Globe & Mail: Yallop decries lack of CSA plan

[DJT]

From The Globe and Mail:

Former head coach decries lack of CSA plan

PETER MALLET

Globe and Mail Update

A lack of focus by the Canadian Soccer Association on the men's national team led to his resignation as the head coach, Frank Yallop says.

“I needed to have a vision with the national team,” Yallop said in a telephone interview this week. “I felt that I was living day to day with the team and we never had a long-term plan for the country.”

Yallop announced his resignation on June 7, but he spoke this week in the wake of national technical director Richard Bate's announcement that he, too, was leaving the CSA.

Bate was hired in October of 2005, but announced last week he was leaving to take up a similar position with Watford, the recently promoted London club in the English Premier League.

“We have some great people at the CSA who are devoted and dedicated to their jobs and my purpose here is not to dump on any of them,” Yallop said. “Our program [senior men's team] was not the No. 1 program in the grand scheme of things. I would guess for the teams that made the 2006 World Cup, developing their senior [national] team was their main focus.”

Yallop also cited the limited number of international exhibition matches and training camps as a big reason for his departure.

This year, Canada's national team will play four exhibition matches; last year, it played eight.

Yallop said Canada needs at least 20 games a year to prepare itself to try for qualification for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

“The next coach is going to need a plan and he is going to need to say, ‘These are the games I need and the players I want,' ” Yallop said. “He is going to have to tell the CSA point-blank that he needs five games just to get the team functioning as a unit and a minimum of 20 games per year. That is what everyone else who we compete against in CONCACAF [Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Associations of Football] gets.”

Kevin Pipe, the CSA's chief operating officer, said that Yallop's call for 20 games a year isn't possible, given the limited number of dates available on the international soccer calendar — days when professional clubs are mandated to release players for international duty.

“I am surprised Frank would say 20 games per year,” Pipe said. “There is no way to play that number of games, due to the FIFA international calendar. What is realistic? Ten or 12 games is a realistic target.”

Pipe said Canada spends $12-million a year on its 17 national men's and women's programs. He said that international dates and player availability, not money, are the real reasons behind the small number of games the men's national team plays.

Yallop had started to rebuild Canada's struggling senior men's team since taking over for Holger Osieck in January of 2004. He guided Canada to a respectable record of 8-9-3.

Before taking the job of Canadian coach, Yallop led the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer to two league championships and was voted as the coach of the year in 2001.

Even though Canada didn't qualify for a fifth consecutive World Cup, there was a sense among players and fans that things were starting to improve after the team defeated Austria 2-0 in March and tied the United States 0-0 in February.

Canada rebounded from its lowest world ranking in history, 91st in March of 2004, to its current level, 54th, when new criteria for ranking national teams was put into play this month.

Yallop has since taken over the coaching reins of the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS from former U.S. World Cup coach Steve Sampson after the team had stumbled out of the gate with a 3-10-2 record.

Since his arrival in Los Angeles, the Galaxy are on a four-game undefeated streak, after a 0-0 draw with Chivas USA last Saturday.

Pipe said that interim Canadian team coach Stephen Hart will receive some assistance from under-20 team coach Dale Mitchell for Canada's home-and-home series with Jamaica: in Montreal on Sept. 4 and in Kingston on Oct. 8.

He indicated a permanent replacement for Yallop likely won't be announced by the CSA executive committee until next year. He also said the hiring of a national technical director won't take place until December.

For now, Pipe said, the focus of the governing body should be preparing the under-20 national team for the under-20 World Cup next year — Canada is the host — and readying the women's team for the Gold Cup in November, a qualifier for the Women's World Cup in China next year.

[KAS]

quote:Originally posted by DJT

From The Globe and Mail:

A lack of focus by the Canadian Soccer Association on the men's national team led to his resignation as the head coach, Frank Yallop says.

“I needed to have a vision with the national team,” Yallop said in a telephone interview this week. “I felt that I was living day to day with the team and we never had a long-term plan for the country.”

