New Coach Prediction Thread

[Canuck Oranje]

I suspect the hiring of Simoes is already as much as a done deal (if the Executive Committee has agreed, it means key board votes are already in the bag). However, I also believe that this whole issue of the time that it takes for Board approval highlights how archaic the organizational structure is at the CSA. And yes, it needs to change.

quote:Originally posted by Loud Mouth Soup

How about Voyageurs in each city where these board clowns live head on over to their houses and download Skype for them, or show them how to dial a f*cking phone. They conference call for the meeting, and it's done.

Is the CSA still using dial phones or telegraphs? Pathetic excuse for not having a meeting.

And if there's some regulation stating members have to be physically present for meetings, that's got to change. Now. It's no excuse with technology today.

[Winnipeg Fury]

Truly unbelievable.

[Guest Dave]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcuIWIBjEM8

[Canuck Oranje]

Should make one more point. If this delay is being caused by archaic corporate bylaws (constitution), I would also suspect that these bylaws might be very difficult to change.

Most incorporated organizations can only make changes to corporate bylaws through a specific motion addressing the desired changes at an Annual General Meeting (also required in most cases). The next question would be, who are voting members of the CSA? I assume that the majority are provincial associations, but I don't know.

There may also be attendance requirements and specified voting requirements that go beyond the usual 50% plus one of those present when changing corporate bylaws. Again, I don't know what case is with the CSA.

[Gordon]

The desire to have a coach in place by the end of March has been a stated goal for some time so the notion of the impossibility of setting up the meeting "on short notice" is laughable even to someone with my incredibly low faith in the general competence of the Canadian Soccer Association. So I suspect that there is indeed a rift within over the choice.

[Vancouver Fan]

quote:Originally posted by Dave

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcuIWIBjEM8

Bravo Dave.Bravo

[Richard]

I would not be surprised if there was a rift on the board. I suspect there is one faction that is keen to get the best possible coach for the MNT and is willing to pay whatever it costs and another faction that would rather see the resources go towards 'grassroots' soccer and is opting for a cheaper, made in Canada solution to the coaching question. I have a sense this is much the way it is amongst the general soccer public so probably pertains on the board as well.

[Winnipeg Fury]

quote:Originally posted by Richard

I would not be surprised if there was a rift on the board. I suspect there is one faction that is keen to get the best possible coach for the MNT and is willing to pay whatever it costs and another faction that would rather see the resources go towards 'grassroots' soccer and is opting for a cheaper, made in Canada solution to the coaching question. I have a sense this is much the way it is amongst the general soccer public so probably pertains on the board as well.

And if that is the case, we may just lose RS.

I believe he said he was giving the CSA until March 31, as he has other options on the table.

[Canuck Oranje]

My feeling is still that it is already in the bag.

From what I can tell from scanning the CSA constitution, The Board of Directors of the CSA is comprised of 7 elected officers (including President, 2 Vice-Presidents, and the Treasurer), 12 presidents of territorial/provincial associations, and one elected by professional teams for a total of 20.

The Executive Committee (comprised of the President, 2 Vice-Presidents, Treasurer and three other Directors) has the authority to act on behalf of the Board of Directors except where they cannot by law. Since the Budget is set by a General Members meeting in December, I doubt the Board would have the legal authority to increase the overall budget; however, I suspect the Board can rearrange monies or combine jobs without getting membership approval through a Special General Meeting, which would be even more cumbersome and time consuming.

So if the Executive Committee cannot legally act on behalf of the Board in this case, it has no choice than to take the decision to a meeting of the full Board of Directors. Directors meetings cannot be called on the whim of President. All members of Board of Directors would need to have the specified period of time to review documents (that would need to be distributed to all Members). Convening a meeting credibly, using Roberts Rules (as specified by CSA ByLaws) might be a little too complicated to do by conference call. Then comes the issue of notice period(how much advance notice is required by law when calling a Board meeting) and I suspect that Dates for Board Meetings are set and approved by the Board in a meeting early in the year.

