Surge by D.C. United quiets coach's critics (W. Times, Wright, 8/13)

[Knave]

I thought this was a rather odd article. On the one hand it's saying all the nay-sayers were wrong and DC United's doing quite well. Then it goes on to undermine that spin with something negative.

Olsen's quote epitomizes the strangeness of the whole thing. "I think things are going according to plan right now ... Saying that, we all know that we are not playing the best soccer." Huh?

http://washingtontimes.com/sports/20030812-111849-4475r.htm

[GoDC]

FIRE HUDSON AND TRASK.

[Cweedchop]

Originally posted by Knave
I thought this was a rather odd article. On the one hand it's saying all the nay-sayers were wrong and DC United's doing quite well. Then it goes on to undermine that spin with something negative.

Olsen's quote epitomizes the strangeness of the whole thing. "I think things are going according to plan right now ... Saying that, we all know that we are not playing the best soccer." Huh?

http://washingtontimes.com/sports/20030812-111849-4475r.htm

Actually, the column is basically calling out the fans who rush to judgement a little too quickly.. As Hudson stated, he preached patience and as fans, sometimes we are a little quick on the trigger finger when things don't go well..

I thought the spirit of the article is spot on.. While we certainly aren't playing the most attractive soccer ever, we are getting results..

What Ben Olsen is saying is that yes, the team is right where they thought they would be, but not exactly going about it in the manner in which they thought they would.. Doesn't sound too complicated to me..

But then again, I'm a stupid optimist.......

[Cweedchop]

Originally posted by GoDC
FIRE HUDSON AND TRASK.

Is that you Mike Lastort?

Been awful quite lately.. Must have been you that Ryan Nelsen was talking about.. :p

[GoDC]

Originally posted by Cweedchop
Is that you Mike Lastort?

Been awful quite lately.. Must have been you that Ryan Nelsen was talking about.. :p

:D

I am still not thrilled with the way this team is playing but hell NE made it to the finals last year playing much worse that we are.

[michael greene]

There is something to be said for winning ugly.

There is something to be said for motivating veterans, wearing your heart on your sleeve, tossing your drink on the field in joy and giving great sound bites.

There is something to be said for drafting wisely, using your allocations well, spending a finite sum on the right mix of players and developing new talent

I say the most important of the three is the last, and that is why Hudson et al must go.

This team can go on winning ugly for another season or two, perhaps, relying on old talent, but has anybody seen a sign that the young players are ready to take the team back to a championship level?

[Claymore]

Personally, I don't believe that our current win streak has as much to do with coaching as it does with just stupid luck. That, and great goalkeeping.

[Z010 Union]

Originally posted by Claymore
Personally, I don't believe that our current win streak has as much to do with coaching as it does with just stupid luck. That, and great goalkeeping.

Here, here. But I will say if we could get someone to draft and evaluate talent along with Hudson and Trask, I'd like Ray to stay. Some of us chatted up Trask about tactics the other night and I think we are headed the right way. Ben said that the team wasn't satisfied with the manner of play, but were pleased with the results, or something to that effect in the Times article and I agree.

FIRE KASPER! :D

[owendylan]

Originally posted by Knave
I thought this was a rather odd article. On the one hand it's saying all the nay-sayers were wrong and DC United's doing quite well. Then it goes on to undermine that spin with something negative.

Olsen's quote epitomizes the strangeness of the whole thing. "I think things are going according to plan right now ... Saying that, we all know that we are not playing the best soccer." Huh?

http://washingtontimes.com/sports/20030812-111849-4475r.htm

He's obviously taken lessons from Hudson on how to talk out of both sides of his mounth at the same time.

Also I wouldn't say the team is firmly entrenched in a playoff spot. That implies some breathing room in the standings and there is anything but that.

[Rick77]

"It's funny — the people that don't know the game are the ones that are the first to criticize," captain Ryan Nelsen said. What a bitter pill to swallow! ERIF NOSLEN!!!!

:D

[Cuchulain]

Originally posted by Claymore
Personally, I don't believe that our current win streak has as much to do with coaching as it does with just stupid luck. That, and great goalkeeping.

yes, thank you. I'm not one to embrace extremes. just as I got sick of hearing how unbelievably horrible we were before, I'm really sick of hearing how we've completely turned everything around now. we've beaten a bad team, after being outplayed by them, twice in stoppage time, with divine intervention. yes, I'm thrilled for the results, but please, let's not get carried away. there is absolutely no reason to get cocky or think the hard work is done and the playoffs are automatic.

I'm not a doomsayer. I'm just cautious. and now that we have an SI allocation and money, what do you say we actually use it?! does this romanian really exist? is graziani coming back? somebody?

can anyone say why stewart wasn't in the projected lineup -- I mean, is he hurt or is it just assumed that he won't start? is ali healthy again? sorry for going off topic.

[Th4119]

Interesting to see this brought up again..People come to the games and they see what is happening on the field, but they don't know what is happening in the locker room.

If the team regularly has as good chemistry as everyone's saying, save for the occasional outburst, I'd say Ray is doing a great job.

[Funkfoot]

I, too, winced when I read the "firmly entrenched in a playoff spot" line. Right now we are a mediocre team - which is a big improvement over last year.

