View Full Version : Coach Dave Career Deathwatch Thread
bing1985
27 Apr 2005, 09:15 PM
MEMO
April 27, 2005
From: Bing
To: President Guppy
cc: a couple of people at BS
re: Personnel Changes
An opportunity has presented itself and I advise that you act.
I'm sure that you have been concerned by the public relations debacle that carried you to Chicago. You have a chance to gain back a small measure of the goodwill that was trashed in the eyes of many fans.
Tomorrow morning, please march Dave Sarachan into Peter's - um... your office and fire him. Can him, sack him, discontinue his service, terminate the relationship - put your wastebasket over his head and whack it with a cricket bat - a subtle way to let him know he's been made redundant.
You're new here but here's a history lesson. We had a good coach. Your bosses took him away - but I won't dwell on that now. Dave was brought in with fanfare and resume proclaiming him to be a great developer of young talent. He was given Beute, Pause, Mapp, Jaqua, Griffen, Ibrahim and probably several other celebrated young talents I'm forgetting. They have NOT been successfully developed into MLS talents. Now he's been given Barrett, Rolfe and Will John to waste.
Make it special. Make it hurt. We want video.
ratdog
27 Apr 2005, 09:26 PM
I can't say I disagree with your sentiment after watching the Fire stumble around the pitch like an utterly disorganized mob of U-8 players tonight. You did miss one thing in your letter, however. You forgot to ask Guppy to the sack himself. Still, bravo and well done.
krolpolski
28 Apr 2005, 08:50 AM
From: http://www.suntimes.com/output/fire/cst-spt-fire28.html
''Soccer can be a frustrating game,'' Sarachan said. ''I know that when I watch the tape of this one, I'll be scratching my head.''
So I guess you are the only one that doesn't know that Jaqua shouldn't start. That Armas and Marsch need replacing with a creative midfielder? That substitutes should be made before the 70th minute of a game when we're behind? I'm scratching my head right now and it's because you're surprised we'd lose to a better team with the line up you sent out there.
Chicago1871
28 Apr 2005, 10:00 AM
From: http://www.suntimes.com/output/fire/cst-spt-fire28.html
''Soccer can be a frustrating game,'' Sarachan said. ''I know that when I watch the tape of this one, I'll be scratching my head.''
Funny, I wouldn't be. There are some glaring needs that should be addressed, and I'm not even talking personnel. A professional coach should see them, and if Dave can't, then he should not be coaching the Fire, let alone any higher up team. Maybe he is just a glorified assistant coach.
jjayg
28 Apr 2005, 10:06 AM
We have loads and loads of talent on the squad, yet the this squad reminds me of last years. It's gotta be the shoes. I mean the coaching!!
Dsocc
28 Apr 2005, 10:21 AM
From: http://www.suntimes.com/output/fire/cst-spt-fire28.html
''Soccer can be a frustrating game,'' Sarachan said. ''I know that when I watch the tape of this one, I'll be scratching my head.''
So I guess you are the only one that doesn't know that Jaqua shouldn't start. That Armas and Marsch need replacing with a creative midfielder? That substitutes should be made before the 70th minute of a game when we're behind? I'm scratching my head right now and it's because you're surprised we'd lose to a better team with the line up you sent out there.
While I'm inclined to give Jaqua the benefit of the doubt as a starter, I've got to agree with everything else. Somehow Sarachan must have convinced himself that as long as they could keep the league's best offense off the board, they wouldn't have to worry much about goalscoring (a bad decision to start with). At 2-0 down in the 1st half, and with an otherwise anemic offense, refusing to make subs at the 46th minute mark cost the game, IMO.
TakeItBack
28 Apr 2005, 10:29 AM
Funny how everyone who saw Dave's continuing failure last season was chided for saying so (you know who you are). But I'm glad everyone is finally catching up with us forward thinking Anti-Davites.
Fanaddict
28 Apr 2005, 10:37 AM
We have loads and loads of talent on the squad, yet the this squad reminds me of last years. I mean the coaching!!
We do? Who on this team can you say is a consistent scorer? Herron wasn't healthy to play 90 minutes the first 5 games of the season and reiter hasn't suited up yet.Until we get both of these to start and play 90 minutes we are going to struggle. We're lucky we won two games with the kind of offensive talent we had the first 5 games..
jjayg
28 Apr 2005, 10:45 AM
Yes we do. But time and time again the team seams unprepared and the tactics seem flimsy. We should have been attacking from the start against NE but instead we have the same defensive posture. Armas+Marsch has to end. It's one or the other. Jaqua can not produce. The coaches who see him every day should know this. Rolfe makes an impact every game he enters. So does Barrett. And Mapp didn't show anything for the first 70 minutes but played well when we started to actually attack. Poor decisions by the coaching staff are largely to blame in my opinion. The talent is there, it needs to be trained properly and utilized correctly.
Sandon Mibut
28 Apr 2005, 11:16 AM
Before firing Sarachan, wouldn't hiss bosses consider the impact losing Bocanegra, Beasley and Ralph, not to mention Razov and Williams, would have on a team's performance?
And wouldn't they want to see how the team does with Sanneh, Thorrington and the Slovakian dude?
I know you're frustrated, but how many MLS coaches could lose the talent the Fire did and still be a winning team?
POdinCowtown
28 Apr 2005, 11:16 AM
Hey, us Crew fans will trade you the Druler for DS. Fresh start for both coaches and both teams.
Would anyone trade 'Chan for Bradley?
jjayg
28 Apr 2005, 11:27 AM
Before firing Sarachan, wouldn't hiss bosses consider the impact losing Bocanegra, Beasley and Ralph, not to mention Razov and Williams, would have on a team's performance?
