I really don't want to presuppose anything as I make this post. I ask this entirely as someone who has never been physically close enough to pose the questions. Obviously, FC is not a personal favorite for most of the posters here on the Rapids forum at BS. Honestly, I have never had a face to face interaction with him, so I have no idea. We have had numerous discussions over the years about FC's Doghouse, but there is no WWW URL with that name, so our assumption that one exists is based on the fact that a number of players, even contributing players disappeared from view. We have had "looking back comments" by former players that weren't particularly rosy in regards to their feelings about Clavijo as coach. Can someone who DOES have contact with players, enough to know how they really feel, tell us about the relationship FC has with his players. Do they like him, hate him, or tolerate him? The reason I ask this question is because I know it is the first question that I would ask as I come in to play with a new team for the first time. I want the answer to be that they generally like him, though I am not exactly expecting that from many of the posts I have read here about various Rapids players. As we discuss the merits of the season coming up very soon, this is a key question to me. If the players believe in FC, even if we don't, there is a chance for success, but if the players do not, then I think things are truly hopeless. I hope the former proves to be true rather than the latter. Also, I ask please that posters who know, inform us about what the Rapids' players are thinking rather than their own personal feelings. I think we already know what those are for the most part. I don't care if I don't hear specifics. I don't think I really want to know "Well, Betty said that Bobby said that Jimmy said" . I just want to know if the players are generally supportive of Fernando.
I suspect you'll get lots of answers (and I've got a pretty good idea which direction they'll take ). What I wonder is how many outsiders really know how the players feel. My naive opinion of this matter is - (to a player) I don't care how you feel about the coach, you owe it to your team mates, the fans and yourself to give 100%. If you don't, then look for another job. Oh, and you're not paid to like or support your coach.
You hit it right on the head! Also, players don't have to or even shouldn't necessarily be friends with the coach or even like him. But, they should at least respect their coach. Without respect, we run into problems. Though, I have no inside info so I'll shut up now.
I've personally had players express dislike and lack of respect for FC. They have made comments that his training has very little to do with soccer and all he know how to do is make them run together. On the other hand, I've seen players, like Kiro and Nikko H., seem to get along well with him and show him respect. It appears his leadership style requires complete loyalty and blind faith as through the years players expressing contrary opinion have been punished for doing so (benching of quality players, trading them for crap, etc...) Also, it is obvious to anyone with common sense who can read body language, which is often exaggerated like jr. high girls or bad Disney actors) when a player is in the doghouse (e.g. not talking to each other, not shaking hands walking off the pitch, rolling eyes, etc...) Personally, my encounters with FC have been very friendly, but near the end of the season, I began to believe that he was friendly to my face and then as I walked away, he was murmuring "idiot" about me under his breath.
MLSRumors is reporting that Terry Cooke wants out. The website reports two reasons, Clavijo and lack of support from the fans. They link to in interview Cooke did months ago for the BBC. I don't read Cooke's comments in the same way MLSRumors does. I played for a coach who made me play so far out of postion (i had to be within five yards of the sideline at all times), and completely took away my ability to make decisions for myself that by a few games into the season I really didn't want to play anymore. I wasn't getting paid to play but that dosen't change my desire to play any harder. I would agree that Cooke is unhappy playing for Clavijo.
I can agree with Terry on both sides. Terry is playing in a cage, he needs to be a little more free and should be allowed to roam the field more than he does. I also agree there is a lack of intreset of soccer here in Colorado. Not from us, but from the rest of the city. We realy can't change that unless we win the Cup a few times...
Wow, BigSoccer starts talking about Cookie wanting out due to Clavijo and then MLSrumors reports it, what a coincidence. And that line about lack of support from the fans is a bunch of B.S. Cookie was comparing the MLS crowds to England is all. Cooke has never benn on the fans bad list here in Colorado. There have been some people who feel he is too one-dimensional and we should look for a new option at right wing, but he's never been a whipping boy like Nico, Jovan, early Beckerman, etc.
I agree with you, Terry could be more effective if he had a few more tricks up his sleeve. Has FC put him in that cage?
In Cooke's case I don't think FC has put him in a cage. I think Cooke is one dimensional. Every single time I have seen Cooke break to the middle it has gone poorly. His shots are never ever quality. He is good at making a runs down the side, firing crosses, and hustling back to disrupt the opposing wing. That is all I have ever seen him be able to do.
