Pellerud confirms he'll be stepping down

[Sam]

We need someone who is committed to playing football, and not just lumping it long. I also think it is important that its someone the girls want not unnecessarily the CSA. Give them their choice and the new program will start out on the right foot. I'm not too familiar with Women's soccer at the lower levels in Canada and don't really know who the candidates are, but I think they need to fall under these two categories.

[AlanDouglas]

quote:Originally posted by leafdolfan

We need someone who is committed to playing football, and not just lumping it long.

Not disagreeing, just saying:

If the residency program ceases, then the new coach will only get the players for short periods and will not be able to work on improving skills or fitness to any significant degree. S/he pretty much has to take the players as they are, and leave it to the club/university teams to develop abilities.

Therefore, it would be better to have a coach who is capable of assessing the players' abilities, and develop a system that best suits them and the opponents they will face, rather than one with rigid preconceived notions about how the game should be played. It just may be that rather than a pure possession style, our players are better suited to a fast counter-attacking style.

That said, I agree completely. Let's get a coach who will force them to play possession football regardless, and see where that lands us. The new coach is going to suck anyway, so we might as well get some useful data out of it.

[Trillium]

quote:Originally posted by Bill Ault

Wow this thread just keeps getting better and better...

I'd like to see who people they think would be the ideal head coach for the team, outside of the aforementioned Hooper who does not have the qualifications or coaching experience (although some day if she decides this is what she wants to focus on and to this point she has expressed NO desire for the job, she should certainly be considered), if you could hire anyone with the qualifications necessary and experience coaching women at the elite level who would you choose.

Now back to your usual tribal warfare...

Not to be to picky..but what do we really mean by elite ?

I am not convinced out licence program delivers the best type of coaches needed for the Canadian WNT, that said is it a coach;

at the unversity level ?

at the women's professional level ?

at some men's professional level ?

I have reservations about coaches who move from a men's pro level and then shift to a women's national team without some prior knowledge and experience.

I think anyone who has actually coached women, knows there are differences of approach ... that may be sex based.

Just an aside to Alan Douglas why do you think the next coach will suck no matter what ?

Is it because the salary will only be in the range of 25k per year based on per diems ?

[Richard]

Come on Trillium, Alan is predicting how some people here will react when he says eventually the next coach will suck if the team starts losing again after an initial winning blip with a new coach.

[jpg75]

^ You guys are a piece of work ya know!? Like we're in here to put down the WNT and Pellerud just for the sake of it. Here's a clue, the team uses stone-aged tactics that only work when bludgeoning inferior opposition and cause us to lose possession too easily to superior opponents. If Pellerud became reborn tomorrow and started to play possession soccer, i would have no complaints.

[AlanDouglas]

What Richard said.

Or to look at it another way, go through all the Canadian Men's and Women's National Team full time coaches there have ever been, and tell me please which ones didn't suck in the fans' opinions. Are there any? I think not (Hart was a temp and wasn't around long enough). So what breed of insanity leads anyone to think that anything will change? Does the CSA fill you with that much confidence?

Or for that matter, ask any three England fans for the last time England had a manager who didn't suck, and see if they can agree. I expect they will go back to somebody from before they were born, probably Alf Ramsey.

You will find the same thing with most countries. And a good number of club teams as well (the only Whitecaps/86ers coach who didn't suck from a fan perspective as near as I can recall was Dale Mitchell. Even Lenarduzzi "sucked" despite winning four straight championships, which as his many critics will tell you was because of the players he had, and not because of coaching ability)

The fact is that national team coach is a hopeless and thankless job. Almost all of them end up sucking. And of the few that don't, Canada couldn't afford them.

The next coach will suck. And so will the coach after that. I'd bet money on it.

[AlanDouglas]

quote:Originally posted by jpg75

If Pellerud became reborn tomorrow and started to play possession soccer, i would have no complaints.

But others would. Most teams in the world play possession soccer and most of them fail to win their games most of the time, and most of their fans complain about their coach and playing tactics. Possession soccer is no panacea.

Arsenal arguably play the prettiest possession soccer on the planet, and people rag on them and Arsene Wenger all the time (except maybe when they look good to win a championships which isn't often these days). "They over-pass", "they never shoot", "they need to be more direct", "they try to walk the ball into the net", "they try to make the perfect play when they should just lump it into the box and take their chances", etc, etc.

