Vancouver Whitecaps 2018

[rkomar]

17 minutes ago, toontownman said:

On the upside its fucking roses and champagne in comparison to being a Newcastle fan.

Or the death by one thousand cuts of being an Arsenal fan.

Edit: maybe it is the same as being a Whitecaps fan.

[Dub Narcotic]

17 hours ago, saladroit said:

this is the scariest part, for me. what decent manager would want to take a job to work with the kind of board we've got? 

the only way forward is if the board drastically shifts their strategy, or the board itself is shaken up. until then...very pessimistic about the future of the caps, sorry to say.

Why? Gregg Berhalter is the best coach in MLS and works for the Crew, whose owner is actively trying to destroy the team so he can move it. Oscar Pareja similarly has FC Dallas at the top of the Western Conference with a fraction of Robinson's resources. I don't understand this constant excuse making for Robinson. He's had full control of the club, which has had average or above-average budgets compared to the rest of MLS for his entire tenure, and he's been a stylistic and results disaster in a Western conference that has been historically weak while he's been coaching.

Not only in Robinson at his actual job, he was signing players that his brother represented as a player agent, campaigning for overseas appointments during his tenure, and most laughably recent, ditching his team during a losing streak to increase his media profile by doing world cup commentary for TSN. Not only is he not actually a 'nice guy', he's also a pretty cynical and corrupt self-dealer whose best skill seems to be ingratiating himself with media members and club owners to secure his job title.

[Unnamed Trialist]

1 hour ago, Dub Narcotic said:

Why? Gregg Berhalter is the best coach in MLS and works for the Crew, whose owner is actively trying to destroy the team so he can move it. Oscar Pareja similarly has FC Dallas at the top of the Western Conference with a fraction of Robinson's resources. I don't understand this constant excuse making for Robinson. He's had full control of the club, which has had average or above-average budgets compared to the rest of MLS for his entire tenure, and he's been a stylistic and results disaster in a Western conference that has been historically weak while he's been coaching.

Not only in Robinson at his actual job, he was signing players that his brother represented as a player agent, campaigning for overseas appointments during his tenure, and most laughably recent, ditching his team during a losing streak to increase his media profile by doing world cup commentary for TSN. Not only is he not actually a 'nice guy', he's also a pretty cynical and corrupt self-dealer whose best skill seems to be ingratiating himself with media members and club owners to secure his job title.

Many managers have a dubious side, I am not sure if you are overstating it a bit: he's a pleasant communicator and I don't think he's that cynical, he is just not that bright and those around him don't push him. In England, at Scunthorpe or Tranmere, they'd tear him to pieces and he'd wake up in about 3 weeks.

[toontownman]

2 hours ago, Dub Narcotic said:

Why? Gregg Berhalter is the best coach in MLS and works for the Crew, whose owner is actively trying to destroy the team so he can move it. Oscar Pareja similarly has FC Dallas at the top of the Western Conference with a fraction of Robinson's resources. I don't understand this constant excuse making for Robinson. He's had full control of the club, which has had average or above-average budgets compared to the rest of MLS for his entire tenure, and he's been a stylistic and results disaster in a Western conference that has been historically weak while he's been coaching.

Why would a fan want the club to try and fulfil its massive potential, to think big, to show the fanbase they care about the club and the fans over their own egos? Beats me too. 

I don't think it was questioned that a manager could survive/flourish in shitty boardroom/ownership situations, look at Benitez at Newcastle in addition to your examples. The point is that a manager, fans and city shouldn't have to put up with it and the ownership should look at themselves and seek outside investment to help or step aside and let someone that will take the club where it could be come in. 

However I never though Benitez would take on the Newcastle job under Ashley. Just as 99% of the world questioned Rafa's sanity taking and still sticking with Newcastle he saw the potential. He likely won't see it due to the same ownership though. It is his farewell season as far as I am concerned, if he makes it that far. So attracting a decent manager with shit owners isn't impossible if the potenial is there, but it lowers the chance of attracting one and further lowers the chance of sucess in the job. 

[The Beaver]

Just lost to Seattle. Not a good game at all. The PK in the opening minutes pretty much set the game, but I saw very little to be positive about. No cohesion today. Some positive signs from Mutch, but then he goes down injured. Probably too early to call for a rebuild, but all the signs suggest the Caps need a new strategy at the top, and a new manager to make it happen on the field. Maybe the Fonzie cash will help.

[Unnamed Trialist]

12 minutes ago, toontownman said:

Why would a fan want the club to try and fulfil its massive potential, to think big, to show the fanbase they care about the club and the fans over their own egos? Beats me too. 