This sounds about right. The question for Yallop though, is why does he seem surprised about this. Shouldn't he have known what we was getting himself into? It's not like this is all new.

quote:Yallop also cited the limited number of international exhibition matches and training camps as a big reason for his departure.

This year, Canada's national team will play four exhibition matches; last year, it played eight.

No argue here. This is not nearly enough. Four?! WTF?

quote:Pipe said Canada spends $12-million a year on its 17 national men's and women's programs. He said that international dates and player availability, not money, are the real reasons behind the small number of games the men's national team plays.

I'm not a regular CSA basher, but this is clearly Bulls**t! There are more than four international dates in a year. Other countries play alot more games, with obviously the same international dates, and player availability is not that much tougher for Canada than other countries. Many countries had three friendlies in May/early June in preparation for the World Cup, Canada had zero. If Jamaica can get England, and New Zealand can get Brazil, then we could have got some quality games. Money/lack of interest/incompetence are behind this.

Since there are two international dates close together in October, why can't Canada play another Caribean team (Cuba?) while the squad is assembled down there to face Jamaica? More training days and a second game against another CONCACAF opponent in hostile territory would be worth the money and effort.

quote: Pipe said that interim Canadian team coach Stephen Hart will receive some assistance from under-20 team coach Dale Mitchell for Canada's home-and-home series with Jamaica: in Montreal on Sept. 4 and in Kingston on Oct. 8.

He indicated a permanent replacement for Yallop likely won't be announced by the CSA executive committee until next year. He also said the hiring of a national technical director won't take place until December.

Why don't they just announce Mitchell now, rather than have him overlook Hart's shoulder for a couple of friendlies. Who will the players listen to? They will know that it is Mitchell, not Hart, who will be deciding the future of their international careers. I don't think the new technical director will have much say on who is the new coach - not if Mitchell is already being groomed for it.

quote: For now, Pipe said, the focus of the governing body should be preparing the under-20 national team for the under-20 World Cup next year — Canada is the host — and readying the women's team for the Gold Cup in November, a qualifier for the Women's World Cup in China next year.

This sounds reasonable and logical, but it implies that the MNT is otherwise the prime focus, and that the lack of support is just temporary. We all know that it never gets the needed resources.

[nolando]

Not looking good already!!

[Cheeta]

Hmph.

Untidy report, but at least we get a few words out of the man. Finaly. Tred softly but made his point well enough. But yes, it does raise the question of what Frankie expected going in? Something different than what we've seen over the last decade? Or haven't you been paying attention?

Four matchs is it? Christ.

CSA=rec. sports association.

We're doomed. Always knew we were. Just seeing it in black and white sort of destroys the irrational mental shield you've put up.

[Loud Mouth Soup]

I might just jump on the anti-Pipe bandwagon. That interview clearly shows me what a weasel this guy is. Pussied out with every excuse.

[Gordon]

In the last 18 months, the United States has played 33 games. Canada not even a third of that. Sadly, no one from the national media will roast Mr. Pipe for his remarks, just as they let go his gibbersih on youth development. Well, no surprise here. Been saying it for a few years now that the CSA were not competent and lacked vision.

[SF]

It is stunning to me that someone can have Pipe's track record of futility - a record that spans a good 2 decades - can still have a job.

As long as the CSA is this complacent and this incompetent we haven't got anything that even resembles a chance.

[Cooks]

Is the CSA tied to the government in any way? (funding, etc.)

I would love to see Sheila Fraser, the Auditor General of Canada, have a crack at the Association for a Performance and a Financial Audit. That would certainly shake the tree.

[sstackho]

Finally a wee bit of truth comes out. Some of you should considering posting your comments on the soapbox that is the Comments section to each article on the G&M site:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060719.soccer20/CommentStory/Sports/home

[Regs]

quote:Frank Yallop leaves for job in English Premier League, says Canadian team was living day to day

I'm supposed to comment on that?