I'm all in favour of getting a new coach, and playing a new style. But the team will still perform below expectation roughly half the time. They will fail to win games that people think they should win. The coach will pick players that people will disagree with, and use tactics that people will question.

Anyone who thinks that there is anything that can ever be done to stop soccer fans from complaining, is nuts.

Which is another reason I prefer curling.

[jpg75]

Holger Osieck didn't suck and neither did Tony Waiters. Waiters went out on top (that's the key) and didn't stick around too long to lose the players...which is what happened to Holger, good coach, questionable social skills and treated the players like babies. Great tactician though, maybe a little overly defensive-minded, but with the talent pool we had back then i can see why.

[jpg75]

^ True, some people are just never satisfied. I'm curious to see what will happen with the new coach and how much leeway s/he'll be given. The big thing about Pellerud is his 8 years on the job and his apparent stubborness/resistance to change tactics. Thing that gets me is we looked great prior to the 2003WWC playing the ball on the ground against Brasil in a 2-game series and since then i've never seen it again. Crazy!

[Vic]

Sad part is both the rise and fall of Even Pelleud and the WNT problems are symptomatic of CSA program management problems, and the CSA doesn't have the honour to face the music and appoint an independent review. Physician, heal thyself.

Still think the ladies will do brilliantly in Beijing. The spark is lit, the planets are in alignment and the cards are all on the table.

[AlanDouglas]

People were calling for Holger's head for years.

And Waiters? Boring defensive old-fashioned English soccer, and a charter member of the dreaded BC/Whitecaps/British-Expat Old Boys Club. Waiters only did well because of all the great NASL players he had -- except for Lenarduzzi, who was of course horribly over-rated. A real coach would have made better use of Branko Segota, and Canada would have scored goals, and possibly won a game or two, instead of going home goal-less.

Anyone will tell you that.

[jpg75]

quote:Originally posted by AlanDouglas

People were calling for Holger's head for years.

I wasn't one of them.

quote:

And Waiters? Boring defensive old-fashioned English soccer, and a charter member of the dreaded BC/Whitecaps/British-Expat Old Boys Club. Waiters only did well because of all the great NASL players he had -- except for Lenarduzzi, who was of course horribly over-rated. A real coach would have made better use of Branko Segota, and Canada would have scored goals, and possibly won a game or two, instead of going home goal-less.

Anyone will tell you that.

Maybe i was too young to remember clearly, but at the time as a 10/11 yr old i thought we did alright considering we seemed to score in almost every qualifier and hung in with the French for 88 minutes. Hung in with England in a pre-WC friendly too...

[Richard]

quote:Originally posted by superfan

They attended because they had to. When back door politics are paying the bills, any fool knows what is required. Until that ends,

you won't see anything that resembles true character.

Were you there, did you mingle with the girls? If you judged they were there against their will then every one of them is surely a consummate actor. Or are you judging blindly from afar based on preconceived notions, tell us?

[fan]

quote:Originally posted by superfan

It is obvious. I am sure Charmaine has very little respect or interest in most of the remaining players. Anything the remaining players do is in question after that fiasco and that is precisely the problem.

I wonder what women are qualified to coach the team. Anyone have women candidates?

[Trillium]

quote:Originally posted by Richard

Come on Trillium, Alan is predicting how some people here will react when he says eventually the next coach will suck if the team starts losing again after an initial winning blip with a new coach.

Out of the mouths of babes.. the initial winning blip... so you realize keeping a coach at this level for five, six or eight years is a mugs game, a coach over lives his welcome with the same set of players unless they win consistently and then and only then do they buy in for the long term.

Evens blip is well done, a new coach to keep the team fresh if appointed and in the job for more then a few years needs to change tactics, experiment keep players on there toes, its more head games then perhaps is admitted by top coaches.

The coach who knows how to pull players strings .. culturally and intellectually will be a better coach in the long run if they are doing it right, those who dont know how to do so one on one with players and manage them fall into the trap of a Pelerud and an Osieck..that is to demand blind obidieance and suprise it does not work ..once you coach with fear as your friend your toast..and done unless you can control elements of the players lives... income etc.

Glad to see you admit to the intial winning blip ..now why do you West Coast guys not see you dump the new coach when the blip begins to fade and you get new coach to get the next blip up ?

