Sorry, my misread. I thought you were suggesting that the coach that replaced "the guy they had was good but not great, didn't fit with the grand interlinked marketing and on-field aspirations of the club" was one of the worst managers ever. Now I see that you meant the group leading the current search hired one of the worst ever.
Casey has done a whale of a job as interim. My caution, though, is that he also has better players, with Abubakar and Lewis hitting the pitch on May 11, which was the last loss before the current seven-match unbeaten streak. Even with Lewis called up, Abubakar's presence is a huge part of the transformation from worst to respectable. The difference in available talent needs to be weighed.* *The new talent would have been wasted with Hudson, of course. He still would have been gunning for the worst finish in league history with Ronaldo and Messi in the Starting XI.
No, Ronaldo and Messi would have been sitting on the bench because they didn't practice hard enough and play Hudson's system.
While you’re right about the better players coming in, I don’t think that should be a knock against Casey. There’s been plenty of coaches in this league that have taken good talent and made it look bad...as rapids fans we know this all too well. A coach can only work with and play with the players he has. And I think the LAFC game proves that Casey may know more about coaching then any of us originally gave him credit for. You ask anyone going into this last game, and they would tell you that LAFC are historically great this year, they are insanely talented, have great roster depth, and are very well coached. And Casey’s tactics beat them. He took a team that shouldn’t have won the day, and won the day with them. It’s crazy to think, but Casey has actually done a really nice job with the players we have. That’s all you can ask of a coach - go out on the pitch and put your best foot forward tactically. Now, I’m not saying make him the full time guy, I’m just saying he’s done a really nice job. 5-2-2 overall, and 5-0-2 in the last seven is great by any measuring stick
Much like Mexico acting like they had won the World Cup after their 5 -4 KFTM decision over Costa Rica in a Quarter Final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup ... I see some persons here possibly 'over celebrating' a very nice defensive win while today we are still 10th in the West. We could actually slide to 11th if Portland wins today and more teams have matches 'in hand' above and below us than don't. (Yes there may still be some hope for the wooden spoon -- despite our apparent best ever avoidance of our typical June Swoon.) ;>) Don't get me wrong I love the positive results and improvement but in reality the number of Rapids selected for the All Star Game may be a reasonable assessment of our playoff chances (hint -- probably zero). Much like my freshman year guaranteed I would get my undergraduate degree with relief rather than honors, our terrible start still probably means we are playing for next year and good matches probably signal more optimism for next year rather than playoffs this one. Along those lines graduate school went much better than my undergraduate experience because I had matured and took it more seriously start to finish.
I certainly have up hope for playoffs after the horrible start. Which means I am just happy seeing us competitive and winning a few. As much as I hate saying we are playing for 2020, with all the open cap space and 2 DPs, we truly are playing for 2020. Getting a few wins and being competitive along the way is just bonus for me
No knock intended on Casey. Like I said, he's done a whale of a job. If the choice comes down to Fraser or Casey, the equation will consider the new talent and have to weigh which coach can get the best performance from that talent. What strikes me most about Casey is that it only took him two matches to assess strengths and weaknesses, develop a lineup, change tactics, play to players' strengths, and have buy-in by the players. Hudson never accomplished any of those steps in 43 matches. The roster includes some players with extensive league and international credentials. These guys know the game and know coaching when they see it. If they are sold on Casey as a person and his system and coaching (the team's current form strongly suggests this), I can't picture them being silent about it. If those players intend to stay in Colorado, their voices can't be ignored by a competent front office. After the LAFC match, my bet is that the job is Casey's. After the LAFC match, I'm good with that. The critical need then is whether the team can keep Kamara, Abubakar, Lewis, Acosta, Rosenberry, Mezquida, and the young guns, and has a plan for keeper.
Of course why didn't we have Abubaker and Lewis in, uh, January???? Sometimes serendipity is better than smarts/experience. Had Hudson had those guys, lets say we would have been better, enough to miss the playoffs but keep his job and we'd never fathom Casey as a good coach.....Better to be lucky than smart, eh? Look forward at then next month or so, and look at the standings. R
I have a feeling the lack of Abubakar was the expectation that Ford was going to be available this year. When it became clear he wasn't they made a move. Lewis was one of those "right time, right place" moves. NYCFC knew that the Rapids were interested but didn't decide to move him until the end of the window when a bidding war erupted.
It would seem that with every win at this point it gets harder and harder to argue against Casey. He seems to have the side prepared for every match both in terms of mentality and tactics. As far as keeping the players on the above list, the ones that are going to be the most difficult will be Lewis and Acosta. Acosta is apparently drawing interest from Europe and I would bet Lewis is as well. At this point I just hope the Rapids can keep them around until the end of 2020, but my guess is that we'll see one of them transferred before the 2020 MLS season is over. And of course there is the interest in Bassett from Germany, so he may be gone relatively soon as well. Kamara has an option for next season, correct? Rosenberry has signed a contract extension with the Rapids. It would seem that Mezquida is thriving in Colorado, so I doubt he's itching to go. Abubakar? Hard to imagine Pádraig isn't going all out to make the move permanent. But you have to think the Columbus is going to be asking a lot for his transfer/trade given what he's done in burgundy.
Has CC ever come out and said he wants the HC job? I wouldn't be surprised if he is good with just assisting, even with this streak he has lead.