[Canuck Oranje]

It is a separate entity and outside of the Auditor General's reach. It would however be obligated to fulfill any commitments it makes when receiving funding. I doubt however that government funding would be directly tied to national teams and would more likely be tied to other programs like coaches training and the delivery of domestic youth programs.

Having said that, it has been said here many times that the CSA needed a publicly declared strategic plan. I guess they don't even have a privately stated one. Hopefully, the new President has some stomach for change. Unfortunately, I doubt we will see anything change until after the 2007 U-20 tournament.

quote:Originally posted by Cooks

Is the CSA tied to the government in any way? (funding, etc.)

I would love to see Sheila Fraser, the Auditor General of Canada, have a crack at the Association for a Performance and a Financial Audit. That would certainly shake the tree.

[The Beaver]

Well, that is fairly damning, isn't it? Pipe doesn't look good at all. Problem with a guy like Pipe, it seems, is that he's a tehnocrat or an administrator rather than a visionary. He has probably run a fairly tight, fiscally responsible ship, and that's why he's still the top dude. Problem, though, is that some real VISION is required, and I don't get the impression he's even a smidgen of it. A men's national team is the flagship for its entire football program. if you make real grounds with the men's team, then other things tend to follow. If you do not take care of the men's team, then the message to the public is pretty clear: we don't really give a damn about advancing in the world of football, we admit we are a mediocre soccer nation and we fully expect (intend) to stay there.

As for 20 games a year: We could play 3 - 5 games at Gold Cup, 5 or 6 games on FIFA sanctioned game days, and another swack of games here in North America with our "B" team (primarily domestic players, often playing out of season). I suspect this is what Frank is getting at, and I'm certain that Pipe knows very well what he means, too.

Not impressed at all. Australia is proof of what can be achieved with a visionary at the helm. With Pipe, we are destined for mediocrity.

[analyst]

quote:Originally posted by The Beaver

Well, that is fairly damning, isn't it? Pipe doesn't look good at all. Problem with a guy like Pipe, it seems, is that he's a tehnocrat or an administrator rather than a visionary. He has probably run a fairly tight, fiscally responsible ship, and that's why he's still the top dude. Problem, though, is that some real VISION is required, and I don't get the impression he's even a smidgen of it. A men's national team is the flagship for its entire football program. if you make real grounds with the men's team, then other things tend to follow. If you do not take care of the men's team, then the message to the public is pretty clear: we don't really give a damn about advancing in the world of football, we admit we are a mediocre soccer nation and we fully expect (intend) to stay there.

As for 20 games a year: We could play 3 - 5 games at Gold Cup, 5 or 6 games on FIFA sanctioned game days, and another swack of games here in North America with our "B" team (primarily domestic players, often playing out of season). I suspect this is what Frank is getting at, and I'm certain that Pipe knows very well what he means, too.

Not impressed at all. Australia is proof of what can be achieved with a visionary at the helm. With Pipe, we are destined for mediocrity.

The fault isn't all Pipe's - lets not forget the elected Executive people like past Presidents Andy nice guy Sharpe and Jim Fleming, who spent many years on the Board. The buck stops at the top - the Presidents. We can't just blame the top staff person.

The comment about Australia is intriguing. Hiddink did wonders with them, and the Australian Football Assoc took a chance by agreeing to pay Hiidink big money. The funny thing is that when Hiidink took over he cancelled many of the friendlies that were planned, and instead took the players to training camps to make them more fit. It still cost Australia a lot to run the camps, therefore there was a commitment. How many Canadian MNT players would willingly go to Canadian camps for fitness training, and how may would say that club commitments prevent them from attending?

[sstackho]

OK, I submitted my comment to the Globe. I encourage The Beaver and others to do so as well.

[The Beaver]

Yeah, you are right: Pipe isn't alone in this.

