TFC 2018-2019 Off-season

[BearcatSA]

23 minutes ago, Free kick said:

Depends on the person.  But, there’s Better job security as a president.  So many things that are out of your control can go wrong when your a GM (eg.: injuries,  personality conflicts in the locker room, underperformance, chemistry,  unreasonable fan expectation..etc). 

As president,  you can better plan and see the fruits of your plan.  As GM,  you can try to plan but more often than not your dealing with day to day things all the time.  

You have more of a firewall from his position and he reports upwards only to the Haslams.  He's coming to a team with pretty consistent success on the field and which seems to do more tweaking than total rebuilding.  Berthaler has left behind a pretty solid soccer operation he's inheriting. 

I wonder if Onstad stays? 

[Obinna]

I like what I heard from Ali Curtis in the press conference.

Has a similar resume to Bez in that he worked at the league previously, much in the same way Bez did, so for all the talk of Bez being a "capologist", it's not a stretch for me to view Curtis in the same way.

Both are of a similar age (he's 3 years older) and both are former players, although I believe Curtis actually played in MLS, whereas Bez played in the USL if I am not mistaken.

Finally, he was at the top of the list for both Vanney and Manning, so much so that they never wasted time interviewing anyone else, showing that both men are on the same page, which is equally pleasing. For years Toronto suffered from turnover, so to see such stability and single-mindedness at the club is very assuring as a fan.

The fact both Manning and Greg Vanney already had a relationship with Curtis should lend itself to a smooth transition and Bez is even sticking around for a few weeks to help Curtis integrate.

Well done Toronto!

[Bison44]

4 hours ago, jpg75 said:

So Bez is going to be made President of the Crew which for some is a promotion (i'd rather build the team than be the big picture guy). If the new owner spends money then maybe it's not a bad move for him, but good with that move.

Ali Curtis, welcome to TFC. You've been given the keys to a Ferrari, keep it between the ditches and we'll be good.

And the Ferrari has been making a funny noise when it shifts into 3rd (Altidore), so it was parked most of last year.  I just put some used tires on it (Ciman), the engine is due for a tune up (Gio), the brakes have a lot of wear and are going to need replacing soon (Bradley).  Still a heck of a car, but its going to start to cost you alot in repairs soon to keep it in the fast lane.  Good luck!   

[Obinna]

56 minutes ago, Bison44 said:

And the Ferrari has been making a funny noise when it shifts into 3rd (Altidore), so it was parked most of last year.  I just put some used tires on it (Ciman), the engine is due for a tune up (Gio), the brakes have a lot of wear and are going to need replacing soon (Bradley).  Still a heck of a car, but its going to start to cost you alot in repairs soon to keep it in the fast lane.  Good luck!   

I am very curious to know what'll happen in 2020.

As for 2019, I feel quite confident. I see Toronto winning the Voyageurs cup, although it'll surely be a tougher road. CCL will be tough, obviously, but I can see Toronto winning it. As for the MLS playoffs, I think they qualify and make a run.

In a best case scenario where they win those competitions and make a deep run, what happens to this old squad when they have a dec FIFA WC commitment, followed quick turn around for 2020 CCL?

We know how disastrous 2018 was, and surely lessons were learned, but we'll potentially be managing the tired bodies of 31 year old Altidore, 33 year old Vazquez, Giovinco and Bradley and a 35 year old Ciman.

[Mikmacdo]

We have one more year with this core then let them go. 

It will be interesting to see what the new GM can do with the kind of money MLSE is willing to spend on DPs. 

I think TFC will win for Canadian championships fairly easily again. I doubt we will the CCL but will go 2-3 rounds deep and TFC has a shot at the MLS championship for sure. 

[Bison44]

You guys are more optimistic than I am.  Ciman is apparently more durable, but between him and Moor we might have 1 full CB, and I am still not sold on Mavinga (health wise).  Giovinco for all his skill can act like a selfish spoiled brat, and in his final year of his contract I question whether he will be motivated or he might have one foot out the door.  You cant just spackle over the cracks that showed up last year.  We are older at CB, havnt gotten any backup up front (yet) and Bono is still shaky with no other option there.  Will Morrow and Vasquez can regain their form from 2 years ago??  Lots and lots of questions...who is going to step up, what upgrades have we made over last season??  I hope the new GM has something up his sleeve.  

[Mikmacdo]

The long offseason will do wonders for the team. 

Moor and Cimon who is not injury prone only need to play 50% of the time. I expect VDW to play some games at CB with Auro at RB. 

It’s only Jan 3rd there is lots of time to sign someone up front. Our mid field and back four have plenty of depth now. 

Hopefully the Tigres lower the price on Jansen, if not I’m sure we can find a solid replacement. 

As for Bono he was great a year ago, with a better back four I expect him to return to form and I’m sure they will add another goalkeeper soon. 

