Who gets the title? After Denis Hamlett's fight last weekend with Bakary Soumare for which both player and coach were fined, and Denis' quote about Soumare today: I would have to say that Denis is #1 on my list at the moment for that gutless and classless statement. I would like to hear candidates for the top spot. Past coaches should be nominated for honorable mentions. Luis Arroyave also wrote this today on his blog:
Hamlett has to do what (he feels) is best for the team. If Soumare isn't giving it his all on the field, Hamlett has every right to confront him about it. He may well be trying to light a fire (no pun intended) under the team as the playoffs loom. Of course, much of this has to do with what Pause and Soumare were arguing about, which I don't know. Still, it reminds me of Everton's situation right now with Lescott.
If The David Beckham Experiement is correct, Ruud Gullit wins the lifetime achievement award. Showing up at 9:30 and leaving at 12:30 every day.
More unprofessional then a player who doesn't give 100% to the team, because he's already moved on? Hardly, you need to get called out for that. Now that pushing/shoving/yelling match, yeah that's unprofessional, but the statements (assuming they are true) are not unprofessional.
I dont' know how you can make a judgement without a full picture of what's going on. Being unprofessional a very strong accusation, one that's strong enough to assassinate one's career. I wouldn't make that judgment based on merely quotes or rumors for the sake of the organzation and families of people involved. We can't fully know the point of view of Soumare or Hamlet. Maybe they are both right in some way. We should just let it drop.
As rivals (in jest) it's a God-send, you know things that could disrupt team harmony especially as we wind down the season. As Fire supporter, I'm sure they wouldn't want any bad karma to disrupt team harmony, no matter who's right or wrong.
To add to the Gullit case, I covered the Galaxy durring the Gullit era. Every Thursday, without exception, training was closed to the media. The team trained behind a fenced area covered with wind screens so you couldn't see in. We were told that it was because Thursdays the team went over tactics for the weekend's game and they didn't want potential starting lineups ect. to leak out. As it turns out, Gullit was just taking Thursday's off every week.
On tonight's broadcast it was mentioned Bakary expressed that he couldn't give 100% of the team and that's why he was dropped. I know Bakary's had interest from abroad but if he's acting like a child now imagine when things do go his way in Europe. They'll kick him to the curb quicker than shit. From what I've read Hamlett and Bakary had fault in the incident. It's a shame it happened. You don't have to like your manager, coaches, and fellow players but you sure as hell respect them. If I had a teammate express he couldn't give 100% I'd save the manger the hassle and beat him to a pulp myself. Bakary has quit. He's now a quitter in my book. It's s shame because I really like his play and up until recently liked his attitude.
Based on what I read, the case doesn't seem all that black and white. Can you work hard for your boss 100% if you don't respect him? Maybe you can, but I can't personally regardless how much I am paid. I can't work for someone whom I think is a jerk. I never work hard 100% anyway. Maybe I drop down to 40% from my normal 50%. (oh boy, that still seems a little high). I want a new job and a new manager eventually. Look. I am not defending anyone. Sometimes a person just doesn't fit in an organization for whatever reason. That happens, and you have to do something about it. But I wouldn't call this "unprofessional". That's a really bad label, and none of them deserves it.
I suppose that depends on your definition of professional. Apparently you define it as just showing up to work. Most people would describe it as performing to the best of your abilities while you're on the clock.
Should Soumare not feel something towards his fellow defenders? The starting XI? The badge? Who are you working for while on a soccer team, anyway?
You're working for a pay check and hopefully a bigger one the following year based on your play, especially in this league where burger king hamburger flippers make more than quite a few players. Everything else is sports fan mumbo jumbo. Professional athletes are like anyone else in any other industry, someone shows them a better pay package and they're off. Chicago can either show him that they want him around by offering a substantial increase in his pay commensurate with what he can make somewhere else, in his case France if i am correct, or hasten his departure by selling him now before he walks away on a free. Altidore dogged it the last half season he was with Deadbull just before being sold to Villareal. This isn't something new, players will protect their bodies when there is a chance that they may be moving on.
If Bakary Soumare is dogging it because he wants a raise on his poverty-level salary of $138,000, then that sort of bolsters Hamlett's case, doesn't it?
You're wrong on that. In '99 Bora had zero say in player selections. The whole season was marred by the anticipation of Lothar coming to Metro. Charlie cleared the roster to make way for Matthaus pretty much the same way Lalas did in LA with Beckham. Except that Metro didn't have a Landon Donovan, and Lothar didn't show up till the next year. Bora was bad, but he wasn't as bad as Osorio, who hand picked more then half the players on the current squad, got rid of players like VDB, and is riding his ship to the worst record in MLS history. Regardless, this thread is about the most unprofessional coach, not the worst.
Yes it does and thats not my argument. He wants out. Chicago has had an offer on the table for him for a while now, sell him and be done with it. What's the hold up. Bigger teams than the fire do it with bigger names than Soumare will ever be in his wildest dreams. Don't string him along when he's pretty much made it clear to the coaching staff that he wants to move over to France. Sell him to Bolougne for 2 million and move on. What's the use of having a disgruntled player, who no longer wants to be there, infecting the rest of the locker room.
It just had to happen one of you guys that are logged in here 20 hours a day had to jump in and try and troll. Read my full statement rather than snip three words and take them out of context next time. Maybe try and do that with other posters as well rather than play smart, so that we can all have constructive conversations rather than sh@t flinging contests. Contracts held with MLS if not mistaken. And that plays absolutely zero part in them not selling him today, tomorrow or next week. It's not like MLS hasn't sold anyone in mid-season before. Thanks for trying to troll have a nice day. And i'm out of this forum no point in continuing
Doesn't MLS have the right to seek a better offer? Isn't that exactly what would happen if Soumare was playing at his best? Instead, he gets one offer and then throws a hissy fit when the league stalls over accepting it. I'm sure the French club is impressed by the maturity he's displaying.