It restricts or delays the criticism but now Winter has drawn a line in the sand that gives the entire team an "Us vs The rest of the league" mentality. There may be a difference between the league and the other teams in the league but the mentality works for the team either way to give that underdog work ethic a chance to flourish.
Interesting point!
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto