Just saw this.
When will TFC do something like this?
http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetai...885487,00.html
Not necessarily a European based guy but actually announce who is in charge of scouting in various parts of the world.
Just saw this.
When will TFC do something like this?
http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetai...885487,00.html
Not necessarily a European based guy but actually announce who is in charge of scouting in various parts of the world.
sad stuff.
I wonder how many players say nice things about the ex club that essentially just fired them?!
Most don't rip the club.
Like Suds said earlier. Once, twice you figure angry players. But it's happened way too many times for it to be the players.
How many MLS clubs get ripped the way TFC does by ex-players?
It's a sign of how poorly the club is run.
Wow. But is anyone really surprised?
Agreed, it seems TFC get ripped more often than not. Given that these guys know they are burning some bridges by speaking out, what happens here must really get under their skin as much as it does ours. I wonder if that "pulling different directions" thing really ended with Mariner and Winter? This is basically what happens when you slap a bunch of staff together without a comprehensive idea. Scary thought: we're basically operating with Mo Johnston's management team minus Mo Johnston and plus Paul Mariner.Originally Posted by Whoop
Far as the whole saga goes, obviously that contract was a mistake from the minute the ink was dry on it. Anyone who actually knew JDG's game (and didn't just watch one gold cup highlight reel) should have known he was a holding mid who offered very little consistent attacking output. That being said, his output here I think was below what he was capable of. Maybe injuries slowed him down a bit but I also think his coaches never really understood how to use him. How else do you explain that he performs elsewhere but not here? Reoccurring theme if there ever was one.
Seems a bit harsh to say that TFC traded JDG to get Hassli.
I suspect that JDG was traded so they could get Mellberg.
However, Koevermans got injured a few days after the trade, and his goals had to be replaced. In comes Hassli, and then the acquisition of Mellberg fell apart.
So, yes, in effect JDG was traded and we ended up with Hassli, but I don't think that was the plan.
I liked JDG, and the games that he played when he was playing well, he was a joy to watch. He did, however, seem to play at the level of the opposition. The better the opponents, the better he played. Unfortunately, the converse was also true.
For the money he was paid, I expected him to be able to stamp his authority on the game and make the opposition dance to his tune.
O, Maple Leaf around the world, You speak as you rise high above,
Of courage, peace and quiet strength, Of the Canada that I love.
Remind us all, our union bound by ties we cannot sever,
Bright flag revered on every ground, The Maple Leaf forever
I don't think anyone is saying he was traded to get Hassli.
The comment he made was that they used his DP slot to get Hassli. There was a lot of commentary going on about why Mellberg couldn't fit in our structure and whether the league nixed it. The non-conspiracy theory was that they simply didn't have a free DP slot (Frings, Hassli and Koevermans (though injured still counts).
JDG's interpretation supports the non-conspiracy theory and timeline. The club opted to replace Koevermans with Hassli. Once they did that, Mellberg, whom they were in negotiations with, couldn't fit as Hassli took the last spot.
We can debate whether they made a conscious choice to pick Hassli over Mellberg or whether they mis-understood MLS contract laws and felt they could do both.
However, the point is becoming very clear that Mellberg was nixed for the simple reason that we already have 3 DPs under contract. JDGs comments support this 100%
But Mellburg wasn't a done deal, they were still negotiating, weren't they? How many times has TFC (or MLS in general) been used by a player's agent as a bargaining chip? Maybe TFC went for the player they knew they could get. We really don't know what the Mellburg negotiations were like at that point, do we?
Regardless, the Mellburg negotiations were completed yet denied...but who, nobody really knows for sure.
Im telling you one of these days someone has to come out with a tell all book on MLSE. I riped him as a player because of his salary but i think its obvious Tfc mishandled him, all the best too him in the future.
I just wish the lid could be blown off this shitty organization so heads would roll already. I hope the new owners cam see throught the bullshit.
This was a guy who didn't work that well under Chris Cummins, Nick Dasovic, Preki, Winter or Mariner.
If it was so blindingly obvious to the fans that JDG was not worth a DP slot, it was certainly so for the coaching staff.
JDG makes it quite plain that there were a number of attempts to trade him or buy him out, and he refused each time.
It seems it was a minor miracle that Mariner was able to get rid of him, allowing TFC to sign Mellberg.
And then the turf in Foxboro screwed up everything.
O, Maple Leaf around the world, You speak as you rise high above,
Of courage, peace and quiet strength, Of the Canada that I love.
Remind us all, our union bound by ties we cannot sever,
Bright flag revered on every ground, The Maple Leaf forever
JDG is regularly amongst the best players on the pitch for Canada. Someone should ask Stephen Hart what he does.
Next TFC manager...Stephen Hart....
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"Just like JDG. It wasn't a post-and-in shot, but JDG is smart & experienced" - Carts
I think if there's one thing to learn from Steven Hart, it's that you can go a long way from keeping a good relationship with your players and their clubs. All those issues we had floating around previously have basically been minimized.
Tactically I'm not sure what he's doing. He sticks to that 4-2-3-1 formation pretty rigidly, sometimes for the worse. JDG is basically darts all over the place connecting short passes and then delivers the occasional killer ball. Usually he plays next to a pretty strong box-to-box guy like Hutchinson and then is complemented by the amount of speed we have out wide with guys like Simpson, Jackson, and Rickets.
