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    Default The big picture: How would you rebuild TFC?

    There seems to be lots of discussion in different threads about TFC should change. So I thought I’d start one thread and ask the larger question: How would you rebuild TFC from where it is today?

    Everything is in play, from managerial roles, to individual roster decisions, etc...

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    Quote Originally Posted by ag futbol View Post
    There seems to be lots of discussion in different threads about TFC should change. So I thought I’d start one thread and ask the larger question: How would you rebuild TFC from where it is today?

    Everything is in play, from managerial roles, to individual roster decisions, etc...
    Nice one Mr Anslemi, we aren't fixing your team for you...

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    Option 1

    First deal with the business side. Anselmi out, replaced someone that knows football in North America. Allow them to build their own management team. They can keep the rest of the business unit staff that they want, and remove the ones they do not want. No external pressures from elsewhere to put MLSE favorites or anyone in place. Key is its a footballing person that knows the sport here, and has absolute control (with obvious budgetary issues like big DP salaries and such aside, which would probably need board approval).

    Then that person needs to hire a manager that also knows football in North America. Ideally break the bank to poach Schmid. This person is then given full control over the footballing side of the game. They bring in their own staff, keep the ones they want, and release the ones they don't want. No one enters or is removed from the footballing side of things without it being their decision. No more MLSE favorites being handed jobs. No more manager being forced to work with staff with different philosophies. Key points - all footballing decisions lie with the manager, and that manager has the ability to put their non-playing staff in place (and not be forced to work with others choices)

    From there - rebuild the team, unfortunately. I'm not going to offer suggestions there beyond the fact that we should abandon this idea that we are going to thumb our noses at the North American game and build a cosmopolitan European style team. We should be building a team to succeed in our league, while looking on ways to improve the overall caliber of play at the same time.

    Academy - start younger. Get the kids at much younger ages, and work on developing quality, technical well rounded footballers, not just footballers for a particular system.

    Option 2
    Sell the team to an oil Sheik who then offers Rooney, Ronaldo and Messi a billion dollars a year each to play for TFC.

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    Quote Originally Posted by brad View Post
    Nice one Mr Anslemi, we aren't fixing your team for you...
    That's preposterous, I know nothing of the sort.

    I suggest we get that young "MLS experienced" manager we've always been looking for and hire Jim Brennan to be the next head coach of TFC. Along with Earl Cochrane they will provide a one-two punch that will be the envy of the entire PDL. For scouting, we need some tweaks. Unfortunately, all our players couldn't be brought in through first wave, so I see some room for improvement. Furthermore, since we are probably still paying Mo Johnston, Preki, and a whole lot of other people severence... I think they should be brought in as special advisers to the team. What could possibly go wrong??

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    Stop hiring consultants, they will only tell you what you want to hear.

    Then install people in accountable roles that have football knowlege and experience. Let them run the on field product, get the managers, coaches and players they need. MLS experience a bonus.

    Make sure Anselmi has nothing to do with it beyond cocktail parties and meaningless events.

    Take the Entertainment out of MLSE and concentrate on the Sports and the Maple Leaf.
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    I’ll say I agree with Brad on the role of the new President… that much is obvious. Agreed on the academy as well, although I’d like to see more money spent on bringing in local coaches with established reputations and less patronage to former players.
    First team management: I’d like to see at least one person on staff with an in-depth knowledge of south America. I can’t believe we are still behind in identifying talent in this market, which is MLS’s primary feeder outside of the NCAA. I want a North America style coach-GM relationship and two quality guys in place. Give them two full years. Playoffs are the expectation in year two, MLS rebuilds are not rocket science and people who do them properly can get results in this time frame.
    Structure of the first team: No more three designed players. It ties up too much cap space and prevents you from rounding the roster properly. Going forward I’d like to see one designed player, max. Otherwise, we should be scouting our assess off in an attempt to find players who can play for regular MLS money and make a difference. Do not ignore the NCAA, but don’t underestimate the academy either. Continue to think long-term and offer young players starting contracts… most will fail, but we’ll get a few gems out of it. If Nicolas Lindsay didn’t injure his knees, we’d be talking about the academy even more than we are currently.

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    First off the problems need to be identified.

