And probably a lot worse than a DUI. IIRC, he couldn't get back into the US to play for the Dynamo for a while
This is what I think is a good observation on Dom's coaching career. Interesting the note how the Dynamo's 2017 record to date is seen as a breakthrough and San Jose's is seen as flat, even if only a few points apart http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/06/24/armchair-analyst-kinnears-time-san-jose-more-week-17
He wasn't the leadership's "guy," as the article points out. And while they are right side of the line, Chicago and Houston, their cellar buddies for years, are doing better. I assume there was some sort of mid-season (exactly 17 games) confab with ownership and/or coach, and given decent table position I'd assume it was about style, risk-aversion, wins and losses. Ugly soccer, lots of ties and low risk soccer, running about .500. On paper, right side of the line, but in a way fans want to see? And while 2 pts behind us they are also 2 pts off the line. The optimist sees the first part. The pessimist looks at a team with equal wins and ties at home, poor road record, barely off the line. It's a risk because it would be their first playoffs in years just like us. But I figure he's crossways with management and/or ownership, was given time based on rep, and maybe they don't want to let him stay long enough where making the playoffs becomes a shield. I'll be curious if they go more "pretty" or make personnel changes beyond even the incoming. Kinnear tends to be pretty status quo defensive of his guys even when results aren't there. Remember this was the guy who trialed Waston and didn't want him. I have a similar concern about the Dynamo where I feel like I feel like the coaching is poor but based on results Cabrera is going nowhere. So the reality of Cabrera is not getting discussed til either this July playing short or some future season when he gets more like a Coyle team and has to make lemonade from lemons. If the team does ok the fans give him some immunity as the season progresses. Maybe you think he's stubborn and sub-optimally risk averse and want someone to liberate the talent. That being said, I think SJ actually is a worse organization than us. They would never have conceived or risked the Honduran Flurry that has changed our fortunes. They are not only cheap like us but still immersed in Kinnear's risk aversion where the squad is depleted of quality in favor of honest play.
I understand your point but it is a tremendous improvement with a new head coach for Houston while it is indeed flat for San Jose. Houston has increased by almost 50% from last year while San Jose is 1 point better. After 17 games in 2016: SJE 22 pts HOU 17 pts In 2017: HOU 25 pts SJE 23 pts
Wow, I did not see that coming. I wonder where he will go next... To tell you the truth, I fondly remember the 2006 and 2007 Dynamo. My aging mind recalls it as beautiful soccer. Of course, I also thought that my 5th grade teacher Mrs. Lopez was a good looking woman. I found a picture of the 5th grade group recently, and I look like a homeless kid with big ears, and Mrs. Lopez looks like... well, let's say she would not pass @DynamoManiac 's beauty standards.
And we have 1 more home game in the 1st 17 so adjusted it could be 25 vs. 20 points. And we have the 2nd fewest road points in the league this far. As much as the Dynamo have had a good first half of the year, it's about a 2 win swing adjusting for home/away.
All that said, Dom cratered at the end in Houston and I do think his time was up here (even if the Coyle hire was a disaster). I think his style of managing worked better in the lower salary, hard-working, non-guaranteed contract era of MLS. I'd be surprised if he didn't resurface in MLS at some point, maybe in 2019
I wouldn't doubt if Dom ends up in the NASL or an independent USL team. I'm not saying that his level as I still think he's MLS quality manager. I'm just saying the days of the manager being the sole decision maker are gone. He may choose the "total control" route of a project rather than the working under a technical director present style of doing things.
Hydro: it was always somewhat direct of soccer, kickball if you will, but the distinction I would make is we had more virtuoso creative talent on those teams (DeRo, Holden, Davis) and Ching was an underrated striker. After DeRo left and Ching showed his years, Kinnear systemically moved a mid back into a 2 DM formation and it became a caricature of itself, more defensive, less creative, without a good prime striker to score flashy goals. I'll be curious if/what Kinnear's next job is because he's gotten stubborn trying to play in a way that no longer elevates a budget team. The quality has gotten too good and the speed of play too fast. I think the defense first philosophy has evolved to where it needs to be Leicester-y, quick counter. What Kinnear does is now too easy to see coming and in the DP era the chances of a SJ/Houston type team that trips over a dynastic talent pool it doesn't have to pay for is shrinking if not nil. For that matter I feel like he lost an eye for talent and became a status quo creature with more an eye for type. Type teams are no longer cup winners in this league and even our well drilled hustle teams of 2011-2013 were bridesmaids.
I think his style is now a minor league style, drilled, defensive, indifferent to name brand talent. If he wants to be a MLS manager he has to evolve. Worth pointing out that a kickball 442 is a lower division EPL or SPL kind of style. That is the ground from which he was grown as his own pro career. I am curious to see if he can evolve because he'd have to tear out his roots and catch more up to fashion trends. If he wants MLS still, I think he would take whatever job he could get now, and accept devolved personnel control. It's going to be that hard for someone in the playoff wilderness as long as he's been with cheap teams. I think the real question is finding a FO willing to take a risk on him, and/or whether he's forced to evolve just to get a major league job. My guess he would favor west coast over making changes. If he wants MLS I think they will be looking for evolution.
I think he did better when he had a loaded team playing for less than it was worth in a hard cap league. Then Dero and everyone wanted to get paid and it faded, and we were swept under the waves as it became more and more DPs.
The period of trials and tribulations is going to be this July if people are called up for Gold Cup. I'm not concerned because we will have months to catch back up but can we win much of anything with the Hondurans and Machado out.
Nah, have you seen all the terrible managers in MLS? Dom can still get a job. Now whether he wants to move to Chester, PA and work under a TD or not that's another story.
I would say it's risky to take something working ok and bust it again and hand it to Leitch, who has no experience.
If we immersed in present realities, as opposed to 2006-7 nostalgia, there have been three teams completely out of the playoffs in recent years and he coached two of them. His best practical chance would be running his system at a team as loaded as we used to be, where the talent and organization can win out. But what are the chances a good team risks Dom to coach expensive players? Low. I don't see, say, NYRB or NYCFC or TFC saying, we have the talent, now make this thing into a machine. Which is what he really needs to regain what he had. More likely team that would consider Dom would be budget teams like he has generally coached, but the problem getting hired there is his system teams have recently sucked when done on a budget with modest talent. So the likely target would be like, ummm, you tried the magic wand in Houston and SJ and missed the playoffs, how can I believe you'll turn around my roster of castoffs? I think his most likely scenarios would be bench coach to a head somewhere in California, or minor league. To get a head job he would have to evolve and leave California and I think he's pretty darned stubborn and planted. The problem with claiming he compares unfavorably to recent newer coaches is a lot of the them made the playoffs once during the period he hasn't. In theory the nostalgia era stuff should have some sway, but then you have to ignore everything since 2013. He's not stepping in a time machine to go coach in 2004-2013 MLS. It has to work now.
This is another good read, saw someone tweeted it out http://www.centerlinesoccer.com/platform/amp/2017/6/26/15878512/in-nomine-dominic-an-elegy