In short, I doubt that Linford could legally call a formal Board of Directors meeting on short notice.

While I have no doubts that there are differences of opinions on the Board, the fact that the Executive Committee is comprised of 7 Board members and there was a Hiring Committee involved as well that likely involved some other Directors not on the Executive Committee. I would say that between these two Committees, they probably represent 9 or 10 votes or maybe even more. Also consider that these two committees would have been appointed by the full Board and likely represent a cross-section of Board opinion. If both of these committees acheived consensus and agree on the selection, it is highly unlikely that the Board meeting is anything more than a legal requirement.

If that is the case, I think Linford can give Simoes confident assurances that this will be done. At the same time, it still needs to wait for the legal stamp of approval that only the full Board can issue before it can be formally announced. I'm sure Simoes understands all this because I would doubt that the CBF in Brazil would be any more efficient and likely even more convoluted.

quote:Originally posted by Winnipeg Fury

And if that is the case, we may just lose RS.

I believe he said he was giving the CSA until March 31, as he has other options on the table.

[jasonm]

CSA delays decision on national team coach

PETER MALLETT

Globe and Mail Update

Canadian soccer fans will need to wait until April 21 to find out the identity of their next men's national team coach.

An emergency meeting of the Canadian Soccer Association executive scheduled to take place Saturday was postponed for three weeks after four provincial members said they would be unable to take part in the conference call.

A spokesperson for the CSA told the Globe and Mail that the meeting could not take place when such a substantial portion of its elected provincial officials were unavailable to finalize negotiations.

"Things unravelled when it turned out certain key individuals weren't available for the meeting," said a CSA staff member. "We just couldn't get a deal done today."

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Prior to today's developments, Brazilian Rene Simoes was tipped as the leading candidate to take over the 103rd-ranked national team for this June's Gold Cup in the United States and subsequent qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, which will begin sometime next year.

Indications are that Simoes has asked for a salary of close to $500,000 — more than CSA executives had bargained for.

One of the key issues CSA president Colin Linford and the executive needed to resolve in today's scuttled meeting was finding extra money in the operating budget to meet contract demands.

In addition to Simoes, interim senior team coach Stephen Hart, men's Under-20 coach Dale Mitchell and a fourth unnamed international candidate have been mentioned by Linford as the leading candidates to take over.

However Simoes, who led Jamaica's Reggae Boyz to their first and only appearance when they qualified for the 1998 World Cup in France, appears to be the favourite among executives as well as senior men's team players who were involved in the selection process.

Simoes and his agent had reportedly set Saturday as a deadline for the CSA to sign him or lose him to another country.

Simoes agent did not return phone calls on Saturday and it is unknown whether the flamboyant coach — known for his technical wizardry and emotional sideline antics — would withdraw his offer to take over Canada's program.

Soccer insiders have suggested Simoes is also reviewing offers to take over the national team of Venezuela as well as a similar position with Cuba's national team.

Simoes last coached Iran's Under-23 Asian Games team but resigned late last year after a storm of criticism surrounding their third-place finish and controversy surrounding overage players he selected for the squad.

[RJB]

I'm sorry for being negative, but would we call this a broken promise by Colin Linford? I think I would.

Are they not aware that the Gold Cup is coming up? Apparently not, which is why we don't have a head coach or a friendly.

Words fail me.

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by RJB

I'm sorry for being negative, but would we call this a broken promise by Colin Linford? I think I would.

Are they not aware that the Gold Cup is coming up? Apparently not, which is why we don't have a head coach or a friendly.

Words fail me.

I'm far from worrying about the GC, 3 weeks won't change anything in the new coach scouting.

What worries me is it seems that they're having some internal problems and we could possibly lose Simoes to another country.

I don't think it's fair to blame Linford for all of this without knowing what's going on inside of the minds of those executives. With the announced games so far it seems that Linford is respecting what he said when he fired Pipe: More MNT games. I have the impression that it's others individuals who are causing troubles at the moment.

