News: 2022 - DCU Club Discussion and Analysis

Goof grief, when the team you're a coach who loses four games in a row over the first six games of the season you really can't complain if the axeman cometh - especially, after publicly calling out your team's owner during the last season for not spending enough money on players.

 

Bale would be one of the worst signings in the history of the league. So expect DCU to announce his arrival in the coming weeks.

 

Sonny Bono is in his grave because of poor reflexes and insufficient lateral leap. Alex Bono and Bono Bono are just as bad.

Close enough.

 

We need Frutos to stick around at least long enough to get Romo settled into the squad. And I hope he stays longer - we have lots of SAs on our team and he could be very helpful in keeping them calm during this trying time. Actually, this might not be a bad staff for the rest of the season, if not beyond. Ashton may not strike one as a Head Coach, but maybe that's because he's not known to have a preferred system that he imposes on the squad. My guess is that he knows the strengths and weaknesses of the players better than anyone, and probably knows as well what system of play suits them best. This could be especially important now because injuries mean that our lineups are going to be Pan B if not C, which should mean playing time for some younger players who have shown well in recent weeks, e.g., Djeffal; Hopkins; du Pietro; Yow,, et. al..

 

This is my take based on what I've read so far. I admit it may be wildly off, but hey, this is the internet and this is what I'm guessing...

I think Paul Arriola walked into Kasper's office sometime in December or January and said I'm sick of this crap. This is my one chance to possibly go to the world cup and if I stay here the chances are too high that I'll miss it due to being hurt. This training regimen is BS. This coach is an a-hole. I want to be sold or traded. I'm done.

This set off some internal alarm bells. They started asking more questions and found a lot of dissatisfaction. So they started watching things more closely.

Then we started the season looking like crap and it probably spiraled down hill from there. Add in the fact that the team really cratered at the end of last season when they had a chance to push for the playoffs but were clearly all too exhausted and you don't have a pretty picture.

The fact that ownership was willing to eat Losada's salary for the next year and half (something they've NEVER been willing to do in any other context) tells me there must have been pretty much universal agreement that the situation was so bad there was no other choice than to let Losada go.


Now, if your Dave Kasper, and you really wanted Chad Ashton from the start (and all reports are that the players almost universally like him and think highly of him) but you couldn't do it then because the fanbase would have gone insane, this is the perfect opportunity. Chad Ashton gets a 2/3 season to prove he can take Losada's general tactical philosophy without having all the players hate him and if he succeeds even remotely, you can give him the permanent job. If he fails, you just keep him on as an assistant for the next guy...

 

I hope Frutos was the one drawing up the corner kick plays. Don't want to lose those...

 

In looking back over past seasons, I don't think we've ever played a friendly in our home stadium that wasn't part of the STM package. Two friendlies at FedEx look to be the exceptions. The Celtic, Tottenham (Capital Cup), PSG, Boca (zzzzz), AC Milan, Blackburn and Bayern Leverkusen friendlies were offered with the packages.

 

After you dig up and violate the corpse, a grave is really just a hole in the ground.

 

This was the four year summary that Del Harris (I played on the J.V. team during his tenure at Earlham College) had when he was the head coach of the Los Angles Lakers:

"After his stint with the Bucks, Harris became head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, winning NBA Coach of the Year honors in 1994–95, winning 48 games a year removed from being in the NBA lottery. In his four full seasons the Lakers won more each successive season, following 48 wins with 53, 56 and 61. In his third season the Lakers acquired 18-year-old Kobe Bryant and 24-year-old Shaquille O'Neal. Despite being the youngest team in the league and O'Neal missing 53 games due to injuries those two seasons, the Lakers eliminated the 61-win Seattle SuperSonics in the playoffs before being eliminated by the Utah Jazz with Karl Malone and John Stockton in the 1997–98 season. The Lakers fired Harris after leading them to a 6–6 start at the beginning of the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season."

In coaching at the professional level, the owner can pretty much fire you at any time for any reason. In Harris' case, it was largely because the Lakers' owner was pursuing Phil Jackson to take over coaching duties (and we all know how that worked out). IMO, Losada doesn't have all that much room for complaint.

 

Despite this being a trick question...isn't the new guy still in visa limbo?

 

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea of Chad Ashton being the manager for Gareth Bale.

 

This seems like a very reasonable take. The more I read about the situation in the locker room and piecing things together, this makes sense. That doesn't mean it is right, but I'd actually be surprised if it's not somewhat right.
The only thing I'm skeptical of is whether Kasper really wanted Ashton. Ashton might be who we end up with, but we had a shot at him when he was the interim after Olsen. Although, I'm not sure fans would have come to games if we went straight to Ashton from Olsen.

 

I doubt you'll have to think much more about that.

 

I guess I wasn't clear.

I'm saying that I think Kasper wanted to hire Ashton after Ben was let go. He likes Ashton and believes in him. But he knew the fanbase would have been in open revolt so he couldn't do it.

Now, since Losada is gone, he's able to give Chad the chance he thinks he deserves,

Kasper all but said this, saying Ashton has earned this chance.

 

Apparently Chad is popular with the players - not sure you could say that about Losada. But so was Benny.....

 

it's the sheer concept of it...i mean...

This timeline is truly the weirdest.

 

It will be a truly great day when we have a Front Office that actually gives two rubberized sh!ts what the fanbase thinks.

Hell, a couple years ago, we had GM Tom Hunt who barely acknowledged we even had a fanbase, just a rotating set of customers.

 

Sounds like some number of the players really like him. The accounts from training today were that it was an emotional goodbye. Gressel said he was happy that Losada was his coach as he made him a better player. I think Bill had some nice words to say on Twitter. Andy's revival would seem to indicate that he was happy. But beyond that...? I'd imagine a guy like Skundrich was happy given the amount of playing time he's gotten. Hines-Ike? He signed a new contract, right?

 

DCU is owned by Snyder 2.0. I’ll pay attention again when this group sells the team.

Kasper is incompetent. Ashton has been around and contributed to so many bad teams he’d be lucky to get a job elsewhere.

Owners will continue to destroy DC United until they sell. I’m hoping that’s soon.

 

Fans are in an incredible bind. On the one hand you want the team to win and you want to support the team. On the other hand a modicum of success (albeit no chance of the playoffs) simply bolsters the FO and feeds the nightmare FO a few more years of which to drive this jalopy into the ground.

 

Tom Hunt was not a GM. That wasn't his title and that isn't what he did.

 

Swansea fans already complain their team is Levien's red-headed Welsh stepchild. Imagine if DCU signs the best Welsh player, well, ever.

 

well since to this point Losada's "system" has not vaulted United to the top of the table, bye bye. Seeya. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.


I wonder who owns Pele's discovery rights????