Hopeful on the Wenger influence. Could be a big diference between him and CC. Certainly he saw that the defensive attitude at all costs in the playoffs didn't work out.
Interesting comment from Morrow re the strength of MLS: I wonder what Morrow means by "compete". If he means not get totally dominated, and have a chance at avoiding relegation, I'd agree. But mid-table or better? I doubt it.
Oh no. Here we go again. Morrow is "looking at a the form of a few prospects". Another Simo? Another Wilson? Maybe another Shaka? "No, Morrow is very different from CC." My donkey seat he is. Are we going to waste another two seasons "giving him a chance"? We are going to repeat the same old crap. The English/Western Euro leagues are some of the most expensive leagues in the world. Salaries are greatly over-inflated. Only guys out of game are willing to come to the US. The washed out Euro player has a very poor track record. If you go out to sign a Euro player, you should only get guys that leave a positive stylistic imprint on the game. A guy like Zidane for example would make sense, but of course would be ridiculously expensive. To overpay for a goon like Simo was stupid. You can sign any number of A-League hacks to do the same job. Pay Pitchkolan a bonus for each violent foul he commits and he could even develop into the same role. No expensive contract needed. My guess is that he is shopping for midflielders to play in a flat 4 midfield system. Probably a left sided guy with no vision, an extremely direct style, and a guy that will break down half way through the year eating up a good portion of salary and an SI slot. A guy that most will be lauding when he gets here and ripping at the end of the year. Better deals exist in other leagues. Players who bring a more exciting and needed style of play exist in other leagues. Here again is another example of why this coaching decision was such a disaster. All you need is for two Shaka like signings to take place and you have not only screwed up the season, but the next ones as well.
I don't think I've ever read something of your's that isn't negative. Honestly. Relax, I'd wager Morrow is just in Europe trying to re-establish old contacts. Not always, look at Terry Cooke and Paul Dalglish. Don't you expect Morrow already knows this. After all, he is a professional. We truly do need a left mid. A left mid with no vision and a direct style is better than a left mid with no left foot. I also doubt another SI as we are full up already. I do believe we will be making a trip to Brazil and Mexico later this year, so relax mate. Just give Morrow time, besides for being Clarke's assistant, he has done no evil. Granted our D and set plays stunk last year, but you can't trace that directly to him. Give it time. We have a good team, be happy.
Well Nut, I suppose I come off as a sour puss. But, you've got to appreciate my perspective before you judge too harshly. Firstly, I am a huge fan of live soccer at the stadium. Some of my best times include the times that I have shared a love for soccer as a child with my family, and now as a father passing along that love and passion for the great game with/to my son. For this experience to continue, a very intelligent strategy must be in place to allow the dominant football/basketball/baseball culture to not kill off this game on a quasi-local range at an acceptable professional level. I attended all of the '94 WC games in Dallas. I was handed a brochure at WC94 which was a grass roots effort to re-establish pro soccer in the DFW area. It was a dream which I saw realized with the very first MLS TV broadcast and I saw fullfilled as I took my recently born son to experience the very first Dallas Burn game in 1996. As a dedicated fan, I watched the team struggle to find an identity until a style of play emerged. An exciting hybrid style that included Leonel Alvarez and gringo wonderboy Jason Kreis created some special times. As an unpredictable possession minded type of style emerged, I became a huge fan of th then olive pin-striped hoops. With the additions of guys like Zarco and Pareja and the ever steady goal keeping of Mark Dodd, the future looked great. Then came the electric play of the Ecu/Argie long haired phenom Graziani, and it was a soccer wet dream. My family and I would blend in behind the flags and fervor of the Inferno and La Mara Loca. The experience was too good to be true. We would go to playoff games, and even had to sit in the upper deck of the Cotton Bowl due to the number of fans who attended. The team, the style, the fan base all reflected the DFW metroplex. Andy Swift was working his britches off to win new fans one at a time. Dave Dir, steadily improved his concepts of the game. We won the Lamar Hunt Open Cup. Sometimes we would get good results, some times we would not. Sometimes we would get good player aquisitions and sometimes we would not. However, the trendline was undoubtedly on the way up. And, fans of all colors