Where's Preki?

[DichioTFC]

@DichioTFC

How did Preki help?

I didn't say Preki was our Sir Alex Ferguson, I said he helped in a small way to get us to where we are, meaning his result on our team was a net-positive as opposed to the OP who said that he had run our team into the ground.

By assembling a frankenstein roster of Eastern European cast-offs?

By forcing out four potential captains? (Don't forget Jimmy B who mysteriously became expendable after Preki's first match).

Five of the seven "net positive" players you say he brought in are no longer with the team.

The new FO spent the first half of the season undoing the havoc that Preki and Mo wreaked on the roster. I believe that we were so terrible the first half simply because Mariner and Winter needed to see where the club was at before making big moves... and then they made those moves and I'd say they're paying off so far.

I'm not defending everything Preki did, particularly with Uselessnov and AlphaSoup (which I never brought up). Personally, I didn't agree with letting the captains go, but it was more of a cost-effective move than anything else so I can understand the justification. At the time we had little salary cap space and Preki fixed that. I think the European cast-offs had salaries collectively of $500K, which is a lot of space.

And about those players, you're right, most are not with the team, but the players themselves are not what I meant by "net-positive", the consequential moves by Winter & Co. were the net positive. Mariner gets more credit for this than Preki, and rightfully so, but Preki got the assets here in the first place. If the club had been run into the ground, as - and I repeat - was the original point, there would be no tradeable assets.

Each player I mentioned was an asset - they were traded for something better.

Maicon Santos -> Eric Avila
Dan Gargan -> Dasan Robinson -> Kyle Davies
Nick LaBrocca -> Alan Gordon (+ Jacob Peterson) -> Ryan Johnson

Adrian Cann, Milos Kocic, Ty Harden are all still with the club. And while they're not great players, they are starters on our team right now for what its worth.

Point being, Mariner didn't have to "undo the havoc" of these players being on the team, he made the best of the situation. But without Preki, we wouldn't have had the assets in place to land Eric Avila, Ryan Johnson and Kyle Davies. Also, under his leadership, we won the 2010 NCC. To me, this is a net-positive for the team.

[DichioTFC]

after the world cup, my jokes have been losing steam.

/Fixed

[Oldtimer]

holy fuck. what.

one of my greatest regrets in life is not having mojo back his fucking words up and have a swing at me during the mls cup, getting him done for felony assault and having him kicked out of canada forever. i'd rather paul bernardo manage the club than that slimy, worthless lying piece of shit. it's taken 5 years to get back to zero because of that guy, and it was solely his "lack of long term vision"?

Tell us how you really feel about Mo, Azerban. Stop with the subtle hinting!

[Oldtimer]

I didn't say Preki was our Sir Alex Ferguson, I said he helped in a small way to get us to where we are, meaning his result on our team was a net-positive as opposed to the OP who said that he had run our team into the ground.

He also traded away Cronin (who Winter would have loved to have) for nothing, and ditto with Robbo.

It's a stretch to say he was a net positive over 1 year. If he had had a second year, we might have ground our way into the playoffs, (but not into contention).

Yeah, the cap situation was Mo's failure, not Preki's, but the Euro trash Preki brought in was remarkably bad, and dumping good players hurt the club.

The only real positive is that he started dealing with the dressing room issues.

[Section 117]

Preki is in a van down by the river....

Kick backs... That's Preki's thing.

[ensco]

He also traded away Cronin (who Winter would have loved to have)

Why would you assume this? Winter ran everyone off. He clearly, especially, had a problem early on with non-European players. I don't see that "style of play" played much of a role in the Winter purge.

[Canary10]

Why would you assume this? Winter ran everyone off. He clearly, especially, had a problem early on with non-European players. I don't see that "style of play" played much of a role in the Winter purge.

At the town hall I attended, Winter made a joke about how he would look at players on other MLS teams who he felt would be a great fit with TFC, only to be told by someone that they used to be with TFC. He shook his head and just laughed. Cronin came up in that context.

[Canary10]

Not sure where you get the idea that he doesn't like non-European players. If anything, it's older, non-Canadian players!

[ensco]

At the town hall I attended, Winter made a joke about how he would look at players on other MLS teams who he felt would be a great fit with TFC, only to be told by someone that they used to be with TFC. He shook his head and just laughed. Cronin came up in that context.

If Winter specifically said that, that's different.

So who else? I'd bet he would have loved Marvell....

[Canary10]

That was the only one I really heard. Every head in the place nodded when he made that joke though!

[Detroit_TFC]

I have no ill will towards Preki but he was part of the fucked up inside deal Mo was tied up in, so in hindsight best that both he and Mo got the axe. If Mo lands at SKC I hope somebody on the inside at MLSE sends them a folder clueing them into what exactly happened.

[Yohan]

If Winter specifically said that, that's different.

So who else? I'd bet he would have loved Marvell....

he'd lose his shit when Wynne fucks up, but love him when Wynne races back to make a last ditch tackle lol

[ensco]

Not sure where you get the idea that he doesn't like non-European players. If anything, it's older, non-Canadian players!

That's not the way it was. Winter publicly said several times that MLS players don't understand the basics.

Specifically, beyond Dero and Cann, Winter didn't like Nana or Gala. Based on their actions after leaving, I say it's pretty certain you could say the same for Gordon, Peterson and Gargan.

[RedRum]

Preki is in a van down by the river....

Kick backs... That's Preki's thing.

I talked to a buddy of mine about kickbacks who is a former pro and played in north america, africa, the middle east, and europe. he told me that it's the norm and not the exception.

