And Now On To Preki

[bgnewf]

First Mo Johnston yesterday and now Preki today. Why I feel Preki should stick around for 2011.

http://viewfromthesouthstands.com/2010/09/and-now-on-to-preki/

Comments always welcome

[El Hombre]

So a club made up of primarily plumbers in spite of deficiencies in talent is still in the hunt in September.

In the future, assuming that things overall get better for TFC on the talent front the question that many fans are asking is if Preki is the right kind of coach to manage a club with more talented players. And anecdotally it is the opinion of many that he is not. His well publicized spat with Amado Guevara in Chivas and the issues surrounding the employment of Designated Player Mista this season in Toronto begs the question if Preki is the kind of coach that can man manage the kind of talented players that all successful clubs need to have.

My take on Preki is that he has turned TFC into a team of plumbers. He seems to favour workrate over skill in pretty much any situation. If that's the case, then why would you expect the talent level on TFC to improve enough to make a difference in the foreseeable future? The best I can see from Preki is that he'll find marginally more skilled lunchpail types to fill some holes here and there and the search for a skillful game changer will be left on the backburner.

He seems to have a favourite type of player, but you can only have so many defensive mids on a team at any one time.

I think TFC would be a force to be reckoned with if you could couple Preki's defensive scheme with some true all-out attackers, but I don't think they're his style of player.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

I think this thread is premature in that there is enough soccer still to be played that things could look very different in mid-October than they do now. Having said that I think it would take an unusually bad run of form for Preki's return for a second season to become a serious issue at that point. There's everything reason to believe right now that he can improve the team still further when the money that was squandered against the cap on Robinson and Gerba this season can be used to improve the roster.

I thought the anti-Mo Johnston stuff before the season started was a case of mass hysteria more than anything else given the roster changes that were leading to the outcry were clearly more down to Preki. That left me questioning how much the supposedly knowledgeable fan base actually knows about the sport. I am similarly puzzled by the relative absence of finger-pointing in Mo Johnston's direction right now. If MLSE were willing to sign off on a second and third DP signing during the summer window was Mista (clearly based on JDG's recommendation) and a failed bid for Izaguirre (probably not coincidentally Amado Guevara's teammate at Motagua) really all that Mo Johnston could come up with?

In the past the excuse was that top players would steer well clear of TFC because of the field turf (although it didn't seem to stop Freddie Ljungberg from signing with the Seattle Sounders) but now that crutch has been removed there has to be careful scrutiny of whether somebody else is available who can do a better job on arranging the DP level signing side of things.

[Spungi]

See here's the thing I don't understand... if Preki is now in charge of roster decisions, just what does Mo do? What is his job if it isn't to bring in players?

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Mo will spend his time dealing with players contracts and negotiating with agents, while Preki is more hands on with the team focusing on daily training sessions and team selection. There's definitely room for both roles, in my opinion. What has changed is that in the past John Carver and Chris Cummins were much less familiar with the league than Preki is so Mo would have had a larger role to play than he does now on deciding what trades to make within the league rather than just facilitating them.

[Cheeta]

My take on Preki is that he has turned TFC into a team of plumbers. He seems to favour workrate over skill in pretty much any situation. If that's the case, then why would you expect the talent level on TFC to improve enough to make a difference in the foreseeable future?

.....

Bit harsh maybe but I have to say I basicly agree with you.

TFC will miss the play-offs, a-gin. I'm not sure anyone should be surprised by that but the fact remains a different manager with a differnet mind-set has achieved the same results the previous managers with their previous mind-sets also achieved.

The inability to secure a play-off spot.

TFC have been spending like crazy to not reach the play offs. And honestly, for all the work rate Preki's team has brought to the venture they look not a jot closer to deserving a play-off spot than previous editions. That's just great. Wonderful.

Is Preki laying foundations? Are we going to see something better from him in 2011? I don't know. But as it stands now I'm of the opinion that he'd make for a grand track & field coach but not so much a footballing manager.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Latest from Paul James:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/james-on-soccer/a-tale-of-two-tfcs/article1697131/

...Sometimes even for the MLSE organization and the TFC club it is better to say it as it is. That way there are no false illusions. If it was not evident before, then the FC Dallas game clearly indicated that this fourth MLS season for TFC has been a rebuilding year all along. And on that basis this performance in Texas was a positive sign that the team has changed.

