It is mindboggling to me why this just wasn't handled in the way every other club in the world would handle this situation. Name an interim coach (O'Leary) then in June Nelsen retires, takes perm position in Toronto. We may have said who the fuck is O'Leary but it wouldn't have been a big deal. Instead we are laughingstocks of MLS and in Europe as this getting press over there.
Is this going to be Larsen's next article?Originally Posted by Initial B
They were walking in a with a totally baffling situation. Should have been way better prepared than they were.
Absolutely. Payne doesn't appear to be up for the big time in terms of media spot light. That was cringe-inducing for the most part.
If wasn't for Payne's track record, I wouldn't be happy with this situation at all. I feel so underwhelm with this hiring. You know Payne, this isn't DC United; this is Toronto FC (one of richer clubs in MLS). We got money to spend to get a first class manager and better coaching staff. Hopefully for sake of us, this hiring pays off in the end.
TFC's angle should be that this season is a reboot of the franchise. They gave SSH a return to season 1 pricing, they are starting over with a new management team. The key is selling the idea that this is a building year, and not a playoff year. As such, having the coach arrive a few games in is irrelevant, because it isn't about 2013, but rather 2014 and beyond.
You'd think the PR team would've tried to hammer away at a few key messages along those lines. They have to control the message to spin this perceived negative into a positive.
That said, what should our expectations be for this season?
^ Wasn't that the angle in 2010?
If I were them, I'd go with "Stick with us. You'll feel bad if you give up now and we get good sometime."
Naming a NCAA div III coach wouldn't have been a big deal? The same people losing their minds now would be losing their minds over the appointment of Oleary as head coach. I am happy with this move. It better to take a few months to get the right guy in position than picking the wrong guy because it is more convenient.
I think they may have let their guard down a little bit. In terms of pressers and major announcements, this isn't our first rodeo.
Not to be dismissive of other markets in the league, but I wonder how many executives would have to worry about such a thing. A few years back I read that FCD lost their last dedicated beat writer from the local daily papers. That's right, not one reporter was going to be assigned to cover the team in it's own city. Other than one or two other places, where else would you see the type of thing we say today play out? The media usually doesn't get out of bed for MLS teams.
Payne has a good media presence, but overall the feeling was they were under prepared. If they had given us more insight on what they want to do tactically, what they were looking for transfer wise, what the goals were going to be for this year (even though this was stated last time) maybe it would have inspired more confidence. It's almost like this was a test and all they did was sign their name at the top and hand back the paper. We're all just a little bit puzzled as to what they've got.
What I don't understand is that they let Mariner/Cochrane solidify contracts and make cuts knowing they were going to change the Coaching staff?
Something just doesn't add up that this was planned.
Payne always stated that 2013 would be about consolidation and turning the franchise around - that the real playoff push might not happen until 2014. If Nelsen turns out to be the next Jason Kreis, it will be worth it in the end. If not, then this will look about as good as any of our other managerial appointment disasters.
We get a experienced college coach and Ryan Nelson who seems like a good leader, if we can draft 2 really good players or work out a trade, we should not be in bad shape for next season
Groundhog Day!!
Hey, Paul Bierne is the PR guy, isn't he? That should explain enough. And I can't help but wonder if Cochrane is already starting to undermine Payne by not giving him a heads up that the Toronto Sports Fishbowl is second only to New York in terms of the pressure to perform from the media and fanbase. Well, I'm hoping that will only work once and that now Payne has an inkling of what to expect in the future and will prepare accordingly.
It was a disaster because Payne is so green and clueless about dealing with the media, that he sprung that the new coach will be phoning his performances for the first third of the season until the news conference. I doubt Payne has had to deal with media in DC to the same degree he does here.
There's no way you drop that kind of unexpected bombshell, which will surely be an item in the national papers in London tomorrow, during a press conference.
