and complaining ad-naseum about the league for the better part of his tenure here wasnt enough to tip you off?

To say Carver's implosion was 'unexpected' is just baffling.

The only people who didnt see it coming were the those drinking the 'In Carver We Trust' Kool-Aid.

Section 117
10-02-2009, 02:14 PM
The only ones who didnt see it coming were the people drinking the 'In Carver We Trust' Kool-Aid.

One of the greatest comments ever!!!!!!!

Hitcho
10-02-2009, 03:40 PM
How could he have known Carver would get into a hissy fit?

By making it clear to Carver what he was getting into and making sure MLS was something he could handle. Which he clearly did not do (or at least not effectively).


With respect, that's way too much of a simplistic approach. No doubt MLS was explained to JC, no doubt he had his own questions which were presumably answered to his satisfaction or he wouldn't have taken on the job. So to go from that to "how could Mo not have seen it coming, he just didn't prepare the guy enough" is quite a stretch. Like I said, Mo is not a mind reader or a clairvoyant. Carver had a decent reputation in football, it wasn't unreasonable to expect him to take a professional approach once he'd agree to take the job on. And I for one can remember interviews with JC where he was saying he was excited about the job and taking the club forward.

All I am saying is it wasn't an obvious and inevitable situation from the get go, and to say it was and pin the whole thing entirely on Mo is ridiculous. That;s just nto a sensible or supportable position.



Unexpectedly? Nobody here saw it coming?

So I guess shitting all over his players, screaming at the fourth offical and complaining ad-naseum about the league for the better part of his tenure here wasnt enough to tip you off?

To say Carver's implosion was 'unexpected' is just baffling.

The only people who didnt see it coming were the those drinking the 'In Carver We Trust' Kool-Aid.

Again, you're taking the easy way out and using 20-20 hindsight. The only hint of Carver leaving came in the immediate run up to his walk out. There was massive shock on these boards when he went (among the Carver detractors as well as the Carver supporters), and in the press, who didn't see it coming either. And if supporter groups and the sports press didn't see it coming, then it's fair to say it definitely wasn't inevitable, certainly from the time of appointment which is what you seem to be suggesting. There's nothing at all to support that theory, and if it's true, then how come no-one was shouting "Carver's just going to implode and walk otu on us" the day after he was hired?!

[NBF]
10-02-2009, 03:49 PM
Serioux, will be back next season, if he's injured the offseason will be good for him.

Robinson, i think he's done for , hes so slow and he really doesnt make an impact. Other players have surpassed him.

Brennan, i think should be traded for another player, maybe Richard Hastings, Ante Jazic or Hainault or Jakovic. He'd make a good candidate for the Philadelphia Union.

Garcia, is past his "prime" maybe the Philly Union take him:)

At the very least we should build our defense with some Canadians. Maybe getting Jack Stewart from the Carolina Railhawks might be a good idea. Depth-wise it would make sense. Also, wasn't Owusu-Ansah at the same game with DeGuzman when we saw them sitting together in the private box?

---------------------------Frei-----------------------------
--------------------------(Dev.)---------------------------
--------------------------(Dev.)---------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
Attakora---------Gomez------------(Senior)---------(Senior)
Owusu-Ansah----(Dev.)-----------J.Stewart---------Fellinga
-----------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------Serioux---------------------------
------------------------Sanyang---------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------
Cronin---------DeGuzman----------DeRosario---------Barrett
Ibrahim--------(Dev.)-------------A.Lombardo----------Gala
-----------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------O.White---------------------------
-------------------------Gerba-----------------------------
-------------------------(Dev.)----------------------------

v00d00daddy
10-02-2009, 04:19 PM
Brennan and Robbo will both play next season

If they're both back next season I will not be. I will keep my season seat and it will go empty until they're gone.

Not that this is the topic of conversation in this thread...and I'm sorry I brought it up...but I've had enough of watching those two play soccer.