Where does one submit one's comments to the Globe?

[Free kick]

In regards to friendlies, when you play them is more important than the actual total number that you play. In the last WCQ, Canada played no games between the Belize series in June and the Guatemala game in mid August. That was really evident in that first game in the semi final round in Burnaby. Who would complain if we played friendlies equal to what the US plays? But if they are mostly played two years before qualifying starts, then what good will it do. I'd have to get details, but I looked this up a while ago and found out that, compared to many sides that qualified for the WC, we played more or equal amount of friendlies.

This is second time in a about two months that Yallop has spoken on the matter of priorities amongst the various programs. The other time, was in a radio interview I heard and alluded to in another post on this forum. Clearly, this is a something that is unlikely to change and also real bone of contention for Yallop. To be 100% honnest, I saw this coming a few years ago when the womens programs were getting results at the U19 level and senior teams level by making it to the semis at the WC. In large part due to the tactics and style of their game, I saw this as serious omen for the game in Canada. Evidently, Yallop agrees.

Maybe thats a good thing and what we think doesn't matter in the bigger picture. Putting myself in impartial position, I'd see no reason to divert time and resources away from programs that are top 10 in the world in favour of those that are ranked 50-80. But if you are a person who dreams of seeing canada on the biggest sport stage in world and garnering recognition, you'd better think twice about reaching into pockets to fork out $$$ next time to watch games at that level. I'd be happy to hear the toughts of all those who bashed the CSA and sided with Charmain Hooper a few years ago when she threatened a walk out unless they got a bigger share of the pot.

[sstackho]

quote:Originally posted by The Beaver

Yeah, you are right: Pipe isn't alone in this.

Where does one submit one's comments to the Globe?

Right here, Beavie:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060719.soccer20/CommentStory/Sports/home

You may have to register for the Globe site if you haven't already. Don't worry, it's a painless process and they don't send any e-mails.

Not that a post to the Globe will necessarily do all that much, but at least it's a little more public than comments on this board. And I hope that Mallett reads them and might continue to do articles on the subject.

[The Ref]

We can hire all the coaches we want, but while the current useless CSA board and its CEO continue to run the top soccer entity in the country as they have been doing over many years, we are going nowhere. At least in the men's side.

I support intervention by the Minister to disband the Board and appoint an interim government Administrator. His/her first duties will be to commission a Forensic Audit, cancel all contracts and putting all the staff on notice.

[Grizzly]

My problem with these comments is why are they coming now several months after he abandoned the program. What he should have done is stated publicly he was going to leave the post if he didn't get more games instead of simply abandoning ship once a better offer came. Why didn't Yallop do what Hooper did? That is something I could respect and say that it would take some courage. At the very least he could have said this stuff when he left and this was getting some news coverage. Bruce Arena said his piece before he was let go. Yallop's following comments are especially interesting:

“The next coach is going to need a plan and he is going to need to say, ‘These are the games I need and the players I want,' ” Yallop said. “He is going to have to tell the CSA point-blank that he needs five games just to get the team functioning as a unit and a minimum of 20 games per year.

That is exactly what Frank should have done and did not do. Once again someone else other than Frank Yallop is to blame for his abject failure as a national team coach. Why is it that Mitchell always seems to get much better preparation for the U-20 tournaments (even before we were the hosts) than Yallop did for the men's team? I think part of it has to do with Mitchell being much more forceful in presenting his demands and plans for the team and arguing for funding. Again with the women's teams it may have something to do with their success but I think also the coaches running those programs are more adept at getting funding. We need a coach willing to demand the necessary preparation and put his job on the line if he is not given it. It is one thing realize a situation is poor and to quit and complain about it after the fact and another thing to actually try to improve it.

[Free kick]

quote:Originally posted by The Ref

We can hire all the coaches we want, but while the current useless CSA board and its CEO continue to run the top soccer entity in the country as they have been doing over many years, we are going nowhere. At least in the men's side.