I don't think it was questioned that a manager could survive/flourish in shitty boardroom/ownership situations, look at Benitez at Newcastle in addition to your examples. The point is that a manager, fans and city shouldn't have to put up with it and the ownership should look at themselves and seek outside investment to help or step aside and let someone that will take the club where it could be come in. 

However I never though Benitez would take on the Newcastle job under Ashley. Just as 99% of the world questioned Rafa's sanity taking and still sticking with Newcastle he saw the potential. He likely won't see it due to the same ownership though. It is his farewell season as far as I am concerned, if he makes it that far. So attracting a decent manager with shit owners isn't impossible if the potenial is there, but it lowers the chance of attracting one and further lowers the chance of sucess in the job. 

Benitez is sort of a specialist in taking teams with potential and budget with under-performance and messy stuff off the field. He has more trouble when its all clear sailing and the team should be a winner from the start. So maybe that has to do with the man. 

I don't think the Caps are that messy, they are internally coherent in terms of admin and the like, and no one makes stupid comments. Simply, they have failed the fans in terms of ambition, they are coasting, it is typical Vancouver, but not the tradition of the Caps, which was always feisty. 

The problem as I see it is Lenarduzzi, he has zero experience doing what he does in another club. He should be honorary president, be sent to do events and speak and the like, and they should hire someone with better technical quality. He does not see where Robbo fails, and then reports pleasantly back to the FO. 

After today's performance, and the team falling out of the playoff battle, with the discipline problems, and the incapacity to get any rise out of a team losing, he should be talking stern and giving ultimatums to Robinson. He won't. In the end, until the fans start coming to the stadium with signs asking for him to resign, nothing will happen. 

The press, in these terms, is very weak and shows themselves to be complicit with the garbage product on the field.

[The Beaver]

4 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Benitez is sort of a specialist in taking teams with potential and budget with under-performance and messy stuff off the field. He has more trouble when its all clear sailing and the team should be a winner from the start. So maybe that has to do with the man. 

I don't think the Caps are that messy, they are internally coherent in terms of admin and the like, and no one makes stupid comments. Simply, they have failed the fans in terms of ambition, they are coasting, it is typical Vancouver, but not the tradition of the Caps, which was always feisty. 

The problem as I see it is Lenarduzzi, he has zero experience doing what he does in another club. He should be honorary president, be sent to do events and speak and the like, and they should hire someone with better technical quality. He does not see where Robbo fails, and then reports pleasantly back to the FO. 

After today's performance, and the team falling out of the playoff battle, with the discipline problems, and the incapacity to get any rise out of a team losing, he should be talking stern and giving ultimatums to Robinson. He won't. In the end, until the fans start coming to the stadium with signs asking for him to resign, nothing will happen. 

The press, in these terms, is very weak and shows themselves to be complicit with the garbage product on the field.

I think the press will start asking tough questions right away. Robbo will respond with "Now is not the time to panic", but the writing has to be on the wall. 

[Dub Narcotic]

What press is even left in Vancouver? I'm not even sure there are two full-time reporters.

[Stryker911]

Robinson told reporters after his team’s loss in Seattle. “It was the same process as Wednesday night, although people didn’t know that and made assumptions that he was able to play, which he wasn’t due to what is going on at the moment.

Then why was he on the bench on Wednesday if he wasn't going to play? Isn't that kind of a waste of a place on the bench? So essentially Robbo gave himself one less option for a substitute decision....

[RJB]

23 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

The press, in these terms, is very weak and shows themselves to be complicit with the garbage product on the field.

Uggh, the press.  Seriously, can the mainstream press in this city be any less knowledgable?  I hear interviews on 1040 of players, and they are so uninformed it's fairly embarassing.  Thank goodness for the few in the mainstream media who are able, and thank goodness for the great knowledge that exists online!

[Soccerpro]

19 hours ago, The Beaver said:

I think the press will start asking tough questions right away. Robbo will respond with "Now is not the time to panic", but the writing has to be on the wall. 

The press has never asked tough questions of Robbo. They're too worried about losing access if they do.

[Blackdude]

Who covers the Whitecaps now?

[The Beaver]

4 hours ago, Soccerpro said:

The press has never asked tough questions of Robbo. They're too worried about losing access if they do.

Is that conjecture or fact? I have seen criticism of Robbo in the past. For now everything will be about the Davies transfer and Robbo’s hand in the kid’s development. But after the buzz dies, the media will be pressing him for answers if the team does not turn the corner.

