Official Pablo (as coach) thread

Discussion in 'Colorado Rapids' started by ~F8~, Apr 7, 2014.

  1. 22SteveD

    22SteveD Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 1, 2011
    Denver
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Playing as a team is on the coach. But reading that article you see a guy who has a complete understanding of coaching by his comments, PM gave us some Buddhist monk chants or something.

    I hope for better next year but almost expect worse unless somehow Wenger gets him to understand his role this offseason.
     
  2. Rod1916

    Rod1916 Member+

    Jun 17, 2012
    Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    (insert UW joke here)
     
  3. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I floated that softball across the plate just for you.
     
  4. Sports Yak

    Sports Yak Member+

    Jul 17, 2007
    Lakewood
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Hopefully they'll quit on Saturday. :)
     
  5. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Better not, my tickets weren't cheap!
     
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  6. Centennial

    Centennial Member+

    Apr 4, 2003
    Centennial
    What we have here is not just a train wreak of a team but a train wreak of an organisation. This Rapids organization looks like it's being run by some clueless teenager.
     
  7. jayd8888

    jayd8888 Member+

    Aug 22, 2006
    Denver CO

    I used to turn a blind eye to it when we had a record around .500.
     
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  8. 22SteveD

    22SteveD Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 1, 2011
    Denver
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Very disappointed to learn PM will only spend a week with Arsenal, seriously will there ever be real cross whatever with these clubs. Also, some mention of PM going to South America for (coaching?) opportunity, remark immediately followed his arsenal trip so not sure if coaching or scouting.
     
  9. Soaker888

    Soaker888 Member+

    Feb 21, 2012
    Denver
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    I can only imagine that Arsenal isn't willing to give more time to PM, and it's not b/c the FO or PM think 7 days will magically make a big difference all by itself. Arsenal have their own work for their own team to pay attention to.
     
  10. Virginian

    Virginian Member

    Sep 23, 1999
    Denver, Co
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Have we seen a definitive "mission statement" as to what the Rapids style of play is going to be under Pablo? It was clear with Oscar, it is clear with Berhalter, Porter and other coaches around the league. What is the Rapids "way?" You need a system for the players to buy into even when they aren't winning every game, and even when they go on a winless streak.

    To an extent, the hardcore fans need that defined style of play to get behind as well. They need to know what direction the Rapids are heading, for better or for worse.
     
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  11. spot

    spot Member+

    Nov 29, 1999
    Centennial
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't recall Berhalter or Porter declaring any system. Did they? Or, was "the system" something that gets used to describe the results rather than their actual approach?
     
  12. Sports Yak

    Sports Yak Member+

    Jul 17, 2007
    Lakewood
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Whether a team has a mission statement or not, you should be able to somewhat determine what a team is attempting to accomplish by watching games. In this case, I haven't a clue. Unfortunately, if they do tell us what the style is, I'm expecting something that is zen incomprehensible.
     
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  13. spot

    spot Member+

    Nov 29, 1999
    Centennial
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Pretty much my thoughts. I think of Sigi who has had pretty good success in MLS, but I don't think there's any strong connection between LA, Columbus, and Seattle. Mostly he seems to play to the strengths of his players. If that happens to mean playing to the strengths of an Argentine that fell into your lap after New England passed on him, then it seems to me that it says less about style than it does about opportunity.

    As a rule, and most definitely including Pareja, statements of style are pretty much throw away. Pareja's best run with the Rapids didn't align with the declarations, but it's churlish to complain about that when the points are rolling in.
     
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  14. nowar99

    nowar99 Member

    Apr 14, 2003
    Boulder
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Get the players to fit the system you want, and develop a system to match the players you have. Put the players in a position to succeed. All good coaches do that. Mediocre and bad coaches try to force players into roles that they are ill-equipped to handle and force systems on players that don't make sense given the players we have (like ticky-tacky passing for a team that doesn't have that skill set doesn't make sense...that would make as much sense as forcing Jose Mari and Gabby Torres into overtly physical and smash mouth soccer when neither have that skill set).

    Pablo is going to have to learn this if he wants any chance of success.
     
  15. Soaker888

    Soaker888 Member+

    Feb 21, 2012
    Denver
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Though it wasn't always pretty, Smith got the players he had to do just this. Sexy, attractive Barca-ball?....not a chance.
     
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  16. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Season-by-season; Asterisks indicate years we missed the playoffs:

    1. 1999 - Mooch - 1.59375
    2. 2010 - Smith - 1.5333
    3. 2002 - Hankinson - 1.5
    3. 2013 - Pareja - 1.5
    5. 2011 - Smith - 1.4412
    6. 1998 - Mooch - 1.4375
    7. 2005 - Clavijo - 1.40625
    8. 2004 - Hankinson - 1.367
    9. 2009 - Smith - 1.3333*
    10. 1997 - Mooch - 1.28125
    10. 2006 - Clavijo - 1.28125
    12. 2003 - Hankinson - 1.267
    12. 2008 - Clavijo/Smith - 1.267*
    14. 2000 - Mooch - 1.1875
    15. 2007 - Clavijo - 1.167*
    16. 2012 - Pareja - 1.08823*
    17. 1996 - Houghton/Wegerle - 1.03125*
    18. 2015 - Mastroeni - 1.0
    19. 2014 - Mastroeni - 0.941*
    20. 2001 - Hankinson - 0.923*

