Bob Bradley Deathwatch Thread

[Ultra & Proud]

MB getting his coaches badges now while he is injured is actually a good sign he isn't going to be playing next year - this is in and of itself a good sign.

Doesn't mean that at all. He could play a year as player/assistant in 2024 and switch to manager in 2025.

[Mr. Inbetween]

MB getting his badges! I have questions; lots! To begin, these few...
Is this an indication his injury is career ending; the surgery was not (as) successful?
Was the 'cover' of his injury-treatment location happenstance or an advantageous misdirection?
Why give the opportunity- for the picture- to go public now?
Is there any indication if it's the B or A part of The License?
If A, when did he actually start; pre-injury? IIUC, the full-course takes about 9 typical work weeks/hours; realistically, 3 to 6 months, to a year.
If A, where has he done, at what club, his in-field/on pitch coaching portion?
Through/at WalesFA-UEFA? oh boy, in of itself, this is too convenient, does make historical sense but is also suspect...

https://www.besoccer.com/new/suspici...aching-license

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ng-credentials

[Auzzy]

Oh god no. Exactly what I was worried about as well.

[los sonadores]

Let's speculate on the Manning replacement, and the Bob the Sporting Director replacement (in my mind, one and the same). The manager part comes after that. Later.

We forget how this should be done. The long Bez/Vanney era, which was kind of a weird accident, not part of any plan, blinds us. We have never done this right, the last real attempt to do it the right way was Winter, and even that was screwed up, because Mariner was put in competition with Winter. This is what came next:

1) Payne hires an active player, Nelsen. A totally off script move that rarely works, and didn’t

2) Leiweke hires top people for the Leafs and Raptors but decides to be the TFC Sporting Director himself (we will never see the head of MLSE do that again!). He goes with a junior capologist (Bez) as his assistant. Then he announces he is leaving. Two weeks later, Bez wins a power struggle with Nelsen and puts in the relatively unheralded assistant, Vanney, who was not on anyone's list of the top 5 MLS coaching candidates at the time. Nobody here liked any of it, and it only changed gradually. #VanneyOut was a big thing in these parts for several years. In remembering all this, tip of the cap to Leiweke, the only suit who ever understood us.

3) Curtis hires Armas, and the first thing that happens are interviews about how Manning and Bradley Jr knew Armas in the 1990s. Because what matters is whether Manning and Bradley Jr are comfortable.

4) Bradley Sr the Sporting the Director then hires Bradley Sr as Manager and thinks that the fact that sporting director and manager is the father of Bradley Jr the Captain is a feature not a bug.

Lets not go straight to manager. Lets do the speculation in the right order. We need to get a new sporting directing who picks a team around him, and a manager, and build a smart structure around him to succeed

It has been a while since the person running the football operation selected the manager in a way that made sense. Like, maybe never.

Thank you (as much as could be said) for that trip down memory lane. And also thank you to the poster who put a link for our roster at Winter’s last match with us, posted in the Cincinnati game thread. Wow, what a dreadful lineup we had! And really, it’s not that I don’t remember those Winter days but the league is so much better now in terms of roster strength.

A reminder too that the Vanneyout stuff was a bit silly. He seemed to me good at the start and simply needed an intelligent chance.

Bob, unfortunately, came out with a poor team very much of his own making, and not much desire to win anything much. It was downright shameful.

[los sonadores]

Coaching hires in MLS are difficult. There aren't a lot of true blue chip coaches just waiting around in the wings to be hired as their are in football countries. Bob was supposed to be one of them! I'm sure that's part of the equation here for Manning.

Is Caleb Porter doing anything? Mixed results from him but has won MLS Cups with 2 different teams and at least plays good football. Wouldn't be a huge shift in tactical approach, more of a continuation, but maybe can get more out of what we have and won't necessarily be stuck in the same mindset as to who plays where.

I still think even as is there is enough in this team to at least be firmly in the playoffs. Even without a striker and a lynch-pin midfielder.

Caleb Porter, hmm, not bad, maybe. There are many reasons why Bradley is still manger/sporting director and not likely going anywhere soon. But this is the first candidate I’ve heard being put forward that actually makes sense/might take the gig.

[Luanda]

This deathwatch is in and by itself deadly: 35 pages, over 1000 posts....

[PizzaEatingYeti]

Doesn't mean that at all. He could play a year as player/assistant in 2024 and switch to manager in 2025.

My take is about this same.

Unfortunately, my guess would be that from the season 2024 he'll be player-assistant to whoever will be TFC's headcoach (even if his dad remains {??????}, though that would be mind boggling, probably a world-first in any noteworty pro league in the World, having father+son = head+assistant coach), and earliest from the 2025 season, latest from the 2026 season he'll be head coach for TFC.

IMHO the Bradley family's reign over this franchise is a franchise-historical one, going for at least 2 decades, unfortunately.
I really really hope I am fundamentally wrong.

[JoesphNdo]

I'm not someone who needs a high standard of football or a winning team to go watch. I've basically been a season ticket holders for my local team (in 3 countries) since I was around 15, and at times that local team has been a mid table second tier of Irish football team - semi pro would be a generous definition. Our star striker was fatter than half the people in the stands. Coming home from away trips it was common to run into the team in tesco getting snacks. I've never been a "if we don't win I won't renew" kind of person

But if we're still Bradley fc next season, for the first time in decades, I really don't think I'll renew. I've absolutely no interest in watching that. None whatsoever. The prospect of years more of that doesn't make me sad it just makes me give up

I've never understood the grip Michael has on the team and club and now his dad seems to have the same. If the plan is for him to take over as his first ever coaching gig having had a few years of his dad shitting the bed it'll be years before we can start to recover

[Hala Hrvatska]

So let me get this straight...