If he reads these boards I'd imagine he felt there was a lack of support. Especially with people planning on dropping their season tickets etc.... That shows a lack of support.
Would we be fine-say if we traded him to DC for Gomez? I mean since some of us think he is too 1D then we should trade him right???
I can state unequivocably, that I... did not... have a conversation... with that Bobby person. I never said that to he or she, and I certainly never implied it to be true. Nor can I confirm or deny that anything that was, or was not discussed, is now nor ever will be true. Or false. Or that I know any Betty person. To the best of my recollection, I do not recall any such conversation that I know of.
If someone did know the players well, I don't think they would want to jepordize their job. We all know that FC doesn't like when players talk about him, yet alone the fans. So I would ask if anyone does know the players that well----->PLEASE don't post anything, for their jobs sake...
Riiiiight. Because if 10% of all the supports say something then there is no support. BigSoccer doesn't make up a majority of the fans. People drop season tickets in every sport, every season. The players can't be that sensitive, c'mon.
I have not renewed my season tickets because it hurts. It hurts to think how much I have cared about--and spent on--the club, only to get a seemingly 'f-you' from the ownership. It hurts to think about buying tickets again. It hurts to think about how excited I used to be about going to games, and how unexcited I am now. It hurts to think that I might get excited again. You ever been in love and had your heart broken? And then the phone rings and you think it is her coming back to you and it is not? That hurts. The love of my life left me, and I am willing to give her (the Rapids) another chance. But if I buy season tickets and then there is the same old BS, I may be done with the Rapids forever, and I don't want that to happen. I want to give her another chance, but she hasn't shown she has changed her ways at all. If this isn't love and passion then I don't know what is. I said hello to Clavijo once. This was a few years back, early in his career here. It was preseason training camp, where they trained at Westminster Rec Center. I worked across the street from them, so sometimes I would go watch them. I was dressed in a tie, so they appeared confused by my appearance. I got up close enough that I could shag a couple of balls for them. Peugero was nursing an injury. Nkong was adjusting to being the focal point of the attack. Terry Cooke had just arrived. The first Israeli (not Dedi) was struggling as center back--missing headballs, looking out of sync, etc. FC looked at me, smiled, and said hello, and I reciprocated. Cooke, and another assitant kind of glared at me and an assistant asked "is he with the press?" The feeling was that of lack of trust. That is all I know about Clavijo personally.
Sorry, Jimmy. I wasn't referring to you. I just picked three hypothetical names out of the hat. By the way, I didn't want specifics, and I also don't care whether or not the players like FC. Some of the best coaches were hated by their players but nonetheless respected. Bobby Knight would be a ggod example. I can't see players going over to his house for dinner. My question is: Do the players respect him enough to do their very best? I hope the answer is yes!!!
I think however in the case with the above mentioned coaches they generally had one thing in common, they won. They made it so they had a chance to win. They wanted to win.
No you have it wrong. This is not whining. This is crying. If you want to see whining, you can see my previous posts re: Why haven't we haven't fired Clavijo. That was the stage of denial and rationalization and anger. Now I only hurt. And this too will pass--hopefully in time for the season opener. My point is that refusing to buy season tickets because I am pissed off at the ownership is a sign of passion, not indifference. In the 80's, I had a friend who was a huge Oakland Raiders fan. Al Davis f***** the city of Oakland and moved them to LA for $$$$. My friend swore he wouldn't be a Raiders fan ever again, but he was. All the people who aren't renewing their season tickets will eventually do so.
Believe me, it hirts to watch this team fail. But that doesn't mean I will stop going. The Rapids can go winless and still have me going to games, and I will always be standing. Just like my shirt says-"No I won't sit down."
Like Murph just said, we haven't even seen them play together yet. Maybe these different players in a different formation just might really work. Not for FC's sake, and not for the FO's sake, but just for us, the fans...
http://www.memorialhospital.org/library/general/stress-THE-3.html ...I'd say you're at stage 5; personally, I'm still at 4 but I'm getting better! G'Day...Ron
http://www.coloradorapids.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?NID=1Y3NsOd7RnE= It sounds like they have started where they left off
A complaint I have and I've heard others mention is how the Rapids haven't taken advantage of the large field and high altitude. It seems to me the way to do that is be the fittest team in the league.
So for the past bunch of years they've focused on fitness...now we focus solely on technique. MLS Cup, here we come!