You are saying that know after the great season that Johnson. Back before the season, I don't think EJ had that much value considering how big of a risk he was.
Damn, erased my post by accident, so here's the brief version: In its 20-year history, IMFC has been a talented-player oriented team, with a core of local players. The first season in MLS needed something of a caretaker coach who knew MLS and who would make the team hard to play against. In this regard, Marsch succeeded somewhat, plagued by lost leads and set-piece goals against. After one year, the Impact front office have a much better idea of where they are, where they want to be and who they want to bring on board. I wouldn't be surprised to see a greater proportion of Academy players start to get playing time in the next 3 years, and build a core from that + foreign players, rather than the hard-working-American model that Marsch used. We've got a good core with Perkins/Bush, Ferrari, Camara, Ouimette, Brovsky, Valentin, Bernier, Warner, Felipe, Nyassi and Wenger, and that's not counting another season or two from Di Vaio and Nesta. Players like Arnaud, Mapp, Wahl, Thomas, Gardner and Neagle don't really "fit" at the Impact. In brief: the girl who ends up being your "first" usually doesn't end up being your wife, but she had a role to play . Merci Jesse, et bonne chance!
I think this is the best way to look at it, and probably a fair assessment of the management's thought process. I also agree with your assessment of who will be around for a while and who the Impact will likely be parting ways with in the future.
After the press conference was over Preston Burpo was seen adjusting his bow tie for the eleventh time, and took his time to tie his shoes three times before leaving.
I think it speaks more to Saputo not understanding or caring about what will win in MLS. Marcsh did a very good job of taking players who had not played together and turning them into a unit. The funny thing about a moderately successful season in this league is that you are tempted to think you're closer than you really are. Will three 36 year old Italians be able to lead a team through a full hot and humid season with all the travel and still play good football? The list of failed foreign coaches is quite long as well. Sounds like Saputo passed up slow and steady growth for the lure of a quick fix...
I doubt it. Nesta will named the new coach. Why else did he come over to play for chump coin. He got to watch the league close up, make some notes and basically relax against the likes of Wondolowski and Cooper (and they're the better forwards in the league lol). Then add two Italian DP's and who gives a fart about 4 years from now. When the 36 years old become 38 year olds, get 3 new 35 year olds. This is the MLS, not the NFL. Montreal is becoming the Seria A over 35 team. The Saputo family is worth 4 billion. Marco Di Vaio will be the cheap signing in 6 months. Hopefully Montreal will bring the skill level of the MLS along with them. We get it. It's a fit league. You need to be fit. FIT and even FITTER. YA for being a fit. Snooze. Time for the MLS to get better tactically and skill wise.
People forget that Marsh had never been the head coach of a pro team. And when you have Nesta running practices for you, you're time is limited. http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2012/11/05/mls_montreal_impact_jesse_marsch/
Look for more Serie A additions to the team. The ownership and GM are of Italian descent - they'll push that model/approach in MTL - sort of the Italian immigrant makes good, and now wants to buy a "Serie A" team. I'm wondering how much gas the ageing Italians (Nesta, DiVaio and Ferrari) have in the tank, can they play 75% of the games next season - because I think they'll need to to win, especially on defense. Far too many late goals were given up this year. If the Italians stay healthy, with some good additions, the Impact can make the play-offs.
This is like some bizzaro Chivas USA post from 2005, when they were going to show the Gringos how to do it right in MLS.
I'm with Fuzzy.. Daaaaaaaaaaamn. If that is even half true, no wonder Marsch got let go. Dude needs to spend some time sitting next to a head coach and learn the art of coaching..
And this was the same type of hubris that turned Chivas USA into a joke the first few years and still haunts TFC today. Best of luck with that...
Can see both sides. If his actual coaching knowledge was that lacking, that is on Saputo for the original hire, and he did the right thing remedying the situation. However, if they go get a euro coach, especially an italian (we have had many successful coaches from the UK), who doesn't understand the league, I expect another failure. I hope they don't think that all tactics and technique are the way to win here.....they'll be doing the same thing again next summer. I'm not saying MLS couldn't use a dose of "quality". Quality better be ready to run and body up though. That was my first thought as well.
Chivas USA. Ha. Is that the best you can do to justify keeping the MLS safe for American coaches? Make it about race...sad. If the MLS were winning Champions League titles, I'd say, ya. The league is very good. But's it's not. The tactical and skill level is basically at a Wisconsin level. Take away the fitness and it's an average NCAA game. Jesse Marsh is a good man. No doubt. But he way over his head in trying to coach players who have been coached by great coaches. It's why guys like Justin Braun and Andrew Winger looked up to him, but why guys like Nesta and even Ferrari probably just raised their eyebrows. Dream buddy. Break the mold. The MLS needs more skill. It needs coaches that adapt in games who aren't playing it safe. It needs owners who want to entertain their fans and not just a get a tax write off. Jesse in a nutshell is everything that is wrong with the MLS. He got the job cause he knew the league. He was safe and could work with the limited NCAA product that was on offer at the time. Nothing wrong with that. It's just that the Impact wanted more. And that's not bizzaro.
