Ballou Tabla

[Club Linesman]

At least he is fit and seeing the field now.  Still have hope that he can be a contributor to the team and maybe turn out to be as important as Hoilett. With Henry as his manager he will be learning from one of the best and if he keeps/starts? working hard he will be a significant part of the CMNT.

[An Observer]

Not sure yelling at millennials is the best way to motivate them. Many just shut down with that kind of behaviour. Possibly better to put your arm around them in the dressing room after, praise them and then quietly explain that in the situation that occurred you need to present yourself as an outlet. And then to have someone go over the tape with him afterwards and take the same approach. 

And this is from someone who doesn’t have kids and is 54.  I have found that in motivating the under 30s in my office that they only really respond to praise and then politely pointing out thinks they can try in the future or perhaps doing it this way is a better way. They are a whole generation who has not been heavily criticised by their parents, extended family, teachers, etc and most don’t know how to deal with it. 

[JuicyHam]

2 hours ago, An Observer said:

Not sure yelling at millennials is the best way to motivate them. Many just shut down with that kind of behaviour. Possibly better to put your arm around them in the dressing room after, praise them and then quietly explain that in the situation that occurred you need to present yourself as an outlet. And then to have someone go over the tape with him afterwards and take the same approach. 

And this is from someone who doesn’t have kids and is 54.  I have found that in motivating the under 30s in my office that they only really respond to praise and then politely pointing out thinks they can try in the future or perhaps doing it this way is a better way. They are a whole generation who has not been heavily criticised by their parents, extended family, teachers, etc and most don’t know how to deal with it. 

He's not a millennial but that's besides the point. I'm sure he was brought on for one specific reason to get his legs moving at the very end of the game. He was probably given clear instructions by Henry to link up with ZBG and get moving up the pitch he didn't do that and Henry is not known to keep his composure on the sidelines so he let him know he didn't appreciate the lack if effort. 

If you come in with 5 minutes left in the game and aren't giving it your all then there is an issue. Although I will say Henry has not shown himself to be a very good manager whether it be tactically or personally so maybe you're right it might not have been the best thing to do 

[Big_M]

subbed in at 73 then nyc score two goals and hes subbed out at 87..probably the end of him at impact at least in the henry era..would like him to go back to spain in the third tier get some starts and see where he can go from there

[dyslexic nam]

I was flipping between games so didn’t realize he was a healthy sub out only 14 minutes after being subbed in. 
 

Ouch

[toontownman]

Wow. I missed that too. 

Seems he needs a coach with an arm round the shoulder approach. Now more than ever. Henry isn't that and a hugely under confident Tabla isn't the player Henry needs right now. Real shame.

[VinceA]

 

[Lansdude]

Seems like Ballou is in a tailspin unfortunately.

[Unnamed Trialist]

It's still a garbage move and for a coach to do that is an indictment against the coach, first and foremost.

If you think he is your guy, then he goes on. If things don't work out, first of all, it is not all on him, a whole team is playing. The goals against are not even on his side of the pitch. And secondly, taking him out with a few minutes left proves nothing except you are not in control of your coaching decisions. It's low.

For me, instead of saying Ballou is done, I'd say Henry is done.

[nolando]

12 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

It's still a garbage move and for a coach to do that is an indictment against the coach, first and foremost.

If you think he is your guy, then he goes on. If things don't work out, first of all, it is not all on him, a whole team is playing. The goals against are not even on his side of the pitch. And secondly, taking him out with a few minutes left proves nothing except you are not in control of your coaching decisions. It's low.

For me, instead of saying Ballou is done, I'd say Henry is done.

Or, perhaps, the more obvious conclusion is that both of them are hugely ineffective at this level of soccer.

[Obinna]

This is making a mountain out of a molehill. I doubt Tabla is done because of this. It unfortunately happens. Henry was obviously not getting what he had asked of Tabla, which is probably work rate. Montreal needed points desperately. Now was not the time to spare anyone's feelings. I do not blame Henry in the slightest, and at the same time I feel sorry for Ballou, but this is definitely an indictment on him, not Henry. Still, life will carry on. It should make Tabla tougher and is no reason to suggest he is out. Out to where? 