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, Bison44 said:

You guys are more optimistic than I am.  Ciman is apparently more durable, but between him and Moor we might have 1 full CB, and I am still not sold on Mavinga (health wise).  Giovinco for all his skill can act like a selfish spoiled brat, and in his final year of his contract I question whether he will be motivated or he might have one foot out the door.  You cant just spackle over the cracks that showed up last year.  We are older at CB, havnt gotten any backup up front (yet) and Bono is still shaky with no other option there.  Will Morrow and Vasquez can regain their form from 2 years ago??  Lots and lots of questions...who is going to step up, what upgrades have we made over last season??  I hope the new GM has something up his sleeve.  

That is all true and at the same time, it is a group with character and big game experience.

Sure, they are two years older from 2017, when they won everything, but young or old does not matter as much as good or bad - and they are still very good players by MLS standards.

The window is closing on this group, but I think that'll only drive them to be more focused on winning as much as they can - because nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. 

Like you say though, the key will be health. Altidore, Mavinga, Moor and Vazquez are no good when on the sidelines. That said, I take comfort in the fact that from an injury perspective it can't be worse than 2018, because the club has undoubtedly learned lessons. They are far less naive than last season - that alone is reason to be more optimistic about the health of the team for 2019. 

Bold prediction: TFC win at least 2 trophies this season. 

That would be a successful rebound season in my books.

[RS]

3 hours ago, Mikmacdo said:

It will be interesting to see what the new GM can do with the kind of money MLSE is willing to spend on DPs. 

It's a pretty open secret that MLSE intends to significantly lower the spending at TFC. Curtis' profile as a GM who can find success with a more modest budget certainly adds to that.

[Bison44]

33 minutes ago, RS said:

It's a pretty open secret that MLSE intends to significantly lower the spending at TFC. Curtis' profile as a GM who can find success with a more modest budget certainly adds to that.

He also is an advocate of giving young players lots of minutes, so that can be good for our CDN kids.  

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, RS said:

It's a pretty open secret that MLSE intends to significantly lower the spending at TFC. Curtis' profile as a GM who can find success with a more modest budget certainly adds to that.

News to me.

[Mikmacdo]

6 hours ago, Obinna said:

News to me.

Yeah I haven’t heard that either

8 hours ago, RS said:

It's a pretty open secret that MLSE intends to significantly lower the spending at TFC. Curtis' profile as a GM who can find success with a more modest budget certainly adds to that.

Then good luck selling tickets. The league is growing in terms of salaries I doubt they reduce spending by much if at all. 

[Obinna]

4 hours ago, Mikmacdo said:

Yeah I haven’t heard that either

Then good luck selling tickets. The league is growing in terms of salaries I doubt they reduce spending by much if at all. 

I see it the same way.

At the most, I see Toronto finding more bang for their buck when it comes to future DPs, but there's no indication they'll cease to remain near the top of the league when it comes to investment. That's not to say they won't do more to get the most from their youth system. I believe they will.

Just yesterday Curtis was talking about how MLS teams are now developing distinct identities, and that what works for NYRB may not work for Toronto, for example. He'll take what works for Red Bull and adapt it to Toronto framework, of course. That will likely be an emphasis on TFC 2. His job now is to better understand what Toronto is in detail. In general though, we all know Toronto is a big spending club. That's their identity.

Ultimately, I see Toronto evolving the same way as LA Galaxy. That is a mixed model of sorts. They'll spend but also do their best to supplement with the academy. In that regards I think LA are ahead of Toronto, but it's essentially a similar game plan and philosophy. And it makes sense, as both are big cities with big local talent to draw upon. At the same time, both have wealthy ownership, unlike say Chicago (I presume anyways, but perhaps Chicago are just cheap).

[Free kick]

13 hours ago, RS said:

It's a pretty open secret that MLSE intends to significantly lower the spending at TFC. Curtis' profile as a GM who can find success with a more modest budget certainly adds to that.

This would explain the selection of a former New York Red Bull exec.. NYRB have seldom signed anyone who would be considered marquis talent.  They have had success if you look at wins and losses but no real trophies.  

And, when the scheduled is released or when season tickets box comes in via courier,  the NYRB matches are not the ones that I am going to mark on my calendar.  Unlike, say, half a dozen other teams in the league that come to mind.

Thats the problem with significantly lowering the spending.  You will lose your attractiveness and your image.  I like the image of the big bad spenders who say “to hell with what everyone else thinks, we are in it for ourselves. “.   

I believe that in this sport,  more so than certain others, there is a more direct correlation of trophies and to what you spend.  The investment in the big three is what turned this club around.  And the thought of going back to a time before that is what will cross my mind when it comes time to renew for 2020.

[Ruffian]

 

 

[Bison44]

Well I guess we are set for 2019.

https://the11.ca/tfc-is-set-for-2019-so-new-gm-curtis-will-be-given-time-to-learn-the-ropes/

[Obinna]

5 hours ago, Free kick said:

This would explain the selection of a former New York Red Bull exec.. NYRB have seldom signed anyone who would be considered marquis talent.  They have had success if you look at wins and losses but no real trophies.  

