Coaches calling out players

[Marco10]

Soehn is taking a beating right now for singling out players (among other things), and while I agree in general that you don't call out players per se. It's not like this is exactly new to DC United. Plenty of sainted coaches have publically dressed down United players after losses.

So, I made up a little game for you guys. Here's some classic post game quotes made by DC's Cup winning coaches, Arena, Rongen and Nowak. (I didn't include Ramblin' Ray as his amusing banter is too obvious anyway). There's one from Payne to just for fun. See if you can match up the quote with the person if you feel like it, but really compare these comments to Soehn's and see if there really is any difference. To give you some context, all of these quotes came at a time when the team was struggling over multiple games, not just the after an isolated loss. So the context is similar to Soehn's situation right now.

1. “Our defenders broke down big time tonite. We can’t afford to give away goals [because] we don’t have a team that is dangerous going forward at this point.”

2. “[Player X], [Player Y], and [Player Z] lost too many balls upfront. Our midfield wasn’t mobile.”

3. “You can’t rely on pretty goals. It would be nice to get some scrappy ones for a change.”

4. “The second goal broke our backs and we showed a lack of character. I’m disappointed in the character we showed as a team. That disappointed me greatly tonite.”

5. “[Goalkeeper X] cannot make those mistakes. The whole team cannot make those mistakes. The last ten minutes were a consequence of how we played. We need to fix it and we need to fix right now.”

6. “It was a horrible display of defending. We had major breakdowns by our center backs [two young players by the way] in the second half. We had chances to put the game away. Just bad mistakes, bad decisions.”

7. “We gave away the game in about ten minutes. There are certain individuals who need to raise their level in terms of commitment and desire to win games like this where you have to have an over my dead body mentality.”

8. “Our guys simply decided after we scored our goal that that’s all we needed to do on the day. I’m disappointed with the way we decided to give the game away.”

9. “Soft is the way [the coach] described the defense. Our one on one defending is not the greatest.”

10. “We gave the game away. It’s simple. We don’t score when we have chances. We don’t play particularly well. Just a lack of determination and lack of heart.”

11. “[Player X] could’ve made the difference, but he didn’t. He had two chances in the second half to put the ball in the back of the net and didn’t capitalize. The team didn’t play particularly well.”

12. “We have to take a long hard look at ourselves and see if we want to take a vacation or play for the jersey. We have to call a spade a spade. In this league, you can’t defend the way we are defending and win games. It’s suicide.”

13. “I thought we gave the game away to be honest with you. This game is not about possession of the ball, it’s about scoring goals. We had some bad mental lapses on the defensive end and that made the difference.”

Again, I'm not a big fan of public comments about players, but Soehn for sure isn't the only one.

[Bootsy Collins]

The ones that would bother me are #s 2, 5, 6, 11, and maybe 7. What bothered me about Soehn's statements were not things like "the team is not playing well" or even "the defense is not playing well," but "Player X is not playing well."

[CHICO13]

I've never had a problem with players getting called out IF the coach first calls them out face to face. They're all big boys, they can handle it.

[bct81]

Soehn is taking a beating right now for singling out players (among other things), and while I agree in general that you don't call out players per se. It's not like this is exactly new to DC United. Plenty of sainted coaches have publically dressed down United players after losses.

So, I made up a little game for you guys. Here's some classic post game quotes made by DC's Cup winning coaches, Arena, Rongen and Nowak. (I didn't include Ramblin' Ray as his amusing banter is too obvious anyway). There's one from Payne to just for fun. See if you can match up the quote with the person if you feel like it, but really compare these comments to Soehn's and see if there really is any difference. To give you some context, all of these quotes came at a time when the team was struggling over multiple games, not just the after an isolated loss. So the context is similar to Soehn's situation right now.

1. “Our defenders broke down big time tonite. We can’t afford to give away goals [because] we don’t have a team that is dangerous going forward at this point.”

2. “[Player X], [Player Y], and [Player Z] lost too many balls upfront. Our midfield wasn’t mobile.”

3. “You can’t rely on pretty goals. It would be nice to get some scrappy ones for a change.”

4. “The second goal broke our backs and we showed a lack of character. I’m disappointed in the character we showed as a team. That disappointed me greatly tonite.”

5. “[Goalkeeper X] cannot make those mistakes. The whole team cannot make those mistakes. The last ten minutes were a consequence of how we played. We need to fix it and we need to fix right now.”

6. “It was a horrible display of defending. We had major breakdowns by our center backs [two young players by the way] in the second half. We had chances to put the game away. Just bad mistakes, bad decisions.”

7. “We gave away the game in about ten minutes. There are certain individuals who need to raise their level in terms of commitment and desire to win games like this where you have to have an over my dead body mentality.”

8. “Our guys simply decided after we scored our goal that that’s all we needed to do on the day. I’m disappointed with the way we decided to give the game away.”

9. “Soft is the way [the coach] described the defense. Our one on one defending is not the greatest.”

10. “We gave the game away. It’s simple. We don’t score when we have chances. We don’t play particularly well. Just a lack of determination and lack of heart.”

11. “[Player X] could’ve made the difference, but he didn’t. He had two chances in the second half to put the ball in the back of the net and didn’t capitalize. The team didn’t play particularly well.”

12. “We have to take a long hard look at ourselves and see if we want to take a vacation or play for the jersey. We have to call a spade a spade. In this league, you can’t defend the way we are defending and win games. It’s suicide.”

13. “I thought we gave the game away to be honest with you. This game is not about possession of the ball, it’s about scoring goals. We had some bad mental lapses on the defensive end and that made the difference.”

Again, I'm not a big fan of public comments about players, but Soehn for sure isn't the only one.

you don't single out the keeper by name unless he is Jens Lehmann or Oliver Kahn.... (Lehmann and Kahn have egos the size of Manhattan and could care less what the coaches think) ... it is fine (if necessary) to call out a field player - because they can make up for it with effort and concentration and in training ... keepers are different breeds - confidence matters enormously ... you talk to them in private and then you bench them ... you don't call them out like that. They can only show their mettle in brief periods and it is not like they don't know when/if they screwed up. In the case of (5) he called out the whole team - not just the keeper. All the rest of those comments are fairly reasonable ..... and Arena and Nowak were pretty solid winners so I give them the benefit of the doubt ...

[gocaps]

I've never had a problem with players getting called out IF the coach first calls them out face to face. They're all big boys, they can handle it.
Bingo. Sometimes private meetings don't work to motivate a player to improve his game and a little public prodding is necessary.

[cwnunited]

One thing that comes to mind is subbing out a player with 5 min left in the half. Stratford had a horrible first half of his first start, and no doubt was going to get pulled during halftime adjustments, but did he have to shatter the kids confidence and pull him out in the 40th minute?? Eeeeeyikes...

[Marco10]

Arena and Nowak were pretty solid winners so I give them the benefit of the doubt ...

All but one of Arena's quotes came before he'd ever won anything. Nowak's came before he won a Cup too. Rongen's came after he won a Cup obviously.

And by the way, these quotes came in a day when it was pretty hard to get any full quotes after a game. We only got the edited versions of the coaches comments for the most part. Nowadays, you get the full monty.

Soehn is absolutely subject to way more scrutiny than any DC coach except maybe Nowak. And getting Nowak on the record about anything was like pulling hens teeth. So, actually his quotes should count as doubly vicious as he almost never made any comments other than coachspeak.

[La Barra Blonde]

I've never had a problem with players getting called out IF the coach first calls them out face to face. They're all big boys, they can handle it.

I find it a tad unprofessional and I don't see what calling someone out by name gets you other than looking like a dick. A team doesn't loose because of one player.

I don't mind pointing out a section or a line of players (e.g. our defense was slow this game or our left side was wide open) because that shows a critical analysis of the game.

What bugs me is that I don't see Soehn taking any blame himself. While I don't think he's at 100% at fault, the coach is ultimately responsible for the team just like a CEO or commanding officer. Soehn needs to step up and say, "I've worked on X this week and we're still weak here. I'm going to work on X and Y with the team to accomplish Z." A good leader will state the problem, state what he thinks is the cause of the problem in generic terms and not point fingers directly at someone, and then state what he is doing to fix the problem. Soehn is only pointing fingers and not addressing the problem nor offering a solution.