Not that this is all on TFC (because JDG certainly needs some work) but the team never really found a group of players that could work around JDG well enough to make him look good. Our wide players were either technical or fast, but rarely both. Plata being a rare exception. His midfield partners never really balanced out his lack of mobility either. You put Frings or Dunfield next JDG, sure you have more of a ball winner but all three of them are pretty slow. This is still a problem with our midfield today, they just don't cover the space fast enough and plug the holes.
I don't care if JDG is right, I am incredibly disappointed in the guy. This is what is known in the investment business as the "bad company problem": someone you don't respect has the same opinion you do!
He got paid $5MM and wouldn't tackle.
He is not a guy who has any kind of gripe about minutes or opportunity.
He should be ashamed.
Last edited by ensco; 08-15-2012 at 04:14 PM.
What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.
He doesn't sound like sour grapes to me. I actually thought it was one of the best articulations of the problems this club has coming from an ex-player. It's not the usual BS other guys have talked about.
JDG's comments regarding the state of the organization are valid to an extent, but as far as his role with TFC is concerned, he shouldn't be the least bit surprised that Mariner moved him when the first feasible opportunity presented itself.
Hart believes in JDG 100% and lets him know it.
Great quote.
This is exactly what I said at the time of Winter's firing. You want to fire the coach, fine, but to ditch a vision you set out only a year and half ago - one which you paid millions for - is not only moronic, it also sheds light on the incompetence running amok.
He's looked pretty good whenever I've seen him. Two assists last game.
No fucking surprised that another ex TFC player has come out and ripped management for its incompetence. And the sad thing is all these ex players go on to have better MLS careers than when they stayed here.
The people operating this clown car need to be axed ASAP. But it problably won't happen. In fact, if Anselmi does get his greasy paws on the presidency in this new ownership and is replaced by Cochrane, then this oufit will continue to go down the shitter.
TORONTO FC, 2017 MLS CHAMPIONS!!! (Still the greatest in league history!)
I'm not sure he was saying incompetent as much as they disagree. Not many here were arguing with a decision to move DeGuz after his second year here showed we weren't going to get our value. He didn't want to move and it sounds like they tried everything they could to move him.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
agreed with everything though your conclusion on the turf being behind the decision to pass on Mellberg leaves a little to be desired.
The manager opted to replace Koevermans goal production with about 14 games remaining in the (meaningless) season and a very uphill CCL battle. He gave up a first round pick to do it and did it knowing that generally speaking, his back line is pressed more than most MLS teams given the lack of possession his system results in.
As Beach Red pointed out, signing Mellberg at the time was no guarantee. However, all sources have now confirmed that it was a deal that could have been made. The rush to acquire Hassli wasn't immediate but Mariner, perhaps with guidance from Cochrane, treated it as such.
As a result, we have Hassli and still sit last in the league without a "boss" on the back line. If anyone believes that not making Mellberg a Red was a mistake, that isn't the fault of New England's turf, that is completely a managerial decision.
I choose to wait until I see O'Dea actually take the field for us before I make that call.
A few years back when we had Cann and Attakora at the back, we seemed fairly solid (for about 75 minutes a match anyways) and Cann was seen as 'the boss' and Attakora was the young CB hustling for tackles. Now if we are using O' Dea and Eckersley back there for example, I would have to say (on paper at least):
O' Dea & Eck > Cann & Attakora
I won't argue the former over the latter combo but aren't they all most comfy in different positions? Cann and Nana were Preki's centre's and while Eckers and O'Dea may play there in the future, do they both not prefer the right? Just checking.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
Our future Boss was on international duty last night, along with all sorts of other players that would normally be thought of as "starters".
I blame the turf in Foxboro for the injury to Koevermans. Without that, I think Mellberg would be here.
As for the managerial decision, I think that it's more difficult to find a non-DP centre back who is decent, as opposed to a non-DP striker who can score the occasional goal.
O, Maple Leaf around the world, You speak as you rise high above,
Of courage, peace and quiet strength, Of the Canada that I love.
Remind us all, our union bound by ties we cannot sever,
Bright flag revered on every ground, The Maple Leaf forever
Perhaps with guidance from more than Cochrane. Mellburg's contract was done as far as Mariner was concerned, but isn't it possible that the part of his contract that isn't paid by MLS (the part that makes it a DP contract) still needed board approval from MLSE (it's all rumour and speculation but there has been talk that the board has scuttled past attempts at DP signings).
We're really in the dark here as to how our team operates and who makes what decisions and what hoops they have to jump through. It's likely that the situation JDG describes with everyone at TFC not on the same page is actually by design - it keeps any one member of the management team from getting too powerful and becoming a team president which woukd undermine someone else (as happened with the hockey and basketball operations....).
I'm really hoping that this Medici-like running of the organization changes with the new ownership.
Oh absolutely!
I don't think it's even close, regardless of how O'Dea is! Preki's system was very favorable to the guys playing CB, they had a lot of backup and support. That being said, no grad predictions about how effective the new pairing will be overall.
I am not sure what everyone is hearing from this interview. Yes they tried to buy him out but he refused to take one cent less than what his contract stated and he wanted to cash in the full amount. This was not some heroic effort on his part, this is all about the money. They overpaid him and he wanted to collect. TFC were finally able to get rid of him, and he doesn't like or appreciate the inconvenience of being traded now with 3 to 4 months on his contract. We all know the FO is messed up. No question in my mind. But he also did not step up as a leader on the field and was average most of the time, not to mention some lack luster efforts, missing curfew at least once, and some questionable injuries.
One other thing, lets not forget about the news from his agent saying he was approaching club about extension days before he was traded. If he was so miserable then why did he do that ? Its all about the money for JDG wrt TFC.
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