If Tabla cannot take that like a man it only demonstrates he has growing up to do. He needs to look in the mirror if he is not doing so already.

[SpursFlu]

I'm hot sure what to make of this but my impressions of Henry is he's a dick. So I'm not sure he's the best coach for Tabla at this point in his career.

It may sound counterintuitive but I think he should go to CPL play every minute, do his thing naturally grow up and mature and in a few years go from there

Edited October 25, 2020 by SpursFlu

[Unnamed Trialist]

1 hour ago, nolando said:

Or, perhaps, the more obvious conclusion is that both of them are hugely ineffective at this level of soccer.

Could be, but Henry at least got a few training sessions and then 90 minutes to make his team work, which he has not done very much this year regardless. And mostly without Ballou on the field.

Tabla got less time to prove himself, which perhaps proves less. 

Edit: just musing about this: when you have the reputation and authority of someone like Henry, you can throw your weight around. But I mean with the whole team, with the veterans too, with the experienced ones. A guy of that status, on a team like Impact where there is nothing even close to a star, Henry should have total authority. 

So show your authority with the guys you start, the veterans, the experienced ones, the higher paid players. Otherwise you are being pretty piss cowardly.

Edited October 25, 2020 by Unnamed Trialist

[toontownman]

They hired a name and gambled. Henry is still very unproven as a manager and MLS has been the undoing of other managers with pedigree like Garde and de Boer in recent years.  

That said all three were coming in on a downward trajectory hoping to rescue their careers. Henry came after bombing in his first managerial job. It was still a calculated hire and I don't blame Montreal. Before covid the crowd would have been well behind the team which would have helped. Unlike the previously mentioned, Henry at least played in the league and should have garnered a bit of understanding of how the league works.

The substitution is a simple, albeit brutal message. Follow instructions and do the job you were asked. I fear he is making a bit of an example of Tabla but at the same time this is obviously what he wants Ballou to add to his game. Whether this approach will work with Ballou remains to be seen. 

For me, he seems like he would benefit more from the arm around the shoulder manager that can wrap him in cotton wool. But maybe that is how we got here with him though.

Either way it's still up to Ballou to sort himself out. Change your game with what one of the greatest attacking players in the history of the game is telling you or spin the wheel and see if anyone else will take the gamble. In that case it is likely down before he has a chance of getting back up. I hope he takes his medicine and does what he is asked, I don't see what he has to lose in trying because right now he is throwing away his career.

[Kent]

I didn’t see the game, and I won’t speak to who is more to blame for the sub in/out, but I will say that a player with the right attitude shouldn’t be blaming the manager for that. Blaming the coach is something players do so that they can keep believing they are amazing and don’t need to improve. The world is against them. A good attitude has the player looking in the mirror and asking themselves how they can get better. What does the coach want to see from you? If you fancy yourself an attacker and the coach is asking you to put more defensive pressure on the opponent, you shouldn’t just scoff at that and think to yourself that it’s not meant to be part of your game. Add it to your game! If the criticism is that you are playing with too much of an individual mindset instead of as part of a cohesive team, work to correct that. Pick your moments to take on players and do what you can to keep the shape of the team, wait for help instead of running away without your team.

All those are hypothetical examples, not necessarily things he does. I have hardly seen him play for years.

[El Diego]

Henry is in way over his head, it is plainly obvious and has been for a while. The reason he isn't getting wrecked by the media is because he is a living legend and likeable. But ever since he took over Monaco, it is clear he has no idea how to manage a side.

Still, that does not absolve Tabla. I didn't watch the match so can't comment, but just because Henry is a bad manager doesn't mean Tabla gets off scot-free.