Bradley while getting paid $1.6M USD is not here in Toronto to recover whatever this mysterious injury is that didn't happen in a game....and getting his coaching license on our dime/time?

Why isn't he here with team and phsios, at team meetings, watching the games...

This is just getting worse and worse....

How do these bradleys have this much power and hold on the club? And not in a "good way"...ffs....boot manning and bradleys out of here today...enough is enough.

I think like Joe said...we are stuck with the manning/bradleys and they are not going anywhere....and like he said, its not making me sad..(am past that and anger at the s.hitshow this has become)...but me hoping for anything to happen is jsut wishful thinking...like Joe said..I just give up.

Will not be renewing and only when/if all three of these guys are gone, will I return to watch some games...but never again for seasons...this club took die hard fans like me for granted...but they won't ever fool me again...am done.

[Hala Hrvatska]

My take is about this same.

Unfortunately, my guess would be that from the season 2024 he'll be player-assistant to whoever will be TFC's headcoach (even if his dad remains {??????}, though that would be mind boggling, probably a world-first in any noteworty pro league in the World, having father+son = head+assistant coach), and earliest from the 2025 season, latest from the 2026 season he'll be head coach for TFC.

IMHO the Bradley family's reign over this franchise is a franchise-historical one, going for at least 2 decades, unfortunately.
I really really hope I am fundamentally wrong.

Don't forget Uncle Bradley was in the back office as well...three of them here at one time or another....

Am just shocked at how much power these americans have here...

[ag futbol]

Let’s step back a minute here. Things are awful, our management team is clueless, and MLS HO and the league in general myopically worship the Bradley’s.

But promoting each of them upwards or Michael becoming coach in Bob’s place? Only our imaginations are supporting that narrative.

Not saying it’s going to instantly get better but TFC apocalypse is not here yet.

[nick.mastro]

Can we just close this and call it “fire Bob Bradley” I feel like the board has made up its mind

[Ultra & Proud]

So let me get this straight...

Bradley while getting paid $1.6M USD .

$625ish K.

He renegotiated a lower rate with a year added on.

[OgtheDim]

7 points out of the last playoff....starting to drift away. IF the losses continue, the drift will become too much to ignore.


The deathwatch count to me is down to 4

A win is +1
A loss is -1
A draw is 0

If it hits 0, BB will be gone because we will not be able to recover to make the playoffs.



Next week is a game at home against the best away team in the league, & Maestrioni LOVES to beat Bradley & Arena teams - I suspect that will be a draw, at best.

[ag futbol]

7 points out of the last playoff....starting to drift away. IF the losses continue, the drift will become too much to ignore.


The deathwatch count to me is down to 4

A win is +1
A loss is -1
A draw is 0

If it hits 0, BB will be gone because we will not be able to recover to make the playoffs.



Next week is a game at home against the best away team in the league, & Maestrioni LOVES to beat Bradley & Arena teams - I suspect that will be a draw, at best.

Four sounds like a lot to me man. We could be 15+ points out of 9th (!!) by the time that plays out. I think he’s got 1-2 games, max.

They’re already out on a limb pretending here.

[Mr. Inbetween]

FWIW and not sure if this has been highlighted before. IIUC, the British SoccerAM comedy talk show poking fun at BB for his Swansea City stint/fiasco. A series of about 6? 'Brad Bobley('s) Soccer Camps' sketches...

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...rad+bobley%27s

I enjoyed 'Striker Movement'...

[RealG-TFC]

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/TorontoFC/status/1673326522776576001

[portu]

Terry Dunfield is um an interesting pick. Can’t be there for long you’d think.

[SenorDingDong]

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/TorontoFC/status/1673326522776576001

Wow it has happened.

[Ultra & Proud]

Dunfield? Really?

Well couldn't be worse I guess.

[SenorDingDong]

Terry Dunfield is um an interesting pick. Can’t be there for long you’d think.

He's interim coach its mentioned. "Terry Dunfield has been appointed interim Head Coach of Toronto FC"

[reggie]

now bill the clown must go.how does this guy still have a job

[MikeForbes]

It actually happened.

[ag futbol]

Dunfield? Really?

Well couldn't be worse I guess.

I think they saw how demoralized this team is, looked around and said who can cheer people up? Expect this is very much temporary.

Shame Dichio isn’t still in the fold. This could have been his moment.

[Ultra & Proud]

Shame Dichio isn’t still in the fold. This could have been his moment.

I just finished saying the exact same thing.

[Mr. Inbetween]

FYI...'Terry Dunfield has been appointed interim Head Coach of Toronto FC.'; Sorber dismissed also! No mention of 'Roy Kent'?

[reggie]

i cant wait for the manning presser tomorrow and all the softball questions by the shills that cover the team

[Canary10]

Wow. A lot happens when you're stuck in a meeting.

[Mr. Inbetween]

I think they saw how demoralized this team is, looked around and said who can cheer people up? Expect this is very much temporary. Shame Dichio isn’t still in the fold. This could have been his moment.

Agree, temporary, yet likely, till the end of the Leagues Cup. If, until the end of MLS season, maybe best Dichio not involved. An Interim does not seem to remain with, return to their position within, TFC.

[Mr. Inbetween]

Who has the last giggle?

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/itssusanne_/status/1673328813680259072