PDA

View Full Version : If Mo Goes Does The Drama Go with Him?



bgnewf
04-27-2010, 12:23 PM
My take on Mo, Carver, the lack of focus on upcoming matches and why MLSE may move sooner rather than later.

http://www.tfcpics.com (http://www.tfcpics.com/)



If Mo Goes Does The Drama Go with Him?

By now most of you have probably seen or read about the interview former TFC Interim Coach Chris Cummins did yesterday with Kristian Jack of The Score. I posted a piece about it yesterday afternoon linking to the video if you have not seen it.

On top of these revelations, we hear today that former TFC Coach John Carver will be speaking to noted MLS reporter/blogger Ives Galarcep today. Scuttlebutt tells me that John is expected to defend Mo Johnston and potentially refute many of the things said about Mo by both Ali Gerba and Chris Cummins in recent days.

I guess we will have to see about that.

In a message I posted on a supporters site earlier today I opined on if Mo is becoming the story more than the team, then would Anselmi and the MLSE brass potentially be looking at making a move to get rid of Mo Johnston sooner rather than later?

I got some flack for that position. One friend of mine said that I am actually part of the problem. By talking about Mo day after day I am encouraging fans to focus upon the drama and not spend enough time focusing on the team.

Guilty as charged I guess. Myself, most TFC bloggers, many Toronto journalists and thousands of Toronto FC fans are also guilty with me.

Toronto FC play tomorrow evening against Montreal in a competition for a trophy that is vitally important to many TFC fans. I personally know individual supporters that actually chipped in their own money to buy the Voyageurs Cup. It definitely means a lot to them. We have no idea what the composition of the squad on the pitch will be tomorrow evening. Few of us are actually talking about our opponents. This is the closest thing we have to a derby game.

Saturday TFC travel away to Salt Lake City in a match that may be very difficult on three days rest. Hardly a peep about Saturday have I seen or read so far.

Dwayne De Rosario was chosen as MLS Player Of The Week and we collectively hardly mentioned it.

And here we are once again talking up the Mo Johnston story.

For the record I am not a fan of Mo Johnston, and that is an opinion I have long held. I said at the end of last season that getting rid of Mo before the end of the 2010 season does not make the most sense to me as I do not see it having as much on field impact as many fans think it would. Mo said last year that if we don’t make the playoffs he expects to be fired.

No playoffs in 2010 means no Mo Johnston in 2011. I can live with that.

But it all comes down to Tom Anselmi and MLSE at this point. The crux of the Mo Johnston “issue” now for MLSE should be this. Is the situation that has developed around Mo become a distraction and detriment to the team’s on field success? Is Mo “damaged goods”? Do the stories and innuendo coming out impair his ability to do his job and improve the squad? Would his ouster improve the atmosphere in the dressing room? If it will then perhaps they will make a move and sack him sooner rather than later.

If not then there needs to be some effort on the part of MLSE to take the focus off of Mo and put it back on Preki and the players. And at this stage that is going to be a huge challenge in and of itself. I am not sure that it is in his character to open up and be as forthright as he needs to be, but answering the critics directly with clear answers and not doublespeak would be the only way to go if I was advising Mo on how to try and move on with the job.

And with due respect Mo, threatening legal action against critics does not make the story go away. It only fans the flames.

Roogsy
04-27-2010, 12:25 PM
In a word.

Yes.

Obviously it won't solve all of the problems. There would be much work to do to repair and rebuild this team. But everyone is looking for the "cancer" in the locker room when in fact we have a "cancer" that is infesting the whole TFC organization and its name is Maurice Johnston.

Whoop
04-27-2010, 12:27 PM
In a word.

Yes.

Obviously it won't solve all of the problems. There would be much work to do to repair and rebuild this team. But everyone is looking for the "cancer" in the locker room when in fact we have a "cancer" that is infesting the whole TFC organization and its name is Maurice Johnston.

Agreed.

The culture won't change overnight, but I think there will be a lot more positivity surrounding the team.

Beach_Red
04-27-2010, 12:32 PM
Agreed.

The culture won't change overnight, but I think there will be a lot more positivity surrounding the team.


For a while, but sports in Toronto is always dominated by soap opera. It's what happens when you don't win.

The controversy around Mo is perfect for MLSE, it takes all the attention away from what they should have done to properly set up an expansion team, it bought them three years of under-investing while the team made profits.

They'll string the soap opera along as long as they can and then buy themselves another 2-3 years of not worrying about the product on the field while the new guy gets to blame the situaion he walked into. How many years is Burke being given with the Leafs even though that mess was created by MLSE?