[Bison44]

I'm not sure I follow this...did Tabla have a post sub incident with Henry??  A Murell style table kicking freak out??  If he got pulled because he wasnt doing what Henry wanted...embarassing sure, but that doesnt seem like something you get shipped out for,  Especially when as others have mentioned, the coach is probably on his way out ASAP.  Maybe Henry is trying to shock the team, but that would be a dick move to make an example out of a bench player like Tabla.  

[Obinna]

Yeah, I very much doubt he was trying to make an example of Tabla. Just a coach trying to get a result and not getting what he wanted from his player. That is the simplest explanation.

[dyslexic nam]

31 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Yeah, I very much doubt he was trying to make an example of Tabla. Just a coach trying to get a result and not getting what he wanted from his player. That is the simplest explanation.

He subbed him out at 87 minutes.   That doesn’t seem like it is about changing the result at that point.   To me, that is sending a message - whether to Ballou or to the rest of the team.   

[Unnamed Trialist]

Let's be objective. 

The play by Camacho on the first goal is scandalously pathetic, and it does seem Camacho has been doing this all year. Why hasn't he been benched? Why wasn't he taken out at that moment for the blunder? Send a message. 

Then, next goal, take it from the top. It's a four on four with Piette ahead of the guy with the ball, and he trots extremely slowly. As does Wanyama, extremely slow trot, trudging back to cover. So it turns into a 4 on 3, and the player that Waynama should be picking up scores. At the moment they score, you see 6 NYCFC players on the screen and 5 Impact players (where was the other outside back on that play?)

How Tabla is supposed to remedy those situations? They are 2-0 down due to lacklustre defending with 5 minutes left. Get serious.

[costarg]

How does Henry do this to Tabla, meanwhile Camacho and his highlight reel of gafs, gift goals and cards gets game after game?  Someone needs to get Henry to answer that.

[Obinna]

3 hours ago, dyslexic nam said:

He subbed him out at 87 minutes.   That doesn’t seem like it is about changing the result at that point.   To me, that is sending a message - whether to Ballou or to the rest of the team.   

Goals get scored in extra time, but point taken. I still don't see how this reflects poorly on Henry though, unless the complaint is that he should not have burnt a sub and should have known Tabla would not give him what was needed?

And as much as I think this reflects most poorly on Tabla, I also see this is not being helpful to his development, so I get blaming Henry in that respect.

However, at the end of the day, his job is to first get results and second to develop players.

Edited October 26, 2020 by Obinna

[toontownman]

1 hour ago, costarg said:

How does Henry do this to Tabla, meanwhile Camacho and his highlight reel of gafs, gift goals and cards gets game after game?  Someone needs to get Henry to answer that.

Playing devils advocate, maybe it is more a case of what Henry thinks Ballou needs and what he thinks will send the message to Ballou. 

Edit: or maybe he is just a dick lol

Edited October 26, 2020 by toontownman

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, toontownman said:

Playing devils advocate, maybe it is more a case of what Henry thinks Ballou needs and what he thinks will send the message to Ballou. 

Edit: or maybe he is just a dick lol

I tend to agree with this.

Whether or not Henry is right is another matter, but one must assume he was not happy with what Tabla was doing on the field. How best to let the player know then take him off after subbing him in? Could Henry have let it go and ripped him after the game? Probably, but what is benefit? To protect Tabla's ego? Never mind the game wasn't over yet. 87 minutes is late, but the game isn't over until the whistle blows, so if you can make a beneficial change and send a message to Tabla, fair play to Henry. It is sad to see, but that is on the player, not the coach.

And for @Unnamed Trialist and others to drag Camacho into the mud, well that ddoesn't change the situation for me. To insinuate Henry is treating Ballou unfairly because Camacho was worse is not a compelling argument. I am no Camacho fan by the way.  

We may not agree with Henry's decision, but he felt it was necessary for one reason or another and considering Tabla's issues, I have no problem with it, honestly.

[Floortom]

Henry might be a terrible manager. Doesn’t change the fact that Tabla clearly has a bad attitude and acts / plays with a sense of entitlement. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the CPL soon unless he gets his act together