[Grizzly]

quote:Originally posted by jasonm

Simoes last coached Iran's Under-23 Asian Games team but resigned late last year after a storm of criticism surrounding their third-place finish and controversy surrounding overage players he selected for the squad.

This part of the article is really poorly researched and unfair to Simoes. It makes it sound as Simoes knowingly selected overage players when it was the Iranian federation who were trying to fudge the ages of some of the players. The disappointing third place finish was due in part to Simoes having to select a new team on short notice after being told some of the players he had been using on the team were not under 23.

[redhat]

Paul James on GolTV's "Extra Time" advocates Dale Mitchell as his personal choice

(eh buddy?), so I'm not surprised that a faction at the CSA could be opposing Simoes.

Look CSA, if you're serious, pick someone who can seriously get us a chance to reach

the World Cup. And get the respect our players (and nation) deserve.

[redhat]

Paul James on GolTV's "Extra Time" advocates Dale Mitchell as his personal choice

(eh buddy?), so I'm not surprised that a faction at the CSA could be opposing Simoes.

Look CSA, if you're serious, pick someone who can seriously get us a chance to reach

the World Cup. And get the respect our players (and nation) deserve.

[Guest Jeffery S.]

quote:Originally posted by Vancouver Fan

Bravo Dave.Bravo

Yes, very swift, apart from being a really odd version, appropriate enough.

[Canuck Oranje]

Again, this is more about required corporate governance than Linford breaking promises.

We also have to be careful with some of these press reports because they use terms as if they were the same. In other words, when the term, "Canadian Soccer Association Executive", is used, it actually refers to the Board of Directors. The Executive Committee referred to in another article is a committee of 7 key Board members including the President, Vice-Presidents, and Treasurer.

The meeting that was scuttled appears to be an attempted conference call meeting of the Board of Directors to pass a motion that would legally allow the CSA to finalize the agreement with the new Coach. I say this because Mallet says it was four provincial association representatives (would be Provincial association Presidents) that were not able to participate. Clearly, the CSA has legal advice that they need Board of Director approval.

The term "delay" is also misleading because from what I read, the April 21 meeting is a regular already-set Board meeting. Because all members of the Board will have already received normal notifications for the April 21 meeting, absences are easily dealt with which would not be the case with a hastily arranged emergency conference call meeting. In the emergency meeting situation, I suspect there are legal issues if some Board members are not able to attend.

Again, the Executive Committee already has representation from the three major soccer provinces and I suspect have representatives from other important provinces in terms of player registration. It also includes the Treasurer. That means that even while the Executive Committee is not able to legally make the decision on its own, it will have a good sense if it is doable.

As for Simoes, he is Brazilian. That's really all that needs to be said. Waiting for bureaucracy and complicated legal issues are nothing new. If Simoes wants the Canadian job (and the stability it represents), he will wait three weeks. Another point not often mentioned as a benefit to the Canadian job, when the CSA approves the budget for the Coach, the Coach will know that he will be paid. That would not be the case in Venezuela or Cuba where numbers may be tossed up or put into contracts but there is no guarantee that all the payments will be made. You can find Brazilian coaches working all around the world but very few work in Europe or North America. I think Simoes would also see this possible position as an opportunity to break into the developed world along with financial and job stability.

quote:Originally posted by loyola

I'm far from worrying about the GC, 3 weeks won't change anything in the new coach scouting.

What worries me is it seems that they're having some internal problems and we could possibly lose Simoes to another country.

I don't think it's fair to blame Linford for all of this without knowing what's going on inside of the minds of those executives. With the announced games so far it seems that Linford is respecting what he said when he fired Pipe: More MNT games. I have the impression that it's others individuals who are causing troubles at the moment.

[Cheeta]

If that's right, Simoes at a half mil per, it's an easy guess that there is a value-for-dollar debate that's going through some of the CSA Big Heads right now.

Not saying Simoes is a genius, but what's the use of having a brilliant football mind in your corner unless you give him the opportunities and the tools he'll need to demonstrate that genius? Simoes' hiring isn't just about his big paycheck, it goes past that. It's about the entire MNT funding.