[Canary10]

My point really was that Winter's really tried to promote young Canadian players as much as possible (i.e. Morgan, Henry, Stinson).

What he's consistently said is that he gave everyone a chance to show that the could play the kind of football he wants the team to play. When they couldn't or wouldn't, he moved them because they weren't going to fit. Simple as that.

[ManUtd4ever]

My point really was that Winter's really tried to promote young Canadian players as much as possible (i.e. Morgan, Henry, Stinson).

What he's consistently said is that he gave everyone a chance to show that the could play the kind of football he wants the team to play. When they couldn't or wouldn't, he moved them because they weren't going to fit. Simple as that.

I agree. If one considers the demographic make up of our current roster, it is clear that Winter has no preconcieved bias in selecting his players.

[jloome]

holy fuck. what.

one of my greatest regrets in life is not having mojo back his fucking words up and have a swing at me during the mls cup, getting him done for felony assault and having him kicked out of canada forever. i'd rather paul bernardo manage the club than that slimy, worthless lying piece of shit. it's taken 5 years to get back to zero because of that guy, and it was solely his "lack of long term vision"?
the guy couldn't manage his pants-belt situation, much less a professional soccer team.

christ.

i mean, i'm still not completely on the winter bandwagon, but tearing that fucking mandrake root out of this club and replacing them with people who have even the slightest idea what's going on was the second decent thing the FO has ever done.

Gotta agree. Damaged goods, that guy. Should've listened to Celtic fans.

[tovan]

It is my hypothesis that Preki is running the Greek economy.

[Roogsy]

Preki is in a van down by the river....

Kick backs... That's Preki's thing.

*touches nose*

[Roogsy]

It is my hypothesis that Preki is running the Greek economy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBVhfdduwfo

[ensco]

*touches nose*

I don't understand why no journalist has ever gone after this story. "Paying" Mista almost $2 million pro rated, when you look at what Koevermans and Frings cost...

[lobo]

That's not the way it was. Winter publicly said several times that MLS players don't understand the basics.

Specifically, beyond Dero and Cann, Winter didn't like Nana or Gala. Based on their actions after leaving, I say it's pretty certain you could say the same for Gordon, Peterson and Gargan.

gordon in that group? i don't recall hearing gordon saying or doing anything backhanded after he left ... he's a class act, wish he was still here

[menefreghista]

I don't understand why no journalist has ever gone after this story. "Paying" Mista almost $2 million pro rated, when you look at what Koevermans and Frings cost...

I'm guessing partly because most journalists covering the team don't have a soccer background. We rarely get hard hitting journalism from the North American soccer media to begin with.

This would have been a major scandal if it were in England.

[J .]

TFC under Preki was better than TFC under Winter in MLS. Winter also was given the trigger to pull in two DP's and allowed to make the player personnel moves he wanted.

Apples and Oranges and aside from the CCL quarters, Winters MLS season has been disastrous. Its been shitty with a chance of glory all year.

[Auzzy]

^ Ah ha ha that's funny.

What's apples & oranges is the first half & second half of this season. Which are you comparing with?

Preki was also allowed to make the player personnel moves he wanted to make, with the exception of ditching DeRo (which he also wanted to do at the beginning of his season). One problem was, many of Preki's personnel moves made the team worse.

[manic.street.preacher]

gordon in that group? i don't recall hearing gordon saying or doing anything backhanded after he left ... he's a class act, wish he was still here

^weeeeell, it might have been just sour grapes, but that match when Gordon was standing in front of the Bastards, i was talking with someone and jokingly said something like 'i'm taking credit for our current dutch inspiration' and Gordon turned around, looking very unimpressed, and said 'are you sure that you want to take credit for that?' ... not terribly backhanded, but not really necessary either ... plus there was that whole supposed 'canadian healthcare held me back', but i dunno if there was anything to that

[Roogsy]

One problem was, many of Preki's personnel moves made the team worse.

As did Winters. The only area where the new management did a better job was in the selection of DPs. Most don't want to admit it but without those DPs we have a Vancouver type year from beginning to end.

[Alonso]

As did Winters. The only area where the new management did a better job was in the selection of DPs. Most don't want to admit it but without those DPs we have a Vancouver type year from beginning to end.

So players that were selected by winter/mariner like Plata, Eckersley, Soolsma, Johnson, Avila have nothing to do with the turn of fortune TFC has had in the second half of this season?

To say its all because of Frings and Koevermans is not accurate, and to say that the DP's are the only good selection these guys made is even more inaccurate.

I think Winter and co. have done a better job in selecting players then Preki and co. by a landslide.

[ensco]

So players that were selected by winter/mariner like Plata, Eckersley, Soolsma, Johnson, Avila have nothing to do with the turn of fortune TFC has had in the second half of this season?

To say its all because of Frings and Koevermans is not accurate, and to say that the DP's are the only good selection these guys made is even more inaccurate.

I think Winter and co. have done a better job in selecting players then Preki and co. by a landslide.

I think to call it a "turn of fortune in the second half of the season" is not a complete picture. It's only in comparison to the unbelievably putrid first half we had, that this statement could be true, even then I'd disagree.

We won at Columbus and tied a couple of good teams, but we still had a bunch of ugly road games (Chivas, Chicago, KC) and didn't go on any kind of run or anything. We're going to finish 16th out of 18 teams.

I think the jury's out for me personally, but I can't help but think that the CCL success is not just important in itself (ie we finally won an important game in a tough spot), but it gives an offseason focus we've never had.

We've never been ready to start the season. No excuses now.

[Heart of Stone]

Mo was at Centennial Park on Thursday... very ruddy face...