MFG1
04-27-2010, 12:38 PM
"I got some flack for that position. One friend of mine said that I am actually part of the problem. By talking about Mo day after day I am encouraging fans to focus upon the drama and not spend enough time focusing on the team."


Dont worry about that. MLSE obviously cant deal with a spade being called a spade. We have said in the past we wont be treated like Maple leaf fans so dont treat us as such. I am sure it is a shock to them about all this drama, its time to earn there money and do whats right.

The team is something totally separate and all their job is to win , or at least develop and show their fans, commitment and effort.

You have to hit rock bottom before you can start over, and i think we are close, MLSE should have been involved alot sooner,and alot of this could have been avoided. FIRE MO.

If and when it happens, a banner like dichios can be made for the south end , saying thank you to the FO. :)

denime
04-27-2010, 12:43 PM
"I got some flack for that position. One friend of mine said that I am actually part of the problem. By talking about Mo day after day I am encouraging fans to focus upon the drama and not spend enough time focusing on the team."



Your friend was 100% correct!

Mo or no MO we(Supporters) will find another way to create new TFC soap opera .

Brooker
04-27-2010, 12:53 PM
what in gods name did i just read?

Shaughno
04-27-2010, 12:55 PM
I'm fucking tired of hearing about Mo.


Can we focus on the reason we're all here, at least for ONE fucking day?

arbogast
04-27-2010, 12:56 PM
Does the drama go? Maybe. Look at DC. Kevin Payne has created a gong show there as well, so Mo's not the only incompetant GM in the league. For all we know the next guy could cock things up worse. Having said that, I still think Mo should be fired, BUT MLSE must be damned sure they know what they're getting with the next GM.

TFCUNITED
04-27-2010, 12:58 PM
Hi Tom!

bgnewf
04-27-2010, 01:00 PM
Does the drama go? Maybe. Look at DC. Kevin Payne has created a gong show there as well, so Mo's not the only incompetant GM in the league. For all we know the next guy could cock things up worse. Having said that, I still think Mo should be fired, BUT MLSE must be damned sure they know what they're getting with the next GM.

Who says we need a GM???

Stevie Nichol does not need one.

Bruce Arena is doing OK without one as well.

arbogast
04-27-2010, 01:04 PM
No but Preki has always worked under a GM (at Chivas it was Steve Hamilton) and if you pay close attention to his interviews you can tell he is strictly focussed on coaching and doesn't concern himself with contracts, or player negotiations. So if you toss Mo, you might as well toss Preki too, cuz he doesn't have the experience to handle both tasks.



Who says we need a GM???

Stevie Nichol does not need one.

Bruce Arena is doing OK without one as well.

Roogsy
04-27-2010, 01:11 PM
I'm fucking tired of hearing about Mo.


Can we focus on the reason we're all here, at least for ONE fucking day?



I dunno about you...I am here for the drama. :D

Shaughno
04-27-2010, 01:14 PM
No shit sherlock!

Don Julio
04-27-2010, 01:17 PM
The internet is the problem.

Shaughno
04-27-2010, 01:18 PM
Is it ever!

Shakes McQueen
04-27-2010, 01:29 PM
It absolutely will, but only if they hire a competent replacement.

- Scott

Derko
04-27-2010, 01:33 PM
Like I posted earlier in the thread, Mo should have been fired after last season,
Now lets play some fucking proper football, and not focus on MoJo!!!!

Shaughno
04-27-2010, 01:37 PM
^^ WEyyyyy someone gets it!

Sonny Cheeba
04-27-2010, 01:47 PM
I dunno about you...I am here for the drama. :D

straight up.

drama, fart jokes, and the odd installment of proper footie talk.

menefreghista
04-27-2010, 01:51 PM
Like I posted earlier in the thread, Mo should have been fired after last season,
Now lets play some fucking proper football, and not focus on MoJo!!!!

Johnston should have been fired in the middle of the 2008 season.

As for the topic of this thread, the drama will be over when the team puts a consistently competitive product on the field. When it starts to win and the fans feel like we are one of the strongest clubs in the league.

Until then all of the clubs issues will blow up.

Carts
04-27-2010, 01:53 PM
Like sands through the hourglass...

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlDC/original/days%20of%20our%20lives.jpg

Oldtimer
04-27-2010, 02:01 PM
This really belongs in the main MoJo thread. No point having 2 threads on the man. it's bad enough we need to discuss him at all.