On publically outting a player for motivation - that doesn't work. All you get is a pissed off, resentful player. It also makes the other players paranoid because they don't want to get pubically called out. This is not a good way to foster team spirit. And again, if the coach isn't calling himself out first, that really kills a team's attitude. Sometimes you do need to light a fire under someone's ass, but it needs to be handled privately, not in public.

[CHICO13]

I find it a tad unprofessional and I don't see what calling someone out by name gets you other than looking like a dick. A team doesn't loose because of one player.

I don't mind pointing out a section or a line of players (e.g. our defense was slow this game or our left side was wide open) because that shows a critical analysis of the game.

What bugs me is that I don't see Soehn taking any blame himself. While I don't think he's at 100% at fault, the coach is ultimately responsible for the team just like a CEO or commanding officer. Soehn needs to step up and say, "I've worked on X this week and we're still weak here. I'm going to work on X and Y with the team to accomplish Z." A good leader will state the problem, state what he thinks is the cause of the problem in generic terms and not point fingers directly at someone, and then state what he is doing to fix the problem. Soehn is only pointing fingers and not addressing the problem nor offering a solution.

On publically outting a player for motivation - that doesn't work. All you get is a pissed off, resentful player. It also makes the other players paranoid because they don't want to get pubically called out. This is not a good way to foster team spirit. And again, if the coach isn't calling himself out first, that really kills a team's attitude. Sometimes you do need to light a fire under someone's ass, but it needs to be handled privately, not in public.
Well I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. My coach chewed my ass in front of the team along with plenty of my teammates. I didn't take it personally, we both wanted the same thing....to win. Now as far as what Soehn is doing or not doing, we don't get to see what happens behind the scenes. But Tino did say today on COMCAST that the whole team is behind Tom. These guys are paid professionals (Soehn included) and if words are going to lead to pouting or attitude, they're in the wrong profession. I could understand a bigger rift when it comes to the disparity in paychecks. Emilio could look at Gallardo and say...F It, why should I take the brunt of this? Well, the whole team has the same opportunity to make a name for themselves. If Emilio shows up this season and wins the Golden Boot again, he pretty much writes his ticket overseas. Same for Peralta or Wells or Simms. These guys need to take personal responsibility and figure that the coach is bitching for their own good. There's no crying in football.

[MattMathai]

Well I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. My coach chewed my ass in front of the team along with plenty of my teammates. I didn't take it personally, we both wanted the same thing....to win.

That's not the same thing, though. I've had coaches call me out in front of my teammates, but that was OK because those were the people I least wanted to let down and they knew we were all in it together. What people are objecting to is the coaches calling out a player in an interview or press conference, and and named him as a major contributor to losing a game.

[CHICO13]

That's not the same thing, though. I've had coaches call me out in front of my teammates, but that was OK because those were the people I least wanted to let down and they knew we were all in it together. What people are objecting to is the coaches calling out a player in an interview or press conference, and and named him as a major contributor to losing a game.

Like I said in my first post, I don't have a problem with that if the coach talks with the player first, face to face.

[MattMathai]

Like I said in my first post, I don't have a problem with that if the coach talks with the player first, face to face.

Yeah, I could live with that, I guess. I think I'd still prefer to not hear names in public, except in praise.

[CHICO13]

Yeah, I could live with that, I guess. I think I'd still prefer to not hear names in public, except in praise.

I guess it's like a Gibbs/Lombardi thing. Two great coaches two completely different styles. I'm not saying Tommy is anything like Lombardi but I think we can all agree we're in unchartered waters here. There were so many expectations before the season started and even after we played well against Pachuca. Then the wheels fell off. I think everyone is struggling with how to react. There is no one perfect way to deal with this. You just do the best you can, you lace up your boots and you go to work.

[La Barra Blonde]

Like I said in my first post, I don't have a problem with that if the coach talks with the player first, face to face.

I think that if a coach is going to publically call out players, he's got to call out himself as well. If he was winning, he'd take the praise. He's got to take the hits as well.

[MattMathai]

There is no one perfect way to deal with this. You just do the best you can, you lace up your boots and you go to work.