It really does make you wonder if Payne is up for the job. Fortunately he'll be proving whether he's got it on the pitch, rather than in the press room.
could be worse...mariner could still be here
When you talk to Payne you realize he has a football head on his shoulders and if he's formulated a plan he will stick to it. Now what the fuck this magical plan is or how it ties together we will have to see. I'll give him some benefit of the doubt for now....and lets be honest Nelsen will have to be a yes man the first few months anyways
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We are at the bottom already, can't go much lower if at all. I don't think they are laughing, more like saying "who the f do they think they are, signing current contract players from EPL sides to their team before the season is over". Anyways who cares, whatever helps the team is fine with me and this move is definitely an improvement.
What this franchise needs right now is to build trust and confidence in it's main stakeholders…the support, sponsors and media. The Kevin Payne move was a step in the right direction, the optics of today's move counter this.
This now throws my faith in Payne into question. This is the best solution you can come up with? Really? Today's presser and announcement is nothing short of shambolic.
Once again this organization has left me scratching my head? Why do they continue to conduct business in this way? I just don't understand it?
Like Phil says, "I've seen this movie before and I don't like how it ends."
“We changed the entire league’s opinion of the viability of soccer in North America. And then we blew it because we chickened out." —Tim Leiweke
This plus more.
Naming O'Leary Interim with no prospect would have naysayers losing their shit.
Payne vs Toronto media? Is that the new story? It sounds like Payne was a little too straight with us supporters. I genuinely think that's who he wants to reach and will let the journos shark when they wanna shark. The media here is just looking for the next tragedy for people to sop up. Sad.
I don't like the situation myself but it's STILL more positive by the subtraction of one piece of last years debacle.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
I don't really get all the skepticism here. Most wanted a president with pedigree. We got one. Most wanted Mariner gone. He is. Everyone wanted the coaching turn over to stop and it looks like it may have. Had Payne brought in an interim coach and not told anyone that he has a person in mind, everyone would be saying here we go again. So Payne identifies his guy, gets him and puts together what he thinks is a strong support staff around him to hold the fort down until his guy is available.
IMO, it looks like Payne actually planned this which is WAY different than the way things were done previously.
I don't have much of a choice but I trust Payne and his experience.
Do you?
I find the reaction here completely, totally over the top.
This is who Payne wants. We were competing to get this guy, so we made concessions to get him. 2013 is a writeoff, you know it in your heart, everybody here does. Payne has already said it. So who gives a rat's us if Nelsen is not here until week 2 or whatever.
Who do you all think TFC is? We are the crappiest team in a secondary league. Would you all be happier with a retread from the Swiss second division? Because that's what Montreal got.
I think the Nelsen signing is fantastic.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
I thought Mike Masaro was the PR guy. Was he at the press conference?
Kreis weighs in on twitter:
@JasonKreis
@AlexiLalas From one with a USSF "A" License: it does not matter! Welcome to Ryan Nelsen - and good luck!
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
This wasn't planned, I'm sure.
The original rumours were that PM was going to train his replacement, and then be kicked upstairs. He didn't go along with it, forcing Payne to fire him and today's announcement.
We are the worst team in the world
Actually, people here act like experienced coaches would be falling over themselves to come here. Guess what? No coach with a solid track record is going to want to come to this club. Your choice is with guys with assistant or lower experience, or guys with character and no experience. Given that Payne has played this game before and won, I'm going to give some space for his judgement.
Last edited by Oldtimer; 01-08-2013 at 12:46 PM.
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
Oh and I'd like to add that I agree that the presser was absolute shit and that they were grossly under prepared. But then again, how do you answer the question, "do you find it odd naming a head coach and are not able to give his starting date?" with anything other than, "yes"?
I really don't care how management presents itself to the media anyway. I care about how management presents itself to the players and how it goes about getting positive results.
Best line of the day from twitter:
Dave Clark @bedirthan You know that youth team coached by a pro soccer player who can't be at all games because of his career? Toronto FC IS THAT YOUTH TEAM
Anyway, compared to Paul Mariner starting the season... this is still a net positive IMO.
I agree with this. But they bombed the press conference. Looked as though they prepared for 10 minutes. Think people just need to get the mocking of that out of their system, then will get more serious about looking at the appointment itself.
If Payne explained it as O'Leary joining the staff, holding down the fort until had a chance to move on getting the right guy, I don't think people would have lost it as much.
I gotta say I like the change and really, having no coach would probably have a better record than Mariner did.
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