Steven Goff @SoccerInsider (10:51 AM EST) Hunch is Kevin Payne is heading to Toronto FC. Unconfirmed. Awaiting further details. #dcu #tfc #mls
I have noticed the mess up there on a few occasions, but even more surprising has always been when talking to people in other MLS FOs that United's business side was run infinitely better than most of them. My guess is we were starting to fall behind there as well to more and more teams. I hope Levien's (or Thohir's) people come in just to improve certain parts of what's wrong or take it to the next level, and not do some sort of complete replacement that leaves us with folks who have no clue about our history or supporter culture.
Isn't Payne from upstate New York, originally. (I know he went to Syracuse.) That would put him fairly close to home, despite the whole technically another country thing.
Ives is saying Payne is heading to Toronto Sources have confirmed to SBI that Kevin Payne is heading to Toronto FC, finalizing what was apparently an on-going courtship
I'd echo most of the comments here. And I'll duplicate what I posted in the stadium thread (on topic there) that I think this really has a lot to do with the stadium process. I really think Levian recognized that in order to get this done, he needed a fresh face to work with him, with the DC govt. Yes, the elected officials change, but many other administrative people who do the actual work of the people do not change often, and I think KP had worn out his welcome mat. I think Levian totally made this call. And I don't think it's a failure for KP, as evidenced by his apparently ability to find very quick work. At first I wasn't even sure if he left or if he was let go, but the quote from the anonymous source that he would "take it hard" seems to indicate we let him go. TFC needs somebody like him, so I hope he can straighten them up, those fans deserve, and that they lose to us in every game for all eternity. I'd like to think it had something to do with the awful major acquisitions we've had the last few years, but I don't really think it does, partially because I accept the popular belief that Kaspar is mostly responsible for those. I would liked to have seen Kaspar go before anyone, but as others have said, he might be next anyway. And in fact, it's possible that Payne/Kaspar were too much of a duo to seperate and replace peaceably, and this is just the first step in revamping our player acquisition and FO operations. That is long overdue, IMO. Finally, emphasis on FB's point that I hope they don't just import some people who do a job, because I think it was a little more than a job to KP, and it's way more than a job to all of us, and that was the reason things clicked pretty well for so long. Whoever that new person/people is needs to be able to adopt that attitude.
Well, if he is going to Toronto, I think that will work out for both parties. Living in Toronto is not going to be a hardship posting for Payne, either. So it's good that he is apparently landing on his feet.
I always thought Olsen hung on to Ashton like a life preserver, because he had actual coaching experience and Ben had next to none. The FO certainly seemed to like Ashton, but the top dog in the FO is now out, so anything is possible.
Yeah, Zack would be a decent choice from that front; but I wonder if the new I/O's are more interested in putting their own people in.
Well, I certainly wasn't expecting to see that. For all you've done for United, KP, thank you and good luck. Hopefully you'll be able to assist Toronto in becoming respectable; their fans deserve better than they've been getting. Now, let's hope this bodes well for us, also.
Yeah, I can't see them getting rid of Payne and replacing him with one his proteges. Zack will be fortunate to keep his current job.... as will most people in the front office, some of whom have been with the team for a long time.
I agree. The broom is out. Payne, thank you for when you were good Payne; ******** off for when you were bad Payne. He's been bad for a while. He had his hands in personnel decisions where he has no need to be and the stadium is a debacle.
I agree with Boloni86 here: Kasper's position just got more tenuous. But since new people often want to bring in other new people, so did Olsen's -- good thing he had such a great coaching season. I haven't been happy with KP for years. But his presence did bring stability to the organization -- both for better and for worse. Beyond that, the only thing I'd say is that it seems clear he wasn't forced out. He decided himself to leave. That means he saw something that made him not want to remain with DC. Maybe it was just money in Toronto.
He's done nothing to get fired. He should be coach of the year. His team is the poster child for desire and overachievement. He got blood from a stone.
Let's hand the keys to Garth Lagerway. Does he want to manage the entire organization? How fun would it be to usher in a new stadium? I think DCU will have its pick of the litter when it comes to hiring a new VP/CEO. This is an opportunity to bring in some fresh perspective from around the league. I'd look towards Seattle and Portland as well.
I'd love to see Chad go. I don't think he contributes any qualities that Ben doesn't already. I would love to see someone like Wolff being promoted in his place. I think Wolff could bring some more to the table from a cerebral POV. Wolff just has such a diverse soccer background. Tons of MLS experience, experience in Europe and NT experience including World Cups.
That just sounds like more fighting. Then again we've been well prepared for it I mean seriously, odds are not on our side (Peter Wilt would be awesome )
Steven Goff @SoccerInsider FWIW, Toronto FC exec Earl Cochrane worked for Kevin Payne in communications office at #dcu many moons ago #tfc #mls *just copy pasting twitter updates and blurbs for people who might not be on there...
As most have said, DCU and fans owe KP a huge debt of gratitude for establishing the culture of the club. But it is hard to do anything well for this long, let alone in an environment that is changing as rapidly as pro soccer in the US. It seems the league is splitting into teams that are moving the sport and product forward (Seattle, Portland, KC, RSL, LA Gals) and those stuck in the past (Columbus, Chicago, Colorado...what is it with the letter C). DCU has taken huge steps on the field to move forward. But I think that in addition to the stadium issue, DCU has failed to mobilize a demographic (f*^king hipsters) that are in abundant supply in DC and have SWARMED to support soccer in other cities (not just in the NW, look at KC). Lots of opportunity for somebody with the ideas to keep supporter's groups integrated, reach out more to immigrant communities, and bring in millenials.
Olsen should be safe, but it can't be understated that a move like this sends ripples through the whole clubhouse. Suddenly everyone questions their job security. The lack of leadership can interfere with decision making and disrupt the cohesion of daily operations. Because of this I hope they sort things out quickly. If the FO was really the one to squeeze Payne out, they should already have replacements in mind. If this really came as a surprise, we may see a gap of several weeks before a replacement is found. I hope that doesn't happen. A new GM needs to be brought in ASAP so Kasper and Olsen can be given the vote of confidence in roster management. If it takes weeks for Payne to be replaced and the new guy wants Kasper out, it could really disrupt the process and leave Olsen without the leadership and resources to make moves happen.
Without getting into what I've heard from sources, the above statement of the implied statement is 100% accurate