My experience in life is that once we have success in running sh*t, we rarely want to return to lesser....,
Don’t agree with all the comments being made here, but thought it’s worth a listen- Is Conor Casey the Colorado #Rapids96 solution as Head Coach? Via #MLS Matchday Central https://t.co/R4uyaeJy4T pic.twitter.com/Tl9ISzlL80— John Andrew Babiak, a 1st Generation 🇺🇦/🇺🇸 (@Photog_JohnB) July 1, 2019 I disagree that the Rapids style is “unattractive.”
Agreed. I always say style like ball possession is overrated. I want winning football. That's what makes me happy. Sure the dream is to play sexy tiki taka football but at the end of the day I will gladly winning ugly than losing pretty.
IIRC, people said the same thing about the Rapids' style in 2010. I'll take a two-bagger win over a beautiful game loss any day.
Defensive soccer with counter attacks is a fair strategy. (See the US women against France or Rapids v LA.) Last year’s 9 men back and no counterattack was embarrassing and unwatchable.
Yep, nothing wrong with Countering Soccer. That's where the speed on our wings really shines through.
Pablo in 2016 played "Italian" soccer, with a defense that cannot be broken down and a potent counterattack with speed and also the Gashi factor to score from distance. Yes kind of nail biting with the lead at say, minute 24, to wait out the 1-0 victory. Accepted some draws instead of risking a loss. Not the fun of the 3-3 tie in the snow in our season opener, I get that. RFO came up with "The Rapids Way" to placate the average suburban fan who said 'more goals, please.' That worked great, eh? IMHO we do not have the equivalent resource to straight up the LA clubs on a regular basis. I think our prior teams under Mooch, Smith that were great were similarly built, perhaps a bit more possession/offensive than Pablo's version. Late Limpars to JDV goal, 1-0 win. Late Cummings/Casey goal 1-0 victory. Gashi from 35 yards to beat LA, go to PK's with Tim just psyching out the LA shooters. Ahhhh, the good old days, sandwiched with multi-year losing record teams Maybe Casey having watched as a kid, lived as a player, and now as a coach "gets it" that this is the better "Rapids Way" to win. Or we could ask then to re-hire Hudson (or his clone). I hope not. R
It seems that there's been mostly crickets on the coaching search front recently. I have no idea if this means anything or not. Today and this weekend would seem to be logical times to name and bring in a new coach as the next match isn't till the 13th at Portland If it doesn't happen over this weekend I am thinking CC will be the coach the rest of the season. Waiting till the end of the season would give a lot more data on how CC is as a coach. Last night's match was the first real letdown of his brief time in charge. I'll be curious to see how the team comes out v Portland. Now the other issue of course is the upcoming transfer window. Should the Rapids make any moves without the approval for the new coach? Is it okay to continue on with the deals they have had in the works for a while? Or should they shelve things until December?
The WWC is over......can we just go ahead and hire Jill Ellis? No, seriously can we? There have been some rumblings she’s put feelers out there about managing in the men’s game. At this point what does she have to prove in the women’s game? Nothing. She ticks most of, if not all the boxes for me. First, she’s a winner. Jill has won at every single level and convincingly. She instills and demands a winning mentality. Second, she’s tactically astute. Though not a complete tactical genius. She doesn’t play one way. She’s not fixated on a “system”. She takes the best available players, figures how they can blend, and curtails the system of player based on what she has. She took over a national team who’s philosophy for years was kick it up field up and whip in crosses to Abby Wambach. The team had no tactical acumen. They relied strictly on speed, athleticism, and world class goalkeeping. Jill stepped in and within a year and some change the US shifted to moving the ball through spaces on the field not previously seen from a US team. It was no longer route one football. They were possessing and moving the ball from the back through midfield to attacking zones. It was fluid and players were expected to be interchangeable. Her in-game tactics are usually on point aside from her Sweden 2016 debacle. But that’s for another more in-depth post. Of course the argument can be made she’s had the best talent at her disposal and that’s valid. Some may call her the David Moyes of women’s coaching referring to him taking over Sir Alex at Man U. The difference is Jill maintained the winning and didn’t put the team in a hole they haven’t managed to climb out like Moyes. Third, she can handle internal and external pressure. Let’s be honest the USWNT has had their fair share of controversies. There are too many name. We’ve all heard them. Jill has handled those with the utmost professionalism, grace and transparency. She’s a touch cookie. Think she can’t handle the men? Please. She dealt with Hope Solo, Abby Wambach and Megan Rapinoe. Three of the toughest egos to keep in check and she did it in a professional yet player friendly manner that always benefitted the team. Now I’m not naïve enough to dismiss the fact she’s not dealt with the many aspects of a professional clubs like budgets, transfers, quirky MLS rules, etc but that’s why you have Padraig Smith and Co. for. I would love to see Jill get a shot in the men’s game. I would welcome her if the Rapids were interested. I’m just throwing food for thought out there and thinking outside the box.
Nope, and not because she's a woman. I've had a fairly simple test for this hire. Have they coached a full-time pro club team for at least a full season (preferably in the top division)? Ellis hasn't done that. Pass.
That's pretty damn important. Coaching a national team is a lot different. They really gotta look at how they hired Hudson and figure out how not to do that again.
Fair enough. But doesn’t that also apply to CC? Outside a handful of games and a short stint as an assistant it applies, IMO.
Exactly. National team coaching and club are very different. One hopes that the Hudson experience has given Pádraig & Co. something to think about in terms of what to look for in a coaching candidate. Actually, I'd like someone who has some experience in MLS as a player and/or coach. Each leage has its own challenges.