I support intervention by the Minister to disband the Board and appoint an interim government Administrator. His/her first duties will be to commission a Forensic Audit, cancel all contracts and putting all the staff on notice.

Have you not been following the news? I suggest getting up to speed with what has happened to Greece recently. Or for that matter Guatemala two years ago.

To those two or three people who do nothing fill these boards with whining and bitching at the CSA about vague and unspecific and concreate things in . I offer a challenge, give us specifics rather that vague statements about vague things like: "having vision" and individuals.

[Free kick]

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

Why didn't Yallop do what Hooper did? That is something I could respect and say that it would take some courage. At the very least he could have said this stuff when he left and this was getting some news coverage. ...

------------------------

We need a coach willing to demand the necessary preparation and put his job on the line if he is not given it. It is one thing realize a situation is poor and to quit and complain about it after the fact and another thing to actually try to improve it.

I don't mean to defend Yallop with these comments. But by the looks of it, what you are suggesting, is exactly what he did. And thats why he resigned.

[El Hombre]

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

My problem with these comments is why are they coming now several months after he abandoned the program.

Umm...It's been 1 month and 13 days. Not several months.

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

What he should have done is stated publicly he was going to leave the post if he didn't get more games instead of simply abandoning ship once a better offer came.

Probably has something to do with the fact that he has a family to provide for and coaching Canada for 2 years does not allow one to build up much of a nest egg such that you can start burning bridges without a Plan B.

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

Why didn't Yallop do what Hooper did? That is something I could respect and say that it would take some courage. At the very least he could have said this stuff when he left and this was getting some news coverage. Bruce Arena said his piece before he was let go.

So, first you complain that we haven't heard anything from him and then when something does come out, you complain that it took too long?

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

Yallop's following comments are especially interesting:

“The next coach is going to need a plan and he is going to need to say, ‘These are the games I need and the players I want,' ” Yallop said. “He is going to have to tell the CSA point-blank that he needs five games just to get the team functioning as a unit and a minimum of 20 games per year.

That is exactly what Frank should have done and did not do. Once again someone else other than Frank Yallop is to blame for his abject failure as a national team coach. Why is it that Mitchell always seems to get much better preparation for the U-20 tournaments (even before we were the hosts) than Yallop did for the men's team?

The only team Mitchell had prior to being awarded the WYC was the 2003 U20 team. In between WYC 2001 and qualifying for WYC 2003, they had a total of 3 friendlies. Of course, after they qualified they got entered into more tournaments. If we had made it to the Hex, would Frank have got more friendlies?

Also, do you not think he was asking for more games leading up to his departure? For WCQ, he was a rookie coach who was in way over his head. Since then he has learned what is required and found out that it isn't possible with the current CSA setup.

I'm really not trying to defend him here as he did screw up on many an occasion and I don't like the way he left much more than you do, but the hate-on some of you have for this guy seems a little too much. He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't in a lot of eyes here.

Edit: And FreeKick makes a good point. Perhaps what you wanted is what happened. He just didn't grandstand it.

[Grizzly]

If he wanted to affect any change he should have grandstanded it, just like Hooper did. Noone knows whether this happened behind the scene or not and that is my point, if noone knows he is not achieving very much by it. My personal feeling is I doubt it happened behind the scenes because my whole Frank Yallop experience is that he has been a politician more than a coach worried about not burning any bridges and about furthering his career and has never stuck up for the team other than a few of his pals who he played instead of other more deserving players.

You can spare me the tears about feeding his family. You might not get rich being Canada's coach or that of San Jose or Los Angeles but I am sure he was making in one year what most of us here could only dream of making in several years (unlike Hooper for example). Plus if he made a stink and the CSA fired him they still would have had to honour the contract and he knew he could always get an MLS job pretty quickly.