This is very true. It's the only way back. There's no magic coach out there that can devise a system that'll cure all our ills. There's no magic player who can single-handedly take us back to MLS Cup. I do believe we have enough talent to succeed in this league. We've taken a lot of body blows in terms of injuries, the length of time it's taken to integrate new players, and some untimely goals, but there's nothing to do but get down to work. It's really no mystery, and it makes it all the more distressing to me when I get the feeling that some players are just going through the motions on the field when the chips are down.

[CHICO13]

He's got to take the hits as well.
He has to face MacFarlane, Chang and Payne. That can't be alot of fun.

[Marco10]

[QUOTE=La Barra Blonde;14656492]I find it a tad unprofessional and I don't see what calling someone out by name gets you other than looking like a dick. A team doesn't loose because of one player.

I don't mind pointing out a section or a line of players (e.g. our defense was slow this game or our left side was wide open) because that shows a critical analysis of the game.

What bugs me is that I don't see Soehn taking any blame himself. QUOTE]

Soehn has actually called himself and the coaching staff out at least three times that I can remember. It's not like he's saying the players are totally to blame. Look it up.

As for calling out a line of players being better than a single person. Do you honestly think a defender makes that distinction? If a coach says our left side defense gave up and allowed CHivas to score the winning goal, do you really think that is better than saying player X effed up? Do you honestly think these guys don't know who is being talked about? That's a critical analysis of the game? Do you think our left side defender and midfielder would think so?

As for Chico's point, I actually think Soehn is under a lot more scrutiny than any previous coach has been. Arena was god's gift. Rongen was Payne's idiot savant smoking buddy. Hudson was the designated hatchet man from the outside that would sing and dance amusingly while taking the blame for gutting a bloated team. Nowak was the new emperor who would lay down the law, and Soehn is the guy who has to drive the shiny new car that looks lovely, but has never been pulled around the track until it's too late to make adjustments.

I have been critical of Soehn and still am to some extent. But he should not be fired yet in my opinion. Nor should he be overly blamed for the faults of an entire system that has yet to play out it's master plan. Suppose we go on a 20 game unbeaten streak? Where would all these fire Soehnheads be then?

[Untroubled by Reason]

Call me old school, but I oppose "calling out players" in front of the media. A coach holds a player responsible man to man, face to face, in the locker room and on the training ground, not in the media. To the press, you credit the opposing team (even if they weren't particularly sparkling), and make broad generalizations about play, nothing more. To put it another way, you wouldn't want a player going to the media about the coach, so you certainly don't want it the other way. It's cowardly.

[MattMathai]

As for calling out a line of players being better than a single person. Do you honestly think a defender makes that distinction? If a coach says our left side defense gave up and allowed CHivas to score the winning goal, do you really think that is better than saying player X effed up? Do you honestly think these guys don't know who is being talked about? That's a critical analysis of the game? Do you think our left side defender and midfielder would think so?

Actually, yes, I think it's better to call out a line of players than a single one by name. It allows the players to save face just a bit. It might be quite apparent who is being referred to, but this kind of thing is a minor social convenience that we use every day to smooth the way.

BTW, calling out the left side of defense in a three-man back line is identical to calling out the player by name. So, if I were to say that Marco10 said a silly thing, I'm obviously referring to you, Mike, but allowing you to say something like "Er, that's ANOTHER Marco10 who said something silly." :)

Rongen was Payne's idiot savant smoking buddy.

You really wanted to say that, didn't you? I'm not sure I understand it, but it sounds funny.

[AMERICANS SC]

I have been critical of Soehn and still am to some extent. But he should not be fired yet in my opinion. Nor should he be overly blamed for the faults of an entire system that has yet to play out it's master plan. Suppose we go on a 20 game unbeaten streak? Where would all these fire Soehnheads be then?

I also agree that he should not be fired right now, patience is our friend.

One has to be realistic though, as there is not going to be a 20 game unbeaten streak. Not with Soehn nor with Mourinho.

While I am willing to give him some time based on the offense (chemistry, injuries, ,etc.), I am a little more skeptically with his handling of the defense. I have seen mistakes repeatedly made, and given that Soehn was a defender by trade, those mistakes should be corrected.

I think the Toronto games this week are very important. The RBNY game in early June will be critical.