Needless to say, I hope you're wrong Hitcho.

mclaren
10-02-2009, 04:21 PM
mo should go don't you know

DichioTFC
10-02-2009, 04:32 PM
as convenient as it is to blame mo for everything wrong with the team, if you go back and look at the game-day threads, everyone is complaining about the tactics (disorganized play, long ball dependency, poor crossing, poor positioning). these are things that are the coach's responsibility.

mo, in his GM role has done terrific work and to be honest, we could get a far worse director (leave it to ML$E to hire incompetent people at the top and not care for 40+ years). the coaching can be improved and the coach should be replaced.

DichioTFC
10-02-2009, 04:36 PM
i think i've seen a poll around the board somewhere, but there really should be a poll about how people feel about mojo (listing his accomplishments and failures immediately before the poll without bias). i'm interested to know how people really feel when they look beyond the team's place in the standings.

rocker
10-02-2009, 05:14 PM
i just hope that if TFC makes the playoffs, people fully enjoy our first playoff games rather than say "well, we just squeaked in" or "it doesn't make up for the earlier part of the season." Cuz I don't remember Shite Bulls fans looking at the glass half empty when they squeaked into the playoffs and made the MLS Cup last year.

Gobi
10-02-2009, 09:54 PM
Wow, bgnewf. That chart really brings what we all know in our hearts into sharp, scientific relief. Well done to your man Rexdale.

Unless Mo brings in someone like Steve Nichol or Paul Mariner and subsequently abdicates a huge chunk of his throne, he will remain our biggest obstacle to success.

S_D
10-02-2009, 10:27 PM
Wow, bgnewf. That chart really brings what we all know in our hearts into sharp, scientific relief. Well done to your man Rexdale.

Unless Mo brings in someone like Steve Nichol or Paul Mariner and subsequently abdicates a huge chunk of his throne, he will remain our biggest obstacle to success.

I believe we have to look beyond just a coach. As far as I am concerned Mo has blown it this season.

He had more money than nearly any other team in the league and yet we were constantly shorthanded, with roughly 21 spots out of the 24 filled and short of cap space to add to the roster. Heck, they don't have enough players to have an 11 v 11 scrimmage. A coach or trialist has had to step in to fill the hole.

No wingers, desperate need for a CB, players constantly playing out of position to fill in the holes, roster turnover. Even though Cummins is a rookie coach and shown it, he has been hamstrung by Mo and in a way I feel sorry for the guy.

The man has drafted consensus top picks so he has been living off of his Adu legacy as far as I am concerned.

I used to be a big Mo supporter, willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Not any more. The sooner he is gone the better.

Beach_Red
10-03-2009, 09:31 AM
Not any more. The sooner he is gone the better.



But let's not repeat the Tyrone Marshall situation and get rid of someone before there's a replacement. Let's not give prospective managers all the negotiating power.

New England gave up a late goal to Jeff Cunningham to lose their last game (pretty much a must-won as far as their playoff hopes go, too). I believe everyone who tells me how great Nicol is, but these past couple of years that team hasn't been much better than TFC.

Would you really want to hand over the whole team to an assistant from a team that may not make the playoffs and has never won a championship?

v00d00daddy
10-03-2009, 09:59 AM
I can understand the need for a Manager who understands the ins and outs of MLS. It's a complicated league with a lot of little nuances that take some getting used to.

What I don't get is the idea that we need a coach with MLS experience. Why?

We need a coach that will mesh well with the type of players we now have.

We are team that is built 50% kick and run and 50% possession...the problem is that our best players are possession type players but we don't play that way enough.

We need a coach who will set this team up so that our best skilled players (JDG, DeRo, Guevara, Gerba, Vitti, Cronin) are catered to. Everybody else can learn to follow along or get out.

The minute we let players like Brennan, Wynne, Barrett, and Robbo determine the style of play....we're doomed.

We need a tactical, possession/skill minded coach. I don't care where he's from...as long as he gets the best out of our best players.

Beach_Red
10-03-2009, 10:47 AM
^ Sure, it doesn't matter where he's from, but we don't want him to take a year to figure out the other teams. It seems like every game our opposition knows us better than we know them and makes better adjustments than we do. What we want is someone who can beat the other MLS teams - whatever style that takes.