[Knave]

Originally posted by Cweedchop
[B]Actually, the column is basically calling out the fans who rush to judgement a little too quickly.. As Hudson stated, he preached patience and as fans, sometimes we are a little quick on the trigger finger when things don't go well..
That quickness is only rivaled by the quickness of the 180 degree turn in opinion usually evidenced on this board after we win a game, no matter how badly we actually played. This article basically says we're playing badly but winning. I don't see why playing badly shouldn't be fair game for criticism.

[ursula]

Originally posted by Thamlin19
Interesting to see this brought up again..

If the team regularly has as good chemistry as everyone's saying, save for the occasional outburst, I'd say Ray is doing a great job.

Ahhh, Todd you hit the nail on the head perfectly for me. Thanks.

I've tried looking at this odd team all season. For awhile I likened them to the early 70s Oakland A's- also a notoriously dysfunctional team, but one that won three championships. The difference between the two teams however is huge as the A's were so efficient and so professional when they took the field. Also baseball is more of an individual game so this analogy died some time ago.

To his credit, Hudson has had a huge task integrating this year's new players with the old ones: specifically getting Etcheverry to acknowledge that the newer players- and some of the returnees like Olsen and Convey (as this season went along) weren't gonna just defer to him. To me Hudson has defered too much to Marco's ego, and still does and this is the source of a lot of our ugly play. Afterall it's not like we've played anywhere near a full game of good soccer.

I will say though Marco and Hudson's handling of Marco is not nearly the only source of our ugly play. Stewart hasn't been integrated into the team. Only now is Q2 getting a real role. Injuries to Q1 (and his new fatherhood shock) and the callups of Stewart and Convey (and Nelsen too) were problems. It's not easy to coach a team.

Still it looked like that when Hudson stripped Marco of his captaincy he pulled back from fully saying to the team that they no longer have to defer to Marco, that it's still Marco's team. This is a major problem, a major mistake. Any decent parent knows that you can't have it both ways, but Ray is waffling on being decisive. So we wind up with the likes of arguements between Marco and Hristo. Stupid.


One final thing. Some folks here are trying to draw analogies between this DCU team and last year's Rev's team. Really poor analogy on several levels. First, the Revs weren't dysfunctional: they were a solid unit of players who knew their roles, accepted them gladly and played like a team. Thus they were able to beat teams that had on paper more talent (like ours). It was only when they faced another team that played a team game (LA) did they lose. The Revs were never pretty, but they won because they did all the right things. DCU isn't pretty because the players don't play well- things like Stewart or Convey's runs off the ball hardly ever get rewarded for instance. Hristo and Marco rarely play defense. Etc.

All in all though, if DCU can beat the Rapids- a team that is truly hot at the moment- then we should all take notice on what DCU actually does well. I hope they do.

[TEConnor]

Ken Wright wrote a story that is contradictory, inflammatory, and basically inane? I'm shocked...Shocked!!

Tim

[MikeLastort2]

Originally posted by Cweedchop
Is that you Mike Lastort?

Been awful quite lately.. Must have been you that Ryan Nelsen was talking about.. :p

Quite? Yeah, quite busy at my new job. I've been pretty quiet as well, and haven't had much time to get on BS lately.

In fact, I'm not at the game right now because I had to work late. Be that as it may, I still don't think Hudson is a good coach. If he can claim the horrible start of the season was the result of bad luck, I can claim the recent "improvement" is the result of good luck.

This team is not very good. We have a lot of talent, but that talent never gels for an entire 90 minutes. This team isn't even half as good as the 1998 team was. Can you see them beating Vasco? I can't.

[newXgate]

Originally posted by MikeLastort2
This team is not very good. We have a lot of talent, but that talent never gels for an entire 90 minutes. This team isn't even half as good as the 1998 team was. Can you see them beating Vasco? I can't.

Can you see any current MLS team beating Vasco ?

The 1997 squad that beat Vasco was probably the best lineup that United ever had, and possibly the best ever for an MLS team. Its a little unfair to hold Hudson to that yardstick, especially when you consider he started with one of the worst teams in the league, in terms of their record.

Baby steps. We are no longer a team with no guts, players than can't be bothered, and with a crappy record, like we were for the last two seasons. We have evolved into a team which may still be mediocre, but nevertheless has hustle, heart and is capable of stringing some results together and winning on the road. Hudson deserves credit for this transformation, whatever his mistakes in handling trades and his management of some of the young players.

Whether he stays or goes at the end of the season, he at least has created a solid platform on which to build. We DO have creative, flair players like Stewart. Quintinilla, Olsen, and to some degree Curtis, who will be around next season (I'm assuming Stoichkov and Etcheverry won't be around next year). Plus there is the allocation for Convey, and Reyes will presumably be back next season. This team has every chance to become good instead of mediocre. But to do that you first have to stop being crap. Lets worry about Vasco when we win MLS cup again. For now we need to focus on Chicago.

[newXgate]

Originally posted by newXgate
Can you see any current MLS team beating Vasco ?

The 1997 squad that beat Vasco...

Oops. Should have been '1998 squad', obviously.

[DCAustinite]

Originally posted by Cweedchop
Is that you Mike Lastort?

Been awful quite lately.. Must have been you that Ryan Nelsen was talking about.. :p

Fire Hudson and hire the goalposts. They've done more than he to win the past few games.