Yup... still think this is true... should fire Jim today. Time to just chalk up the rest of the season as a loss. Interim coach should be directed to go balls to the wall in Open Cup Give young guys like Jones, Epps, Najem, Keegan, Yaro, etc, etc all the minutes they need for the rest of season in regular season games. Start the coaching search for 2018 now, do NOT hire interim full time.
I don't think they want to cut Jim loose. The new mentality seems to be "We went through several coaching changes and it didn't fix anything, so now we're going to stick by one coach and see where it takes us.". The question is: what is the Union's new threshold for pain? Given their old time frame and expectations (which were already low) Jim would already be gone. But now they seem to think the pieces will fall into place if they just give him more time. So what will it take? Two record losing seasons in a row? Three? An empty stadium? Not that it matters. Whoever comes next will likely prove just as ineffectual. Its not like Curtin has a stable of decent players to work with. The Union continue to be the Island of Misfit Players in MLS. We lack a solid core of starters whose talents compliment one another. as we pretty much have since day 1. There's still no overarching plan for what type of players to bring in. Stewarts player acquisition seems to be a combination of "I knew a guy in Holland" and cast offs from the depths European 3-4 division rosters. So when you think about it maybe Stewart and Curtin are actually really comfortable together. Their combined mediocrity must be non-threatening to the both of them. At least Sak was hypocritical enough to act like everyone else around him was the problem and start chopping heads. With Stewart and Curtin running things I just feel this kind of sinking apathy. Like a case of hypothermia it starts to feel warm and relaxing at the end. People say you don't feel anything anymore, and just kind of drift off into a blissful oblivion.
I agree with your assessment, there won't be a change because Earnie made it clear that winning doesn't matter. They are content to sit, wait and lose until the stars and planets align in some fluke accident where the Union put a winning season together. Firing Curtin whether it's warranted or not is would be a communication to the fan base that they are satisfied with the results. Earnie's threshold and tolerance is basically unbound... unless Jay grows a pair and makes a ruckus I'm convinced Stewart will sit with Jim indefinitely. It also drives me nuts that they try to say, "well we've fired coaches before and it hasn't worked out" The reality is the Union haven't had an outside coaching hire since Peter Nowak in 2010.
I don't even know why this is a discussion again. They were standing firm when it was 16 straight without a win. End of the year, earliest, before anything happens, regardless of results. And that is what's turned us all off.
I'm just biding time until this thread surpasses the Hackworth thread.... Fire John Hackworth [R] Tyr, Jun 2, 2013 Replies: 1,939 Views: 65,811 The Fire Jim Curtin Thread [MERGED] Handsome Pete, Jun 10, 2014 Replies: 1,929 Views: 77,207
Go back and read some of those Hack posts, man we were a salty bunch. I've even mellowed on Curtin since I thought Earnie would ax him in the off season. I'm just down for the mediocrity. They've numbed me into going but not really caring. Whoooooo! DOOOOPPP!
Maybe its being realistic about where MLS is now compared to then. Hackworth should have been able to compete with the squad. Now, not so sure any coach would really do better with this group. It's a flawed squad and the league is much better. At this point, I see how they try to play, see that there's a semblance of a plan, they execute ok, but get killed by some sort of mistake or are exposed by a talent defeciency in a key spot. On top of that, we have a target forward who simply cannot buy a decision making it even tougher to take advantage of a pretty good free kick taker. Before anyone thinks I'm getting soft, it's really an indictment of the squad that's been constructed. I either have to view this as a work in progress or as the way it's going to be. Not sure where I stand on that right now.
Those goal differences are utterly bizarre. 3/6 teams in playoff positions with negatives, compared to only 1/5 below playoffs.
Only two teams have let in fewer goals than us. Does that mean our defense is really good? Or, the other teams just don't try hard when they play us?
Top 5 soccer crimes perpetrated by Jim Curtin in 2017. GO. Sub-question: is it, in fact, unfair to criticize a formerly good player for his latter day coaching sins? Is it better to buy a square peg for the round holes you insist upon playing with, or fade away?
Not 2017, but my favorite Curtin move was him saving the last sub to take Blake off for McCarthy in the Open Cup Final. I think of that every time Jonathan Tannenwald says there's no way of knowing how good a coach Curtin could be because he lacks the resources.
The State vs James Curtin - Exhibit A - Set piece defending from a former defender who states his philosophy has been to focus on defense. B - Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, his record, inconceivable as it may be, is worse than John Hackworth's C - His refusal, except solely through injury/suspension/call-ups, of rotating his squad. CJ has started his annual summer off program with 1 goal in his last 6 matches. D - Tight pants. No for real, the tale of 2 halves thing. He still seems to struggle with the concept of coaching a full 90 minute match. Late game letdowns are a tradition here now. E - Chance creation is abysmal. The U don't have anyone in the top 40 players for shots. You can't win if you don't score. You can't score if you don't shoot. He seems to not work on this.
It bugs the crap out of me how Curtin is so scared to take risks. Ilsinho and Alberg are terrible? Give Najem a ********ing shot. Can he be any worse?