<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn.wn.com/pd/19/85/14f54f48e96f8c1b2da29c2eb0f5_grande.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 468px; height: 325px;" src="http://cdn.wn.com/pd/19/85/14f54f48e96f8c1b2da29c2eb0f5_grande.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Could you imagine the reaction in Ohio!</span></span>
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When people think about TFC's manager search they tend to look afar. Big Euro names with some sex appeal would make TFC fans feel that the club is trying to flex its financial muscle. The thing is, of course, there is no guarantee that a big name will bring big results.
There is no guarantee it won't either, but such is the reality of a coaching search.
However, what if there was a person out there that have proven that he can win at MLS wherever he's been. There is, and he's pictured above, but to get him you might have to wait a year.
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As best as I can determine Sigi Schmid has one year left on a contract that pays him about $350,000 a year. That(again, as best as I can tell. Finding out manager salaries in MLS is akin to cracking state secrets) ranks him about third in manager salaries behind Bruce Arena and Hans Backe. As Seattle showed you could coax him away from a team prior to his contract ending (with some compensation), but maybe TFC doesn't need to do that.
Tom Anselmi has talked about his desire to promote within. Although most of us think that Nick Dasovic is a few years away from being the guy, I'm not sure you can say for certain that he isn't based on the limited evidence of this season's stretch run. What TFC was at the end of 2010 was a product of the Mo and Preki show. Daso couldn't do much more than to try and squeeze some juice from the rind.
It's more important to get the right guy than the quick guy. Letting the interim team run the show through what is sure to be a re-building 2011 wouldn't be the worst thing (hiring the wrong guy for the sake of it would be). Maybe they step up and prove they are the right management team. Maybe they don't.
When Juergen Klinsmann is looking at options he needs to look at every option, even those that might take a year to get. If Sigi is the best possible solution -- and he might be -- then you need to figure out if you can get him. Seattle has a lot of money too, but MLSE has the financial ability to match them. Throw a million bucks at Sigi (it's easy to spend other's money, isn't it?) and I'm sure he'd think about a move north.
P.s. - He's German. Just sayin'