Coach Rumor

Discussion in 'Colorado Rapids' started by GoRapids, Nov 16, 2004.

  1. jimmyco

    jimmyco Member

    Jan 17, 2003
    Aurora, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I asked Borchers (at the viewing party Sunday) if he had any preference as to who the new coach should be. He said that that person had to have respect for the players (hint hint) and the game, and preferrably someone with experience in the league and the Nats.

    Bliss would appear to have all of that.
     
  2. Bonji

    Bonji Moderator

    Feb 4, 2003
    Denver, Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If he could come out here and have the success he's had in KC, I'd be happy. Gansler is the class of the league and someone respected by him must be doing something right. I'm sure he'd be a lot more fairly priced compared to Sigi. Go for it Wright!
     
  3. phills

    phills Member

    Nov 24, 1999
    that would be awesome!!! when i read the article i immediate thought of the likings of novak
     
  4. Bonji

    Bonji Moderator

    Feb 4, 2003
    Denver, Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Except has 5 years of assistant coaching experience.
     
  5. phills

    phills Member

    Nov 24, 1999
    Except has 5 years of assistant coaching experience.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------
    what do you mean? is this bad? why recycle head coaches??? Novak was an assistant.. Who do you want for gosh's sakes??
     
  6. Bonji

    Bonji Moderator

    Feb 4, 2003
    Denver, Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Don't get all riled up. I was saying this as a good thing. Nowak didn't have as much experience. Read the rest of my posts in here.
     
  7. GreatGonzo

    GreatGonzo Member+

    Jul 1, 1999
    MA
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    No, it's not bad. Nowak had no coaching experience prior to coaching for DC, so hopefully Bliss would be a better coach than Nowak.
     
  8. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    I think Bliss would make a fine head coach. He certainly has the pedigree as both a player and an assistant. Knows the game as a whole, has international experience and MLS experience as a player and has five years as an assistant on a good team where he's been scouting players and seeing what works and doesn't.

    I certainly think you could do worse.

    That said, I was curious what he meant by this:

    "I think I'll place a call on Monday to whomever's over there, whether it's [Rapids governor] Charlie Wright, [general manager] Dan Counce, or [Rapids soccer ambassador] Marcelo [Balboa] to express my interest and let it go from there."

    Is 'Celo in a decision making position now, in terms of the head coach?
     
  9. spot

    spot Member+

    Nov 29, 1999
    Centennial
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I skimmed right by that. Good catch. It does suggest that there is some question mark about Counce for league insiders.
     
  10. Sempuukyaku

    Sempuukyaku Member+

    Apr 30, 2002
    Seattle, WA
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If this guy is going to be using Gansler's system of bunker ball, then I'm really not all that excited because we JUST FIRED a coach who plays ridiculous bunker ball.


    I wanna see some exciting, attacking football from Rapids FC next year. No more bunkering.
     
  11. bilfish

    bilfish New Member

    Feb 23, 2004
    Golden, CO
    Apparently we actually just fired a coach who preached, in his words, "attack, attack, attack."

    With Bliss it might sound more like "counterattack, counterattack, counterattack."

    Cheers,

    BilFish
     
  12. spot

    spot Member+

    Nov 29, 1999
    Centennial
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If I recall from reading the article earlier today. It sounds like Bliss is interested, and is contacting the Rapids. So he's in the hat. It didn't say that the Rapids have contacted him.

    I think Bliss would be fine, but I'd also like to see a few more names as well.

    No guarantee that Bliss will play bunker ball either. I don't think Bradleys teams really mirror Bruce Arena's so I don't know that Bliss has to follow in Gansler's footsteps. Many will disagree, but I'm less concerned about "system" right now then I am about hard work, professionalism, and respecting and trusting the players..
     
  13. Bonji

    Bonji Moderator

    Feb 4, 2003
    Denver, Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    We fired a coach who couldn't win games and get us to the final. If Bliss can get us to the final and in a position to win the Cup, then I don't care how he does it.
     
  14. mikebob

    mikebob Member

    Feb 21, 2002
    Denver, Colorado
    Spot's post pretty much sums it up. It's great that the Rapids are garnering attention from prospective coaches. Let's get some competition for the position.

    I wholeheartedly agree with this statment. A coach the players respect will do wonders for a team.
     
  15. bilfish

    bilfish New Member

    Feb 23, 2004
    Golden, CO
    Spot was, well... as his name implies, on.

    I want to see hard work and "professionalism" meaning experience in both MLS as well as European leagues, both on game day and during training.

    I also want to see more flowing, technical, exciting soccer.

    I'm serious, though. Really. The Rapids hit #1 for a week in 2004, but it didn't matter to me, they were getting so boring I had trouble watching it.

    Cheers,

    BilFish
     
  16. GoRapids

    GoRapids Member

    Sep 1, 1999
    Boulder CO
    Totally ... they hit #1 and everyone was just waiting for the ball to drop (and it did) because even though they were winning ... they never really looked that good. And man it sure was BORING.
     
  17. nowar99

    nowar99 Member

    Apr 14, 2003
    Boulder
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    But the Rapids were holding on for dear life when they hit the top, and their decline showed that it was a fluke. We were tying our way to the top - literally, the only exciting soccer from the Rapids was Joe Cannon, who single-handedly brought us to any success we did have (not to rehash that MVP argument).