[Big_M]

Seems Henry hasnt learned from conceding penalties in Toronto days..awful goalkeeping on second goal..doesnt look like a playoff team right now with Minnesota, Portland, Galaxy doing well but they are close enough with enough games left to turn it around

[jonovision]

I'd have written off Vancouver's playoff chances completely if Davies was shipping off to Europe immediately. It seems now he'll be playing out the season, which ought to give Whitecaps fans at least faint hope. Prior to the Seattle match the TV crew was promo-ing Kendall Waston as the team's star, the straw that stirs the drink, which is probably not ideal for someone who is a red card prone central defender.

[Ivan]

6 hours ago, Big_M said:

Seems Henry hasnt learned from conceding penalties in Toronto days..awful goalkeeping on second goal..doesnt look like a playoff team right now with Minnesota, Portland, Galaxy doing well but they are close enough with enough games left to turn it around

That's hardly fair.  Isn't that the first penalty Henry has conceded this year?  Amidst reports saying he has played quite well.  And it was semi-accidental, although why he had his arm extended up like that makes you wonder a bit.

[BearcatSA]

Mutch got hurt?  Surprising.

[shamrock]

On 7/25/2018 at 1:21 AM, Ivan said:

That's hardly fair.  Isn't that the first penalty Henry has conceded this year?  Amidst reports saying he has played quite well.  And it was semi-accidental, although why he had his arm extended up like that makes you wonder a bit.

If there's a PK, chances are high it was a defender cause they're the ones that get into those situations. Every once in a while you're going to get slapped with a PK. That doesn't make you a bad defender (unless you do it every other week). 

[Northvansteve]

On 7/24/2018 at 4:21 PM, Ivan said:

That's hardly fair.  Isn't that the first penalty Henry has conceded this year?  Amidst reports saying he has played quite well.  And it was semi-accidental, although why he had his arm extended up like that makes you wonder a bit.

Overall, Henry has been good to very good for the Caps so far. He made two errors in this game - one resulting in the penalty and the other leading to a yellow against him - but he recovered and played generally well in that Seattle game. 

[The Beaver]

Caps looked to be on track for one of their best performances in a long time, up 3 goals with 20 mins to play, but let 2 in. Thankfully Davies sealed the deal with his second goal of the game, but this team is still struggling at times. Four Canadians on the pitch tonight. All played well, with Davies Man of the Match (2 goals & 2 assists). Reyna was also very good. This team can still make the playoffs, but it ain’t gonna be easy.

[BearcatSA]

There's plenty of inconsistent mediocrity in this league so the Caps should make the playoffs, just as long as Davies remains healthy.  I don't see much world beating soccer being played, so the Caps are in the hunt.  And if they don't make it, It will probably go down to the last two weekends of the regular season.  And for those folks who want to see Robbo get the boot at season's end, well...that's not going to happen, imo.  The only way he loses his job is if the team has a total collapse and he loses the room completely.  I can't see that happening.

That Davies is fun to watch and I am so glad he's off to greener pastures.

[The Beaver]

Huge win for the Caps away to Portland! Handed Portland their first loss at home since more than a year. Gutsy performance overall. Played a very smart first half and scored two goals. And they did all of this without Davies and Reyna. Robbo rotated his squad, which worked for the second tough away game in a row. They remain very much in the hunt for the playoffs. Entertaining derby match!

[BearcatSA]

^They played a really good game and the commitment from the players was first rate.  Even in their defensive shape in the first half they still put pressure on Portland upfield more (which they didn't do in the first half vs TFC).  But, as I mentioned in an earlier post above yours, I don't see a lot of world beating soccer from teams higher in the standings in this league, and this match was no exception:  I mean, what kind of clown college goalkeeping was that on the Kamara goal?  The Caps' back line and central mids did a good job of bottling things up  as Portland tried to walk the ball into the Caps' goal.  The second penalty seemed pretty weak but the club battled through that one.  Kudos all around tonight!

[Unnamed Trialist]

I agree, that second penalty was very soft, he was running away from Franklin and the guy falling was totally unnatural.

As I didn't watch, for those who did: why so much added time, what was that about?

And was there a possibly similar penalty on Shea on their end, as one feed suggested?

The crappy reffing we are getting, giving all the favours to the opponents, is really troubling. We are vulnerable enough as it is.

 

[jpg75]

7 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I agree, that second penalty was very soft, he was running away from Franklin and the guy falling was totally unnatural.

As I didn't watch, for those who did: why so much added time, what was that about?

And was there a possibly similar penalty on Shea on their end, as one feed suggested?

The crappy reffing we are getting, giving all the favours to the opponents, is really troubling. We are vulnerable enough as it is.

 

Holy shit Jeffrey how much whining can you cram into one post - and after your team won the game! If you keep it up someone might start mistaking you for a TFC fan.