I don't know how many times I have to say this: Nelsen's team had won 3 of their last 13 games. Vanney would have had to have performed a miracle to take that team, a team so worn down and demotivated and lacking of tactical thinking due to Nelsen's tenure, to the playoffs. We didn't really play counterattacking football last year, we just sent out a 4-4-2 every game and had dudes run hard. We were bleeding goals by the end due to our lack of tactics.
Your last point is 100% conjecture and therefore impossible to argue. whatever.