    All-Time Overall:

    1. Smith - 104 Games - 1.43
    2. Mooch - 128 Games - 1.41
    3. Hankinson - 114 Games - 1.29
    3. Pareja - 68 Games - 1.29
    5. Clavijo - 114 Games - 1.18
    6. Houghton - 31 Games - 1.06
    7. Mastroeni - 40 Games - 0.95
    8. Wegerle - 1 Game - 0.00
     
  17. murphyskicks

    murphyskicks Member

    May 15, 2009
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Our best season ever would have only been good enough for 6th in the shield race last year. To put it in perspective, the Sounders have been above 1.5 ppg every year they have been in MLS and 4 out of the last 6 years their ppg is higher than that 1999 season. Rapids are a pathetic franchise.
     
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  18. spot

    spot Member+

    Nov 29, 1999
    Centennial
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Make it worse.... your so called best season derives the percentage from the doubtful practice of counting all the shootout games as draws, which they were not.
     
  19. fortcollins

    fortcollins Member+

    St. Louis City SC
    Apr 12, 2006
    Fort Collins
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Dunno. I distinctly remember seeing the MLS Cup up close and personal. The Rapids have one more cup than the Pink Cows or the Frisco Burn.
     
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  20. murphyskicks

    murphyskicks Member

    May 15, 2009
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    I'm not discounting the fact that we won the cup in 2010. We got hot at the end of that year and it was awesome. But the reality is that we've historically been in the company of the Frisco Burn rather than the likes of LA or Seattle. Even in 2010 we didn't exactly compete as a top team throughout an entire campaign - we were the 7 seed going in.
     
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  21. area815

    area815 Member

    Jan 29, 2007
    Denver, CO
    Club:
    AC Siena
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    ONE win in 24 matches? ELEVEN straight winless home matches? .82 GPG rate?

    Pablo, I mustache you to clean out your office...

    upload_2015-5-8_22-29-2.png
     
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  22. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    (I was going to post this in the SJ game thread but it seemed more appropriate here)

    I think at this point I'm going to apply the same standards to Pablo's year 2 as I (and others) applied to Pareja's year 2. Namely make the playoffs and win the RMC if he wants a year 3. I see no reason why those standards are unfair, especially since the additional team in the West has been balanced out by an additional playoff spot being available. On average its taken 46 points in a 34 game season to finish 6th so that's the target. That requires (oddly exactly) an average of 1.5 pts/game going forward resulting in a 1.36 pts/game season which is historically almost the median for the Rapids.
     
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  23. Stuart95

    Stuart95 Member+

    Mar 11, 2012
    NoVA
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Given Pablo's status with the club, I'd give him more respect and slack than Pariah. However, I'm with you: RMC and playoffs are must dos.
     
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  24. jayd8888

    jayd8888 Member+

    Aug 22, 2006
    Denver CO
    Playoffs seem like a really tall order. Those new players need to come in and kick some serious ass.
     
  25. fortcollins

    fortcollins Member+

    St. Louis City SC
    Apr 12, 2006
    Fort Collins
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm not in the "fire Pablo" camp, at least not yet.

    I think Pablo did a horrible tactical job last year, but I don't see the lactate nonsense, constantly revolving lineups and GK roulette this year. I see more consistency in fielding a very thin lineup, consistency in goal, and a lot more stability on 3/4 of the back line. Like many, I'm frustrated by seeing Badji and Riley in the lineup, but what is the choice? Where is there a clearly better talent available on the Rapids bench?

    In one of the other threads, I asked a question about how many current Rapids players could start for a contending team or start for multiple run of the mill teams. The answers were telling. Only 4 or 5 players were mentioned consistently. That isn't a lineup. It's barely a beginning roster. The demolition of the Cup team and the next year's contending team after GS departed has not been followed by rebuilding a competitive team. No matter who coaches the Rapids, there simply isn't playoff talent on this roster. That said, there are a few younger players who show some promise (like Sjoberg) and some older players who have some skills (like Sanchez). There are some gaping holes on the roster. RB and forward are disaster areas. Quality forwards don't come cheap and aren't plentiful. Indifferent owners are cheap, and at least in Colorado are plentiful. I see that as the main problem, rather than coaching. Pablo has to play the hand that he is dealt, and this hand isn't four aces and a king. It is barely a pair of treys to open.

    My one ongoing gripe with Pablo is his post-game babbling. The team isn't playing well. It is gruesome to watch. If Pablo sounded like Drew Moor's honesty after the SJ match, a lot of the frustration might quiet down. We aren't stupid, and we know sloppy soccer when we see it. If Pablo would be real about what is happening on the pitch, maybe more people would have confidence that he "gets" it and is trying to do something about it. Fluff and puff comments about how wonderful everyone played aren't helping to build the players' confidence. Winning does that.

    Regardless of the incoming forwards, this doesn't have the look of a playoff season. I can live with that IF the rest of this season starts to show offensive improvement and better fundamentals.

    That said, I want a piece of hardware that proves RSL are still losers. That IS achievable.
     

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