    For me, the list includes: 8 goals scored in 11 games, 23 goals allowed and a league worst goal differential of -15.

    Obviously you can't win with an offense as bad as ours, but you also can't win with a defense as bad as ours either. A quick conclusion from this info tells us what we already know, which is that the team is a disaster; can't score, can't defend, can't win or even draw.

    So, the priorities need to be devising a plan that both scores more goals and keeps more goals out of our own net.

    For me, scoring more goals is the easier fix of the two. The reason it's an easier fix is because the process of scoring a goal can often be created by one player capable of beating his man. However, to properly defend, you need the entire team to be on the same page to keep the ball out of their own net, thus requiring more components to defend effectively. The more components you need, the more complex the fix.

    With that in mind, my first priority would be getting rid of JDG and replacing him with an offensive minded player. With Koevermans filling our need for an effective poacher, we need to find someone who can both score some goals and create chances for the other players around him. He needs to be a technically gifted player who ideally would fill in as our #10 playing behind DK.

    In looking for a player like this, I'd start my search in South America and look for someone aged 28-30 who we can sign to a 3 year deal, allowing us to build an effective offense around that player over the course of a number of years.

    DK has shown an ability to convert the scoring chances that he gets. The problem is that the players behind him in the midfield and on the wings don't provide him with enough service, and alone none of them are good enough to create scoring chances on their own. A proper #10 would score a few on his own, while providing better service to DK and our wing players.

    After upgrading the offense by replacing a defensive mid with an attacking mid, the attention needs to be put on upgrading the defense.

    For me, our biggest problem defensively is our inability to defend the counter attack. I credit this to our severe lack of athleticism at the CM positions, as they're the ones who need to be disrupting the play and harassing the ball before it can be released into space for the attacking players to latch on to. None of Frings, JDG or Dunfield are very athletic at all, so bringing in a young defensive mid with more speed, agility and stamina would go a long way towards helping the D keep the ball out of our net, because it would provide them with more cover on the counter attack. Simply put, we need to get faster and more athletic in the middle of the field because right now we're way too slow.

    After that, we need more options along the back line who have MLS experience. Relying on so many young players is a recipe for disaster, which has been the case defensively this season.

    In summary:
    - Get a creative attacking player to make the other attackers more efficient
    - Become more athletic in the middle of the field to combat the counter attack
    - Get more MLS experience on the backline

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    If I took over TFC, I'd fire everyone. Then I'd fire myself, because I don't know how to run a soccer club and clearly if you don't know how to run a club, you don't know how to hire someone who does.

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    ^^My question is where is Mariner in the above plan? Is he part of the blowup for his part in acquiring a record number of players?

    This may turn into exactly what you ask for. I mean, this is the message we're receiving is it not? Patience for system development is null and void so you play for us or we get someone else? This is just so familiar, this blowup.
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    ^^ This..

    Then start over from scratch from the top down.

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    The fundamental thing for me is that we need a proper manager as in the European sense. No GM as a middle man between a head coach and ownership. Manager should have full control of player acquisition. Rumour is players have to be vetted through the ownership now. I have no idea if that's true, but that should not be the case. MLSE negotiates a player budget with the manager and he has free reign to spend it to get what he needs on the pitch. Also avoids having player acquistion and coaching divied up as it was between Winter and Mariner. Should also choose his assistants like any other proper manager, not have them assigned. Control over formation, line-up etc.

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    Quote Originally Posted by tovan View Post
    ^^ This.. Then start over from scratch from the top down.
    I actually think we should rid the team of the CEO in charge of the team and create a 5 member board who would oversee staff hirings, scouting plans, finances, academy, and marketing. The most important part of the process would be to obviously hire the right people to coach the team, make them accountable, and if they fail they fail, but the scouting part of the board would be able to determine where portions of the parting coaching staff were successfull and which were failures, but there shouldnt be a level of turnover that there is in Toronto for the past 6 years. The problem is that the team keeps making the same mistakes from previous years. There's absolutely no progression and just a giant reset button.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Canary10 View Post
    The fundamental thing for me is that we need a proper manager as in the European sense. No GM as a middle man between a head coach and ownership. Manager should have full control of player acquisition. Rumour is players have to be vetted through the ownership now. I have no idea if that's true, but that should not be the case. MLSE negotiates a player budget with the manager and he has free reign to spend it to get what he needs on the pitch. Also avoids having player acquistion and coaching divied up as it was between Winter and Mariner. Should also choose his assistants like any other proper manager, not have them assigned. Control over formation, line-up etc.
    Agreed.