    Its interesting, because a lot of people associate KC with bunker-ball and overall defensive play, but here is what I think: I think that KC has changed their game a little bit every year to adjust for their player's skills and a system that works.

    When they had Miklos Molnar back in (I think) '00, Molnar was one of the most exciting offensive players in the league. When the talent wasn't there, they played defense.

    This year, here are the stats league-wide:

    Eastern Conference GP W L T PTS GF GA STREAKS LAST 10
    Columbus Crew 30 12 5 13 49 40 32 Tied 2 5-0-5
    D.C. United 30 11 10 9 42 43 42 Won 3 5-2-3
    MetroStars 30 11 12 7 40 47 49 Lost 1 2-6-2
    New England Revolution 30 8 13 9 33 42 43 Won 1 3-5-2
    Chicago Fire 30 8 13 9 33 36 44 Lost 2 3-5-2

    Western Conference GP W L T PTS GF GA STREAKS LAST 10
    Kansas City Wizards 30 14 9 7 49 38 30 Won 1 5-3-2
    Los Angeles Galaxy 30 11 9 10 43 42 40 Lost 1 2-4-4
    Colorado Rapids 30 10 9 11 41 29 32 Tied 2 4-3-3
    San Jose Earthquakes 30 9 10 11 38 41 35 Tied 4 2-3-5
    Dallas Burn 30 10 14 6 36 34 45 Tied 1 3-6-1

    Sorry its not terribly lined up, but with 38 goals for (in an admittedly weak offensive season), KC is firmly in the middle of the road (granted, the lower end) for offensive production. 6 teams scored more, but not much more (except for NY and DC - every other team is within 4 goals. And they scored more than the Fire, Dallas, and uhhh, us (29 goals for - how weak is that??).

    All while having the best goals allowed number in the league.

    I would say that KC's success is not defined by bunker ball (although they play plenty of that), but rather by a team that can clearly adjust as necessary every year to what is necessary. And they do it without the big acquisitions that seem to fall to DC, NY and LA at will.

    And, as much as I dislike KC, I can't recall too many games where I thought "boy, they just don't look like they are ready to play or that they've practiced together this week".

    Still, I'd like to know everyone who is out there, but we could do worse than adopting KC's' philosophy.
     
  18. bilfish

    bilfish New Member

    Feb 23, 2004
    Golden, CO
    How weak is that?

    From my research, and I hope somebody finds me to be wrong, the Rapids had the lowest goals for (29) ever in the 9 year history of MLS. Evuh.

    Evuh. Evuh. Evuh.

    In close to 100 team "seasons" nobody has scored this low. Even when they didn't play 30 games in a season.

    Nowar99 also went against the grain to suggest that KC isn't completely boring, defensive soccer. Crazy stuff!

    I'm sort of on the fence (mostly too depressed about the Rapids play to see much beyond that), but Rapidsfan.com seems to agree, check the Behind the Green Door article.

    Cheers,

    BilFish
     
  19. Rei de Boston

    Rei de Boston New Member

    Mar 16, 2004
    I like that someone who is that experience is interested in the job. But really, how surprising is it that an assistant coach wants to be a head coach? The most important things to me have been expressed already: professionalism, hard work, knowledge of the game (MLS and Europe/International), and the ability to adapt to the players they have on the team.
     
  20. Malaga CF fan

    Malaga CF fan Member

    Apr 19, 2000
    Fairfax, VA
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Bliss might be a good choice, but he's kind of in the same mold as the Hammer, Dennis Hamlett. Either one would be a good coach, but I would prefer a coach with more international experience coaching (Bliss has 40 some US caps, I think, in addition to playing in Bundesliga2) and I'm not sure either of these guys have that going for them.

    Peter Nowak is proving that being an exceptional player could lead to being a successful coach (that doesn't always happen) and I think the Rapids should study his blueprint closely and try to find a similar person to put in charge. I don't care if they have official head coaching experience, as long as whoever it is can command the respect of players, as Nowak surely does.
     
  21. Bonji

    Bonji Moderator

    Feb 4, 2003
    Denver, Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I believe this is correct. I remember Eric Wynalda saying the same thing.
     
  22. smudgeyjoe

    smudgeyjoe Member

    Dec 15, 2001
    Westminster Colorado
  23. Bonji

    Bonji Moderator

    Feb 4, 2003
    Denver, Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Acording to Soccer America: Ercoli Fired.

    Pat Ercoli, the only coach in the nine-year history of the A-League's
    Rochester Rhinos, has been fired. The Rhinos, the best-supported
    A-League team since its inception in 1996, won A-League titles in
    1998, 2000 and 2001 and the U.S. Open Cup title in 1999 but have
    struggled in the playoffs the last three years, failing to advance
    further than the semifinals. Ercoli's record was 154-77-18. Names
    mentioned as possible successors include former Syracuse Salty Dogs GM Tommy
    Tanner, former Syracuse head coach Laurie Calloway and Kansas City Wizards
    assistant Brian Bliss, a native of the Rochester area.

    He's now available to the Rapids.
     
  24. GoRapids

    GoRapids Member

    Sep 1, 1999
    Boulder CO
    In my younger days I used to play against Tommy Tanner in a summer league.
     

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