This is a real "effects the whole organization" dollars and cents priority debate.

Give Linford and his allies credit, they're pushing the envelope.

I have no idea but would think that $500,000 for a NT manager is about twice as much as the CSA has ever paid out. Remember after Yallop bailed that money was brought up as being a factor. And there is absolutely no way Frankie is making anywhere even near a half million in L.A.

[The Ref]

Maybe, just maybe, some of the so called Board members think that $500,000 is too much money to pay a coach when there is no guarantee that the MNT will qualify for the next WC and get past the first round. The thing is, does Dale Mitchel offer a better guarantee for less money? Or in other words, how much are we prepared to pay to grow internationally? In my view, the situation should not be looked at in terms of money, but rather in terms of soccer experience, past successes and proposed plan of action submitted by the candidates.

I wonder if the hiring committee was told something like, hey guys get us the best there is and we will figure out how to pay for him later. Now they are in the 'later' saying wow! that is just too much money, we didn't mean that much. All in all, I don't think that half a mil is that high in today's market.

[futbol]

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

Ok about time for this since we are supposed to have a new coach by the end of the month and there are absolutely no rumours lets hear some predictions.

My prediction is Mitchell even though it seems like the timing is poor in regards to the U-20 WC. The last press release implied it wasn't going to be Hart and as cynical as I am about the CSA I can't see them hiring Hart. Likewise the total lack of rumours/signs of a search seem to point to it being an internal candidate of which only Mitchell seems to be a decent choice. Someone has to be making the Bermuda selections. Maybe they will surprise us and have been in top secret negotiations with a big name coach but if so the CSA guys should be hired by CSIS because whatever their failings as soccer managers they sure can keep a secret.

Anyway bring on the rumours/wild speculations and predictions. Maybe that master predictor wildboy will decide to weigh in with another $200 bet to choose some coach who hates Hirschfeld!

[Canuck Oranje]

Again, the key Board Members(Executive Committee) will already know how they will fund it. Enough other Board Members will have been consulted to ensure approval at the April meeting.

The "delay" is more to do with legality and corporate governance than conflict.

I expect that Simoes will be introduced as both Head Coach and Technical Director. I wonder if the rationale for waiting to fill the Technical Director position was just in case they found someone they would like to offer a combined position to. That possibility may have already been discussed.

On the issue of Money, how much is a higher profile worth in sponsorship dollars?

[futbol]

They said the decision is made. CSA knows the name. It's just a matter of days when they will release the good news.

the question is: who will be the assistant coach of the team?

[Guest Dave]

Not so sure this is a good thing. If they need to raid the budget to raise $500K for Simoes and then there is no money for friendlies or preparation and the players have to fly economy class redeye flights, then we will still do poorly in WCQ. I'd rather have Mitchell or Hart for less money, and use the saving to adequately prepare for WCQ.

Unfortunately, if the CSA did hire Mitchell or Hart, the savings might end up being spent on the Womens team... Bloody Political Correctness.

[Kevin in NS]

Out of the frying pan and into the fire??

Simoes, while criticizing the organization of Iranian football, said: Maybe the things I say will be to some peoples' liking, however, the truth is that Iranian football lacks organization and planning. If you name any country, I can tell you their plans until March-April (Farvardin) of next year, however you will not be able to tell me what the plans are for Iranian football over the same period.

[The Ref]

quote:Originally posted by Kevin in NS

Out of the frying pan and into the fire??

Simoes, while criticizing the organization of Iranian football, said: Maybe the things I say will be to some peoples' liking, however, the truth is that Iranian football lacks organization and planning. If you name any country, I can tell you their plans until March-April (Farvardin) of next year, however you will not be able to tell me what the plans are for Iranian football over the same period.

Ironic isn't it. I wonder what our plans are until March-April of next year or what were the candidates told? Perhaps if the new coach will also assume the role of TD it will be up to him to set such plans. I hope we will hear some more after Saturday April 21st.