    Seeing Winter and Mariner fighting each other over player signings is proof why it isn't good to split the roles.

    We need to keep it simple and hire soccer savvy guys to run TFC. President, Manager (coach & GM), Technical director should be only main roles in TFC FO on soccer side. Scouting needs to improve as well.

    First team: I still support system (4-3-3) going forward as long we got the right players to play 4-3-3 system. I feel TFC is capable enough to find these players (we do have some). Also need to find better DP if TFC decides to bring one in the future.

    Academy: Create an Under 8 team to all the way to Under 21 team.

    Business: Reduce ticket prices to win fans back. Improve on marketing and realize soccer crowd in the city isn't same as marketing Toronto Maple Leafs or Toronto Raptors. It's totally different crowd.

    EDIT: I forgot to mention that TFC needs to do a better job in scouting department.
    Last edited by TFC07; 06-20-2012 at 04:27 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Fort York Redcoat View Post
    ^^My question is where is Mariner in the above plan? Is he part of the blowup for his part in acquiring a record number of players?

    This may turn into exactly what you ask for. I mean, this is the message we're receiving is it not? Patience for system development is null and void so you play for us or we get someone else? This is just so familiar, this blowup.
    Because I was wanting Winter to be given more time and I believe the roster moves/etc, rumors, are true, then add him to the blowup.

    You can't defeat cancer by leaving one cell behind. It all has to go.

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    First, it's a total blowup, so it should be done in the offseason, not at a time when players and staff need to coexistent harmoniously.


    That way, there are no unhealthy alliances or enmities at play in the decision-making process.


    Second, hire an experienced manager from football ranks. Vancouver is in good stead because it had history, and because it brought in a CEO from Tottenham Hotspur. He later left, but he helped set the groundwork.


    Give him a budget, and a three-year deal with a buyout clause, and stand back ... and that includes future corporate considerations, such as sell-ons of Canadian registered talent.


    Much of our trouble stems from early success convincing corporate types they could do things the business way over the football way, when in fact the two need to co-exist, in much the same way that the lean American business model league-wide has required the Euro-style club passion to reach the national consciousness.


    On the pitch, MLS favors direct play, so strength and speed are big factors in the spine of the teams. It's why tactically we're seeing more teams move to a diamond-and-one or a 4-3-3. Tactically, I think we were moving in the right general direction under Winter, he just wasn't involved enough to see the need to adapt to local considerations by pushing higher up the pitch and pressing full field. When we did, we tied one and won one.


    I don't think Winter was the guy. But the direction wasn't bad; it just needed a more-astute MLS mind to make it effective.


    To me, so far Mariner isn't that guy, even though his resume suggests he should be.

    He's a player's coach, a technician and a motivator. But if he thinks systems are overrated (a system is just a player's series of supporting responsibilities, really) and Terry Dunfield is a starter, we're in for an even longer season than we thought. The reason teams like KC, RSL and Seattle move the ball so efficiently is that they move as a unit and cover their responsibilities ....and that's what a system is, how you move as a unit in a particular formation, and what responsibilities you have as a player.

    To me, we look like we need more of a system, not less of one. And again, he thinks Dunfield is a starting central midfielder. Even with our lousy options that seems ridiculous.

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    Buy a giant machete and start hacking at the top.

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    How about giving the new manager a little bit of time to see if he can turn things around? Might be a good idea!

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    I would try to pry Bob Bradley away from the Egyptian national team.

    I personally believe that the soon a new regime can be put in place the better (I have no faith in Mariner as he was part of the past regime). Let's start the rebuild now, not in the winter.

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    Quote Originally Posted by T-boy View Post
    How about giving the new manager a little bit of time to see if he can turn things around? Might be a good idea!
    I like this idea! Lucky number 7!! amirite?

 

 

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