And, when the scheduled is released or when season tickets box comes in via courier,  the NYRB matches are not the ones that I am going to mark on my calendar.  Unlike, say, half a dozen other teams in the league that come to mind.

Thats the problem with significantly lowering the spending.  You will lose your attractiveness and your image.  I like the image of the big bad spenders who say “to hell with what everyone else thinks, we are in it for ourselves. “.   

I believe that in this sport,  more so than certain others, there is a more direct correlation of trophies and to what you spend.  The investment in the big three is what turned this club around.  And the thought of going back to a time before that is what will cross my mind when it comes time to renew for 2020.

This is not going to happen.

Straight from the horses mouth:

“This club has always been one of the top spenders. That needs to continue,” added Curtis. “That's one of the reasons why you come to TFC: You have latitude, opportunity to build out a roster how you see fit. I'm excited by that.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019/01/04/toronto-fc-challenge-new-gm-ali-curtis-improve-bezbatchenkos-legacy

[Yohan]

13 hours ago, Free kick said:

This would explain the selection of a former New York Red Bull exec.. NYRB have seldom signed anyone who would be considered marquis talent.  They have had success if you look at wins and losses but no real trophies.  

And, when the scheduled is released or when season tickets box comes in via courier,  the NYRB matches are not the ones that I am going to mark on my calendar.  Unlike, say, half a dozen other teams in the league that come to mind.

Thats the problem with significantly lowering the spending.  You will lose your attractiveness and your image.  I like the image of the big bad spenders who say “to hell with what everyone else thinks, we are in it for ourselves. “.   

I believe that in this sport,  more so than certain others, there is a more direct correlation of trophies and to what you spend.  The investment in the big three is what turned this club around.  And the thought of going back to a time before that is what will cross my mind when it comes time to renew for 2020.

3 Supporters Shields are not real trophies?

NYRB switched from going after guys like Thierry Henry after 2014 season. Not that far off.

[Obinna]

11 hours ago, Yohan said:

3 Supporters Shields are not real trophies?

NYRB switched from going after guys like Thierry Henry after 2014 season. Not that far off.

This is what I meant by "more bang for your buck" with DPs. You could argue that Bradley Wright Phillips was just as prolific at RB as Henry was, but he came at a fraction of the price and was younger, so they'll get more out of him in the end.

Now, do I expect TFC to find DP bargains in the Championship? Not necessarily, but I do not expect them to find another Giovinco level player when the time comes. I would be surprised if we ever see them overpay for an American International ever again.

 

[Mikmacdo]

4 hours ago, Obinna said:

This is what I meant by "more bang for your buck" with DPs. You could argue that Bradley Wright Phillips was just as prolific at RB as Henry was, but he came at a fraction of the price and was younger, so they'll get more out of him in the end.

Now, do I expect TFC to find DP bargains in the Championship? Not necessarily, but I do not expect them to find another Giovinco level player when the time comes. I would be surprised if we ever see them overpay for an American International ever again.

 

I agree, TFC might not spend 6-7 million on established guys on huge clubs but I could see them going to South America to sign younger players for 3-5 mill an continue to spend up to the cap. I think it will also depend on what other teams are signing. 

[Bison44]

What is the cap now..6 million??  Our big 3 each get paid almost the entire wages of some clubs.  If we cant find some top players willing to come to MLS (as DP's) and are willing to settle for only 2-3 million in wages we are in big trouble.  

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, Bison44 said:

What is the cap now..6 million??  Our big 3 each get paid almost the entire wages of some clubs.  If we cant find some top players willing to come to MLS (as DP's) and are willing to settle for only 2-3 million in wages we are in big trouble.  

Why would this ever be an issue?

[Bison44]

57 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Why would this ever be an issue?

Well to get the big 3 we overpaid in wages like crazy.  I hope we dont have to do that again.  

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, Bison44 said:

Well to get the big 3 we overpaid in wages like crazy.  I hope we dont have to do that again.  

I don't think we have to worry about that.

2014/15 was an era where the top Americans in their prime were coming back from Europe and there was a premium to be paid. The Sounders had to do the same with Clint Dempsey. He went from $6.6M (2014), to $4.6M (2016), to $3.8M (2017) and finally $1.6M (2018). I expect we'll see something similar with Jozy and Bradley.

They'll both get new contracts at lower salary, I bet.

When their time does end with the club, whether that's at the end of 2019 or not, the replacements will be paid commensurate with their global market value. Unlike the old TFC, this version is in a position of strength, not weakness. The ship won't need to be turned around 180 degrees next time. The dollars will be spent wise, I am sure of that. 

[Mikmacdo]

I’d I had my pick of what positions to use the DP on it would be Striker, CAM and a CB, build through the middle of a 4-3-3 I wonder why no MLS teams spend much money on defense.