and backgrounds were routinely embracing each other and suffering together with the ups and downs of our beloved Burn. As fans, we were not easily satisfied. What many of us felt that we lacked was special treatment from the league. The same special treatment that the LA's and DCU's were getting in terms of player acquisitions. We naively thought that if we were purchased by anyone, we would be reeling in the elusive MLS Cup that we all craved. In addition, we were mortified at the thought that MLS would contract us in the way that the two Florida teams were pulled off of life support. In came Lamar Hunt and the Hunt Sports Group. Initially we all thought that this was the missing piece of the puzzle. What we then did not recognize, was the fact that HSG did not share that same all encompassing and diverse flavor that true Burn fans had come to love. From what I can gather, Don Lamar already had his love and personal dream that he was trying to re-live. Reportedly he fell in love with his wife and the game watching English soccer. The Dallas Burn was something that he never understood, nor cared to understand. Furthermore, his organization was hell bent on turning the franchise into a mini-replica of an EPL side. You've got to credit the Hunt passion and investment into soccer as they put an unprecedented effort into new plans for the team. Obviously without them, their would be no MLS in Dallas. However, they callously and intentionally bled the once proud Dallas Burn into a miserable and agonizing death. Why they could not appreciate what a great foundation that they turned their backs on was mystifying. Anything Hispanic was trashed. The uniforms changes were flagrant copies of Manchester United, and the team was moved to the white bastion of South Lake Carroll. British Isles coaches and players began to systematically take the place of the hybrid facets that had made the team great. HSG rebranded the team without regard for the existing fan base. The message was clear. HSG did not want just any fans, they exclusively wanted suburban flight customers. When the investment at Frisco began to look embarrasing, a different direction was embarked upon. Some minor window dressing would replace the hell bent objective of creating an EPL mini-replica. They realized that surving on such an limited customer base was not feasible. And a change of direction was needed to dupe some of the former fans to show up to help pay the bills. However that direction would refuse to ever put a style of play that allowed for a non-Eurocentric concept to be put into play. Here we are today. Yes, FCD has some window dressing here and there, but at its core it is and continues to be mini-Britania in a self damning way. Consider our weather and demographics and you cannot help but reach the obvious conclusion. You accuse me of being negative. I consider myself to actually be a hopeless optimist. One day these people will come to their senses. Please view my posts as a loving two-by-four whack to the head with the hope that eventually some sense can be knocked into them. And, this is a time of change. New leadership at HSG could take this team and put it back on its rightful track.
Theo, Thanks for your thoughtful post. I do understand your perspective and it's very different from mine. I moved to Dallas in summer '04 and ignored the team for a season and then became a fan two seasons ago. I never knew the team as the Burn. I moved from Atlanta where there was no MLS (well, there was USL soccer but, I didn't know that at the time.) I grew up in London and to see professional soccer again is great. I don't care that I have to drive 45 minutes to get to Frisco because it's the closest game of half-decent football. I did go to a few games at the Cotton Bowl which I enjoyed ($10 a seat!!!) The gals in my family didn't like it so now an FCD game is boy's day out. I agree Hispanic fans are crucial and a huge missing aspect of attending an FCD game. The problem seemingly could be remedied rather easily but, Hitch and HSG don't seem to care. That annoys me. I also hate the location of PHP, but that has been discussed numerous times and the conclusion is that's the only place a stadium that nice could have been built. Also it's proven (Interliga, America exhibition) that Hispanics will venture out to Frisco if they believe the game they will see is worth it. Also we know that the atmosphere at PHP can be electric (playoff vs. Colorado.) I think Dave Dir was a good coach, but had drinking problems (I might be wrong.) I don't know why Andy Swift was removed, but he sounds like a good guy. I don't think you should be attack Steve Morrow though. He hasn't done anything really terrible... yet. If/when he's does then hate away, but until then give him a chance. Just because he was born in Northern Ireland doesn't mean he'll only sign Brits. Look at his staff a Columbian and an Italian (?). Also his partner teams are both Latin American. It'll be okay.