So of the three teams that fired their coaches, two are now hiring new GM's as well. Padraig Smith in Colorado is the one "decision maker" in those 3 team's soccer operations to keep his job so far.
Can I talk about how crazy it is the Krafts realized what was going on enough to fire Burns but Kronke still can't be bothered? Like...really? Wheres his self pride if nothing else?
KSE’s moneymakers have had a rough week, so one might understand if the Rapids might’ve got put on the back burner.
#NERevs name Bruce Arena Sporting Director and Head Coachhttps://t.co/PyIN2TT8Xw pic.twitter.com/LDEHwO0ZCD— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) May 14, 2019
You know, this is kind of a perfect storm scenario by the Revs...getting a good coach whose stock is way down would probably be the only way they weren't getting another Friedel. Dare I say things are turning around in Boston...a decent head coach, a new training facility being built and rumblings of a downtown stadium?
I feel like thanking Revs fans for keeping him from coming to Cincinnati. I know he did great things with the Galaxy with Beckham, et al, and was one of the USMNT's most successful coach, but it was an Era of limits. Under him, the national team was good, but never great. Galaxy were the best in MLS, but look at LAFC today. Different times.
Actually, I was referring to them firing Blooter Burns and ending their long regional nightmare. Time will tell on Arena.
Is everyone just ignoring what Arena did in DC? He's going to be fine (which is a massive upgrade for NER).
Certainly has a similar feel to how Sakiewicz got shitcanned a few years back. No one knows what the near term future holds for the Revs but it's an immediate addition by subtraction.
This is a bad take. While one can question some of the things he did or did not do as a national team manager, it's pretty much undeniable that he's very capable of building great teams in MLS that win a lot of stuff... which LAFC have yet to do. BTW, I love how everybody's currently lionizing LAFC, while kind of ignoring all of their former hot takes about how Bob Bradley was a relic from another era, which seems like something that could happen again in Foxborough. I don't know what resources the Kraft will give Arena, but I suspect that he wouldn't have taken the gig if he weren't given assurances that the Krafts wouldn't open their wallets for the Revs.
It seems as though the Kraft's have been starting to open up their wallets a bit, but the club was so dysfunctional that potential players were giving them the finger. I mean, they just agreed to spend several million fee on a player but that player refused to go to the Revs. Cleaning house and bringing in Bruce with his reputation may allow them to actually get players to commit.
LAFC is a snapshot of the league today, while Arena's Galaxy and DC teams were a snapshot of the leagues at the time. As a whole, the league today is better than it was when Arena was winning with the Galaxy, or United. The Galaxy under Arena were the epitome of image of MLS that the rules were made for the LA and NY. Arena is MLS 1.0 and 2.0 personified. Of the things Arena did as USMNT manager, the one that stands out the most was losing to Trinadad and Tobago to miss out on the World Cup last year. The rest was doing his best with what he had. Yet, it's hard to question going with a known entity. Maybe he can spark a fire with the Revs.
I posted this on the Revs board, but it should go here as well... WOW! Sacre vache! I really didn't expect this move, but it's the only move they really could have made in this situation to dispel the "apathy" label they have so richly deserved for several years. I haven't been a big Arena fan, but we needed someone with his personality to take over and give this team a 180-degree makeover. He is our Parcells and Bellichick rolled into one. He is an arrogant prick to be sure, but now he is our arrogant prick. And he is an example of how that can actually work in a positive way. And for Arena, what better way to turn around his legacy from the abysmal failure of not qualifying for Russia. If he instills a totally different culture up and down the organization, in 5 years he can step aside and turn the reins over to a protege, having overhauled the sorriest organization in the league. And his past history certainly suggests he could do that. I don't think you'll find DPs who will be declining to come with Arena in charge...
The same terrible argument was used against Bradley just 2 years ago when he got the LAFC job. It's a ridiculous take, at best.
Bruce is old, he probably wants some time to find a place and get settled in Boston, and also spend some time really going over the organizational assets and staff from top to bottom. Jumping in immediately as head coach would make his job as technical director much, much harder. He's probably also looking for staff. Much of his "gang" has moved onto other positions.
Well he may be the perfect fit for the Revolution given their self imposed spending limits. At the very least they'll be a disciplined team with a cohesive game plan game in and game out, which is something Friedel couldn't provide. Arena also should be able to maneuver pretty effectively within the frameworks of MLS to maximize assets. Allocation money (in today's dollars) will be something he has limited experience with, but I doubt that is a hindrance for him. I'm of the opinion that working within the league's budget limits for so long has probably pretty finely attuned Bruce to the concept of value in this league (something Cincinnati struggled with in constructing their roster because they had no one on staff with any MLS experience). TAM just gives Arena the ability to bring in more guys with a higher price tag in the middle of the roster, it doesn't fundamentally change the value equation. Tactically you probably aren't going to see someone with the flair of a Martino, but then again, I doubt many expected Bob Bradley to roll out far and away the league's best attacking team. Anyway, I think it is a good hire for these guys, especially given their current roster. I do think it would behoove the Revs to also bring in a very solid young 1st assistant as well, though.
Arena named Revs coach, sporting director Remember me? Catch up on Bruce Arena's MLS history Did Heath sound off too soon on Loons improvement? Report: New FC Cincy GM to be hired before coach