You should really take a look at the history of foreign coaches in MLS.. It isn't very good.. It is quite difficult for foreign coaches to adjust to MLS's unique rules and its playing style and they have a propensity of crashing and burning..
This is often the case with young coaches who basically go straight into management after playing. It's a risk their employer takes. In many ways blame goes on the club for taking that risk. I've always felt going in as a number #2 for a season or two is the best route for most, not all, ex-players transitioning into coaching. One can't be blamed if he has to reach out to some players, especially the caliber of Nesta, di Vaio, and Ferrari for advice. Marsch did sit alongside Bradley for the US but that's not an everyday gig and it's hard to guage his coaching progress. Marsch had Hamlett, who was a former MLS manager ( albiet with mixed results), as his number 2. Where was he during all this?? What was his role and how much impact did he have?? Pretty little it seems. I don't think Marcsh was a failure at MTL, by any means, he did the best he could with the resources he had. In the end, Marsch will be better for going through this. He'll land of his feet. MTL was well within the rights to part ways but I have to think they didn't foreshadow well at all. Saputo seems like a willing, able, and determined owner so he probably learned a bit from this as well. I think he'll make a btter wellrounded decision on a new manager. He has to for the sake of the club.
Glad to hear Marsch's coaching acumen was on the same level as Gullit's. Longtime MLS posters know what's coming next: incessant complaining about how MLS' salary cap and DP rules are keeping Montreal from being the premier (première?) team in the league.
I'm not trying to keep MLS safe for American coaches at all, nor has this anything to do with race. TFC is the best example of this. Chivas realized they had no clue what they were doing and changed course, though they may be having second thoughts. It's about understanding the way MLS works. Anyone can pick three veteran players from Serie A, bring them to MLS, and expect that they'll prosper. The trick is finding players like this that will 1) come here, work hard, and not get pissed off when opponents play rather than genuflect at their former glory (like Beckham and Henry), 2) surrounding those players with guys who can keep up with them, and 3) getting value at the $40k and $36k roster spots. There's a limited budget, a peculiar way of doing things and other roster rules to consider. MLS could always use more skill, but the track record with the big names is mixed. The climate, the travel, and the fact you're playing with guys making less each year than most of your former peers made weekly means that success isn't a guarantee. It's finding the right players and the right manager to fit a style and the structure of the competition. Look up the roster of big name foreign coaches who came over and failed in MLS. It includes a world cup winner, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Ruud Guillit, and Carlos Queiroz. I also wouldn't characterize US coaching or MLS as an extension of the NCAA way of playing or doing things. The USSF is certainly looking for different ideas. I think we are tending to look at what they do in Holland, Germany, and France more than we look to Italy now, but there still is that older English influence as well. The thing is, until the MLS academies are producing enough players who can play a more expressive, technical, and advanced tactical systems, it doesn't matter what kind of ideas we bring to MLS today because the rosters need those college trained players to provide roster depth and to fill key positions.I honestly do not know how an Italian coach who had the ability to buy any player he wanted can adjust to simply playing the hand he's dealt. Personally I think you'll do better in MLS, long term, by finding value for money in South and Central America, scouring the college ranks for players who can contribute in MLS, and investing in your academy to develop the types of players you want, than you will by recycling aging European players.
I understand past failures can hint that what the Impact is doing won't work. But I can't blame Saputo from trying to break the mold and stick to the style of football he believes in. And as a fan of this team, I think I prefer to see them try to play a nice european style of football and fail, than to see them be an ok team year after year playing a physical north-south style. If this does work out, I think the league and North American football can grow from it. Having a mentality that because a physical style is what has always worked in the MLS, you don't try to play a different style isn't a good one. I have a lot of respect for what this organisation is trying to do and going against most people opinions (even here in montreal, this hasn't been a popular move in most medias). Besides, I think they are just 1 or 2 midfielders away from being able to play like they want to (replacing Arnaud and Mapp on the wings). I won't be as arrogant as other have been though and think that because these guys have been successful in europe, they will own the MLS next year.
I think Saputo wants to raise the standard. Yes, he'll most likely bring in an Italian coach. I thought Marsch did well for managing an expansion side, but then again, he had a damn good roster to work with.