That is goddamn depressing. Esp to see another new team come in that care far more about winning than our original league team.
Its been at least a decade since anyone in ownership cared about winning. The Miami ownership group is coming like Atlanta did apparently. I haven't followed their acquisitions, but someone said they went with a couple of young highly rated guys in the Almiron type mold. That they're now putting a good coach with a track record behind them is of little surprise. There are a couple of ways to win in this league and DCU subscribes to none of them. You guys have far too much focus on a guy who is really just a deck chair on the Titanic. I have no idea what Ben makes or how that equates to the rest of the MLS coaches or coaches in similar quality leagues around the world, but my bet is that its in the bottom 20%. The only thing I know about Ben's projected future at DC United is that he's got 2 more years on his deal and ownership isn't about to pay him out and turn around having to pay some other guy more. That's just not how Levien rolls. Change that matters? Change that will make a difference, change the ownership.
“We’ve gone through a process the last two months to prepare for next season, and it’s clear to us that Ben is the best person to continue to lead this team on the field,” Jason Levien said in an interview. Take that, haters! https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/12/17/ben-olsen-will-return-dc-uniteds-head-coach/
I was more supportive of Olsen than anybody around here. But even I can't figure out what the ******** they're thinking here. This team has Wooden Spoon contender and rebuilding process written all over it. Why rebuild with the guy who's been here for a decade with almost nothing to show for it?
The most interesting item in Goff's article was the statement that Levien "wanted Olsen to be open to embracing fresh perspectives from an additional assistant coach." So, was Olsen open to this idea? Is Levien going to procure said new assistant coach whether Ben is open to it or not? And who might this new assistant be? Has one been identified? Inquiring minds want to know.
I read it the same way you did. I think the new assistant will be Levien's information gatherer for when they ultimately let Ben go. Probably a Paul Mariner type who can dispassionately diagnose the team's problems while also providing valuable advice to genuinely win games now. Will the new assistant be listened to by Ben and Levien? Who knows...
If that person does a good job for 2 years, they could be an mls head coach once been steps aside. Of course, if they do too well, Olsen might get inexplicably extended again.
Paul Mariner is an idiot, ala Chad Ashton and has no clue about this game. I turn the sound off when he tries in vain to be the color man of a match.
I queried Goff about this and all he says is that the team is looking to add "another assistant coach, presumably someone older and more experience." The wording makes it sound as if said person hasn't been selected, or maybe even identified.
If we include "Guys Levien has heard of" in the Venn diagram, it's pretty easy to conclude the target is Hubie Brown.
This should be more of a concern .... Getting word D.C. United has signed General Manager Dave Kasper to a multi-year contract extension. He had one year left on deal. New title: senior VP of soccer operations and GM. #dcu #mls— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) December 20, 2019
if the goal is squeezing the last drop out of the lemon and navigating Tam/Gam exchanges then Kasper is the guy for the job
Kasper was not only retained but got a promotion to "Senior Vice President for Soccer Operations" while keeping his GM role.
Dan Snyder and Jason Levien .... two peas in a pod ..... overseeing decline and destruction of once noteworthy sports teams.