And wouldn't they want to see how the team does with Sanneh, Thorrington and the Slovakian dude?
I know you're frustrated, but how many MLS coaches could lose the talent the Fire did and still be a winning team?
Of course, on the surface, that approach would seem to make sense. But the fact of the matter is that last years team and this years team is very similiar in that they rarely look properly prepared in any facet of the game. There doesn't seem to be any confidence in what they are doing and the tactics, if they exist, are just plain bad. I would contribute this to poor coaching and there are no indications of it getting any better. So the question is, who is available to do a better job? I don't know the anser to that but if there is someone I'm ready to give that someone a shot. Dave Sarachan hasn't proved anything to me other then he's a nice fellow. I don't care if our coach is a nice fellow, I want someone who can get the job done.
bing1985
28 Apr 2005, 11:36 AM
We do?
We do.
Our roster is a who's who, some of the creme of the crop from America's fledging development system. Take Mapp (please) - take Capano - take Nate the Very Tall for that matter. THese guys were all expected to flourish in MLS and become contributors with the Nats. They've gone from "who's who" to "who's that". And this is supposed to be Sarachan's strength.
And Sandon, I wholeheartedly agree that he got screwed losing DMB, Boca, etc. But you're a big USMNT fan. Do you really want DS spending loads of quality time with Barrett and Will John given his track record? Not me brother, not me.
I've gotten several notes from youse alls counselling patience. I expected that. But you'll join me. Oh yes, you'll join me. Maybe next week, maybe next month - but you'll join my dark little hell. :mad:
bigredmachine
28 Apr 2005, 11:49 AM
I've been one of those who has defended Sarachan for all the reasons others have stated. But last night convinced me something is wrong. Here we have the biggest crowd ever in the stands, and he does nothing when the players on the field were obviously incapable of producing. Jaqua is an embarrassment. It was cold and windy for both teams, yet we continued to drive long, high balls in the vain hope that one would connect with somebody. Nate blew several opportunities, but basically, he is a clumsy statue out there. When Rolfe and Barrett entered the game the effect was to open up the field and create runs for Mapp, Thiago, and others. Dump Jaqua, yes, but how could he wait so long to sub in someone? Armas had a terrible game. He and Marsh are at the end of their careers and show it. There was no consistency to anyone's traps, passes, etc.. HORRIBLE GAME!
I'm on the dump Sarachan team until something convinces me otherwise.
lammygeek
28 Apr 2005, 12:08 PM
So the question is, who is available to do a better job?
Klopas???
jjayg
28 Apr 2005, 12:11 PM
Klopas???
:D!!!
Chicago1871
28 Apr 2005, 12:15 PM
I've gotten several notes from youse alls counselling patience. I expected that. But you'll join me. Oh yes, you'll join me. Maybe next week, maybe next month - but you'll join my dark little hell. :mad:
While I'm not ready to call "shotgun" on this trip I would like to call "no bitch."
VfB Feuerwehr
28 Apr 2005, 12:17 PM
We do.
Our roster is a who's who, some of the creme of the crop from America's fledging development system. Take Mapp (please) - take Capano - take Nate the Very Tall for that matter. THese guys were all expected to flourish in MLS and become contributors with the Nats. They've gone from "who's who" to "who's that". And this is supposed to be Sarachan's strength.
And Sandon, I wholeheartedly agree that he got screwed losing DMB, Boca, etc. But you're a big USMNT fan. Do you really want DS spending loads of quality time with Barrett and Will John given his track record? Not me brother, not me.
I've gotten several notes from youse alls counselling patience. I expected that. But you'll join me. Oh yes, you'll join me. Maybe next week, maybe next month - but you'll join my dark little hell. :mad:
I do a fair share of lurking around the different MLS team boards... and this is beginning to sound an awful lot like a big debate they're having in Columbus. People have been calling for Andrulis to get fired for about 2+ years now, but the Crew FO have some kind of employee loyalty thing and can't make themselves can a "nice guy". People over there argue the same points. He has no tactics, has not trained the youth players who have come in with such great potential, makes unorthodox personnel decisions, plays players out of position with little/no positive effect, makes substitutions too late or tactically poor subs, etc. etc.... just like what is being said here about Dave. Then there are the others who come in and say, but we've won our only hardware with Andrulis, the Open Cup, the Supporters' Shield, the (haha) Caronlina Challenge Cup. They point at the MLS Coach of the Year award and the non-losing streak (which was just a bunch of ties for the most part).
I don't want us to fall into this huge long drawn out debate, hemming and hawing about this that or the next thing. I think one reason people haven't seen a change in Columbus is because the FO doesn't value the fan's opinion and desire for something more. People in Chicago, fans of the Fire, demand a champion caliber team, and the thing is, the FO around here at least listens a hell of a lot better then in other markets. If the Fire fans had a united front against the coaching of the team, then there might be some swifter action. MLS needs new coaching blood. I'm tired of the same of retreds getting circulated. Maybe it's because there are still too few teams, but I'm wondering when MLS is actually going to start producing some new coaches that are superior to the current options. Nowak may be on that path, but that's about it.
So I urge you to all wake up, demand better, and force positive changes within the organization.
*stepping off soapbox*
Sorry if I got a little preachy.
Chicago1871
28 Apr 2005, 12:21 PM
There's about a dozen college coaches who have had years and years of success at the collegiate level, why not bring in some new blood from guys whose job is to shape new talent and make a team work. This (http://www.ncaasports.com/images/ncaasports/brackets/d1_msoc_bracket_2004.pdf) might be a good place to start looking.