So, if Olsen returns will we see more of Canouse at right back? I just can’t get enough of that amazing tactical move. Just so damn good. This team needs a new direction. For the love of God.
Maybe not entering the season with your potential right backs being someone signed on loan who was a complete unknown in MLS (Jara), a guy recovering from cancer (O-A), a draftee (whose name I forget and who was cut during the season) and a guy who shattered his knee the season before (Fisher). Just sayin'........ Had Arriola not pitched in, I guess Kasper would have had to do another Pedroso and overpay for dreck. Seriously, while Olsen is limited in his coaching ability, Kasper's inability to fill out a full squad for preseason really should have been a firing offense. The only reason Canouse was moved to right back (a position he made clear in a Pitch Pass interview that he was playing because he was asked to, not because he wanted to) is due to the pickup of Felipe at the end of the summer transfer window. Again, the typical day late and dollar short type of acquisitions that Kasper makes.
Why is a "complete unknown in MLS" such a horrible thing? Why not look at actual soccer things like: field awareness; ball skill; crossing; speed, conditioning; tenacity oh - I just described that cancer guy, Odoi-Astem
This is a bad take, Bootsy. If anything, I'd argue the opposite is true. Think of all the players who were shit at their old teams and then showed up in DC and turned into excellent players.
Thanks Benny for your contributions, which were many. I don't think Olsen was ever the problem. I think he probably got DC a few points per season that they wouldn't have gotten otherwise. His talent at getting the best out of other teams' castaways was always impressive. It's hard to believe that a person could coach a team for a decade and NEVER lose the locker room, especially given the talent at his disposal and the extraordinarily shitty quality of some of those teams. I have a feeling we'll miss his professionalism and passion in a few years. But the fact is completely obvious: it's time to move on. DC was built to win in 2019. They weren't even close. They are facing a complete gut and rebuild. There is no point whatsoever in starting that rebuild with a coach who hasn't exactly lit the league on fire for the last decade. So thanks for your service, Ben Olsen. You will always be a club icon and a personal hero. Now the team needs to get a visionary coach with a philosophy to build around. Kasper should be basing all offseason decisions on his/her opinions.
An "unknown" is not horrible, but it is foolish to pencil in someone as your starter who never has played in the league and your backups to that player are two seriously ill/injured guys and a rookie drafted out of college.
Ben fundamentally doesn't understand the sport. It's much more complicated than "play like a fist." You can have that as A salient feature of your team, but it can't be the only salient feature. The two worst things about Ben. First, he is a horrendous developer of young talent. Excruciatingly bad. Second, he can't work with skilled players. Acosta had a brief spell of truly high production, and it's not a coincidence that it was when a player he respected came to the club. He got nothing out of Salihi and Boskovic. He preferred Pajoy.
No Olsen's biggest problem is he relies on Ashton too much. Ashton has show his tactical acumen to be somewhere below 0.000001%. I have said I have seen practice, Ashton runs it. Yes Ben make decisions but he depends on one of the worst coaches in the history of soccer.
Who did you have in mind? Quincy Amarikwa? Jeff Parke? Lionard Pajoy? I can think of some players who came from other teams and were definitely improvements on what we had (DeRosario, Espindola, Rolfe, etc.); but who *sucked* for their previous team and then came here and played really well? Not disagreeing with you -- I just genuinely am not remembering, and am perfectly willing to believe that it's yet more old-age brain fade on my part.
I'm of the opinion there are just as many players who contributed at a certain level for DCU then went somewhere and performed well for a brief period before regressing to the same exact type of play - as there are players who had fallen off with their previous club and then came to DCU and improved their performance for a brief period of time before regressing to their previous form. I think we see players going to a new club and playing well and think (especially if we have certain preconceived notions) that Ben was holding them back - but in two years they're the same old player - some players just react well to a new environment every few years. There's a reason so many players are traded "for a fresh start" or "a change of scenery" and both parties seem to thrive. It wouldn't be such a popular cliche if it didn't happen so much. Luckily when I become lazy in my job after the first year, no-one can trade me
I'd argue that the team's DNA under Benny was that they took journeymen and castoffs from other teams and gave them one last shot for success. I'm thinking of players like Espindola, Boswell, Arnaud, Brillant, Vanney, Lloyd Sam, Rolfe, Neagle, and others. Surely if we're going to blame the coach when a player leaves DC to thrive, we should also praise the coach when a player arrives and succeeds.
It is systemic and inclusive of the coaches, trainers, FO, physio, ballc kids, scouting, and players. Just because it is deeper than one level doesn’t mean it doesn’t also include them. Some here have been calling for burning the muthafcuka down for years. Hopefully someone will come in with some clout, gasoline, and a blowtorch.
I don't think of Espindola, Boswell, Sam, Rolfe or Neagle as players that "were shit at their old teams" before coming here. And in two of those cases (Sam and Neagle), I think their play got worse after they got here. I don't think of Arnaud, Brilliant, or Vanney as players that were/have been "excellent" here. I agree with this.
The first problem is the league is too big. There is just not enough talent pool to adequately supply the league with quality players for every side. Add to that the failure of the youth system, include the DA, to develop players for the higher level, we have a much inferior product on the pitch than what we became accustomed 20 some years ago when we went out to RFK. If the league was broken into two divisions (and believe me, I am the last to advocate promotion/relegation), I think we see DC United making the climb and fall every so many seasons. While there are those who argue that Ben must go, I think he has been the key to make the club somewhat competitive. Just difficult to do with your feet tied. Rooney has been a good acquisition, a lot better than many of us expected. His presence helped improve others, especially Acosta and Arriola. But the rest of the cast is pretty much mediocre and that is what we get, what we have. Ben showed a lot of grit as a player but he was also a very intelligent one. You can tell he was taught old school. Give him a real team and then judge him. If he went elsewhere, I am sure he would do well. There is only so much he or anyone can do with the little resources put into the team.
This post is the first one in the thread. I've flirted with the idea at times that Benny is an adequate coach, but he's not. Time for him to go. And man... I don't think anyone ever thought Ashton was valuable. The presumption is that he goes too.
Tab Ramos is now coach of the Houston Dynamo. Why can't DC United make an inspired hire such as that?
A fallback option would be to let Benny stay on the condition that Ashton leaves and a new assistant coach is brought onboard. This sort of thing happens all the time in the NFL.