I don't have a hate on for him at all. He seems like a nice guy and seems to be a good coach at the MLS level. However, it doesn't take a genius to know that a national team has to play games. This is something he should have known at the beginning and demanded when he signed the contract. If he is so clueless not to know this he should not have accepted the job. I seem to remember it was the CSA who chased him so if he did not get the setup he wanted he should and could have stayed in San Jose.

It just bothers me when I see the number of mistakes and poor decisions he made many of which bordered on unethical (ie. playing friends, not playing guys you don't like, not making decision based on merit) other mistakes being absolutly amateur level and yet he never ever took any responsibility for his failures, blamed others (we don't have enough good players) and never took significant steps to improve the situation. These comments are just a continuation of what we got from him all along and show why he was not fit to be our national team manager. I would respect a manager who states publicly that I am not getting the funding/games I need to win and if the situation doesn't improve I will quit in protest. I don't respect a manager who just quits and then complains about the situation afterwards.

[El Hombre]

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

If he wanted to affect any change he should have grandstanded it, just like Hooper did. Noone knows whether this happened behind the scene or not and that is my point, if noone knows he is not achieving very much by it. My personal feeling is I doubt it happened behind the scenes because my whole Frank Yallop experience is that he has been a politician more than a coach worried about not burning any bridges and about furthering his career and has never stuck up for the team other than a few of his pals who he played instead of other more deserving players.

What exactly did Hooper have to lose by making demands? What exactly did Arena have to lose by making the comments he did when it was pretty evident that he was going to be let go? Not the same thing here. And if he was really only in it to further his career like you say he was, is leaving a club team to coach Canada really the way most people do it? Your assumption seems pretty tenuous to me.

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

You can spare me the tears about feeding his family. You might not get rich being Canada's coach or that of San Jose or Los Angeles but I am sure he was making in one year what most of us here could only dream of making in several years (unlike Hooper for example). Plus if he made a stink and the CSA fired him they still would have had to honour the contract and he knew he could always get an MLS job pretty quickly.

Once again, another assumption about where his next paycheck was coming from.

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

I don't have a hate on for him at all. He seems like a nice guy and seems to be a good coach at the MLS level. However, it doesn't take a genius to know that a national team has to play games. This is something he should have known at the beginning and demanded when he signed the contract. If he is so clueless not to know this he should not have accepted the job. I seem to remember it was the CSA who chased him so if he did not get the setup he wanted he should and could have stayed in San Jose.

Don't think so. Yes, the CSA chased him and no doubt made promises to him. How can you assume that he didn't make demands then? He left a pretty cushy job for the CSA who was desperate to get a new coach before WCQ started. Do you really think he did that on a whim?

Also, if Holger had made the same comments that Yallop did, he would've been better prepared. Actual coaching experience of a WCQ campaign trumps all of our armchair punditry.

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

It just bothers me when I see the number of mistakes and poor decisions he made many of which bordered on unethical (ie. playing friends, not playing guys you don't like, not making decision based on merit) other mistakes being absolutly amateur level and yet he never ever took any responsibility for his failures, blamed others (we don't have enough good players) and never took significant steps to improve the situation. These comments are just a continuation of what we got from him all along and show why he was not fit to be our national team manager. I would respect a manager who states publicly that I am not getting the funding/games I need to win and if the situation doesn't improve I will quit in protest. I don't respect a manager who just quits and then complains about the situation afterwards.

Yes, you've already said all this.

It's funny how I don't see it as complaining but you do. I think he's setting the record straight (which many on here asked for) and was using Bate's departure to show that it's not just him that's frustrated by the system. Also, I don't understand what is so admirable about complaining publicly rather than privately? As Free Kick pointed out, what you desire may have actually happened but it was done privately. Man gets frustrated by the system, recognizes he can't change it, makes ultimatum and follows through. Do you really think this needs to be done in a public forum?

[sstackho]

FWIW, Yallop hinted at frustrations regarding lack of funding in the various radio interviews he has done. Of course, it was done in a typical guarded sport/political fashion.