Or is Even different ?

It cannot work on the male side as the paychecks come from clubs on teh womens side it might work for a little bit but ultimately they tire of the fear factor and do not perform well or drift out of the program.

[superfan]

Has anyone asked/heard from Kerfoot about continuing to "sponsor" the WNT now that Pellerud is leaving and moving out of the manse?

I would hope that a true "sponsor" would continue with the best interests of womens soccer in mind. Any West Coast info - or is he pulling out when Pellerud leaves?

[AlanDouglas]

Sorry, but I am not going to answer that question as long as you keep refering to it as a mansion. As I have explained many times, I know the house, and it is not by any stretch of the imagination a mansion. Large houses are quite common in Vancouver, and I wouldn't even describe it as a particularly large house.

[superfan]

The "house" is at the top of a high cliff with unobstructed panoramic views of the ocean. It's evaluation for taxation purposes is $10,000,000 by the City of West Vancouver. Evans own statement that he pays $1,500 per month rent (which he couldn't or wouldn't back up with a paper trail) is a "sweetheart deal" for a "house" that would normally rent for 10 x that amount on the open market.

Enough said of Evans digs, as I am sure you want to get down to the real question - is Kerfoot going to put up future funds for the WNT or not?

[AlanDouglas]

This is some house. IIRC, it has gone from being worth several million dollars, to $6 million, and now is up to $10 million. It has also gone from being sea-level beach-front property (which it is) to being at the top of a high cliff (which it is not). A magic flying house. No wonder it is worth so much!

It is also a house, BTW, which Kerfoot has been planning to tear down and rebuild for some time.

The land is worth a mint. The house is nice but nothing special. Give it a rest already.

[Richard]

quote:Originally posted by fan

There was only one person responsible for the 'fiasco' as you like to call it and it wasn't Even Pellerud or any member of his staff or even the CSA... and it certainly wasn't Greg Kerfoot. Have you guessed who yet?

[superfan]

So, is Kerfoot going to be putting up $$$ or not?

[Trillium]

quote:Originally posted by AlanDouglas

This is some house. IIRC, it has gone from being worth several million dollars, to $6 million, and now is up to $10 million. It has also gone from being sea-level beach-front property (which it is) to being at the top of a high cliff (which it is not). A magic flying house. No wonder it is worth so much!

It is also a house, BTW, which Kerfoot has been planning to tear down and rebuild for some time.

The land is worth a mint. The house is nice but nothing special. Give it a rest already.

So can one of you guys not take some photos of this house and share them ?

I mean if its a beach front house you can just walk the beach and get a pict can you not ?

That would let people judge the house based on our own modest bungalows, and walk up apartments.

I would love to see Kerfoots tax docs re is income on the house and its expenses, I suspect the loss on rental more then recoups the low market rental rate, indeed one wonders if the kickback from the federal government on operational losses a landlord dont provide more cash flow for Kerfoot. I am assuming he is renting the house as individual not through a shell corporation, so the loss on rental comes of his taxable income.

Whats the scoop Richard ?

[superfan]

You can minimze Evans (beach front digs) as much as possible. But where are the West Coast Boys when you need an answer to a very simple queston - will Kerfoot be continuing to support the WNT after Pellerlud vacates? Does it depend on how the team does at the Olympics? Is Pellerud moving to a position within the Whitecaps organization (and then therefore "not" moving)? If Kerfoot was truly supporting the WNT, I would think a early statement concerning continuing would be in order. No reply's from the West Coast Boys can only be interpreted as a resounding "NO".

[CoachRich]

^At this time nothing has been made public so let's move on to another thread. Cheers

[Richard]

quote:Originally posted by superfan

You can minimze Evans (beach front digs) as much as possible. But where are the West Coast Boys when you need an answer to a very simple queston - will Kerfoot be continuing to support the WNT after Pellerlud vacates? Does it depend on how the team does at the Olympics? Is Pellerud moving to a position within the Whitecaps organization (and then therefore "not" moving)? If Kerfoot was truly supporting the WNT, I would think a early statement concerning continuing would be in order. No reply's from the West Coast Boys can only be interpreted as a resounding "NO".

You will have to ask Mr. Kerfoot that question. There has to date been no public statement one way or another nor any rumour of any substance. Not sure how you expect 'West Coast Boys' to answer your question.