Better attitude, better defensively, more depth being able to compete. Good enough technically? No. But it is the right start for Preki and the proper way to build a sustainable winning team and culture.

[RJB]

Season four, and still rebuilding. Surely TFC fans expect more! But four coaches in four seasons will bring that on.

I also think TFC misses the playoffs. Can't say I'm too sad about it though. The Whitecaps and Impact have hopefully been studying how NOT to run an MLS club.

And after all this, Mo somehow has a job.

[TheKottonmouthed1555362307]

You gotta believe playoffs or not Preki has to stay on.

Mo has to be the next guy to get axed if anyone does, but 5 coaches in 5 years isn't gonna have a different result.

[Free kick]

My take on Preki is that he has turned TFC into a team of plumbers. He seems to favour workrate over skill in pretty much any situation. If that's the case, then why would you expect the talent level on TFC to improve enough to make a difference in the foreseeable future? The best I can see from Preki is that he'll find marginally more skilled lunchpail types to fill some holes here and there and the search for a skillful game changer will be left on the backburner.

He seems to have a favourite type of player, but you can only have so many defensive mids on a team at any one time.

I think TFC would be a force to be reckoned with if you could couple Preki's defensive scheme with some true all-out attackers, but I don't think they're his style of player.

Absolutely agree! Why does TFC need a coach who can make the most of little talent rather than getting the talent and finding a coach who can work with and coach the talent. getting the talent shouldn't be problem when the joint is sold out for every game. No team ever ultimately improves by downgrading on talent.

I had concerns going into the season specifically over this move when I saw respectable talent leave in favour "plumbers". Everybody agrees about the loss of Guevara. But what about Cronin, Wynn, Serioux and Brennan? are the replacements any better? not a chance. They missed the playoffs, OK, its disappointment but they missed by hair and the ones who got in went all the way. There was improvement each season but now TFC regresses and someone is trying to tell us that this is supposed to be good. TFC DID NOT NEED AN OVERHAUL. SOME FINE TUNING WOULD HAVE sufficed. That's what pisses me off about this season because Preki's fingerprints (not Mo Johnston's) are all over these moves.

If this were Europe, Preki would be a coach like Franceso Guidolin was in Italy. he always coached small budget mid table and lower table sides becasue he could get the most out of little. Hence keep you out of relegation or win promotion. That's not what TFc needs.

[ag futbol]

^ Yes, by all accounts TFC is a top 5 spender in MLS this year. which begs the question: how are we rebuilding? what are we rebuilding from?

I'd also expect the media to ask some tough questions such as "where's that guy you just spent a million dollars in salary on? "

[jpoma]

^ Yes, by all accounts TFC is a top 5 spender in MLS this year. which begs the question: how are we rebuilding? what are we rebuilding from?

I'd also expect the media to ask some tough questions such as "where's that guy you just spent a million dollars in salary on? "

My view on DPs are they they have to shine through. So far Mista and DeGuzman have not shone through. So:

1. are they not good enough to deserve DP status?

2. are they hampered by a weak support staff?

3. are they hampered by the coach's system?

Their performance, good or bad, will ultimately lie with management.

[Havoc88]

Mo will spend his time dealing with players contracts and negotiating with agents, while Preki is more hands on with the team focusing on daily training sessions and team selection. There's definitely room for both roles, in my opinion.

The only thing I see with this is that Mo (IMO) has not been successful in negotiating with agents. Everything I've 'heard' about him in this regard is nobody wants to deal with him because he doesn't act professionally. I think we've seen everything he has to offer and it's not much - remember scouting trips to Brazil? How many trialists whose contracts never materialized? Players signed through a friendly match over $300K? If the Director of Soccer's role is to deal with contracts and agents, why not just give that 'paperwork' role to your controller?

Regardless of this I actually believe he'll see his '5 years' through. I don't feel MLSE has the standards set that winning is paramount (well, this should be obvious haha) and they'll keep him around because it's easier then trying to find someone more qualified.