I think I can speak for a majority of Rev fans when I say; HELL NO. I think that most of us believe that the way SN has remolded the team over the past two months and the way the team has come from last to Div Champs under his guidence has won our respect and full support for his being redesignated at "COACH". In fact if the Revs can win tonight and are able to pass the Crew to reach the Cup match SN would be a lock to be vote Coach of the Year. Win or Lose tonight SN will be the Rev Coach next year.
Well, George Griffin isn't going to speak for me . I think it depends on how they lose (if, god-forbid, they do). If the team just doesn't show up, like often happened under Clavijo, I think a fair case could be made that Nichol isn't yet up to the job. I don't expect this to happen however in which case Nichol deserves to be the non-interim coach from here on out.
The way the front office has handled things since '96...expect the unexpected. SN has done a fine job...so, he'll probably be replaced.
question 2? ok, curious Dallas fan question 2.......... There is a lot of conjecture over on the Metro boards that when, inenvitably, the Revs bring someone in to play that "attacking center mid" and D. Hernandez is forced to accept more a defensive role, he will start to sulk and return to his pre-trade 2002 form. Thoughts?
Look, Steve Nicol has taken the freakin' New England Revolution to the MLS semis, and maybe beyond! If that's not world-class coaching, I don't know what is. The issue isn't whether the Revolution want him back, it's whether he gets a better offer elsewhere. Don't you think he'd love to manage back in England, even at the DI or DII level?
I agree that he'll start to get some notice, but unless the Revs really try to squeeze him on salary, I would think he'd take a few more years to better establish himself before stepping up. The Revs aren't just winning - they are playing really well. The typical Steve Nicol win is 2-0. They've become VERY good at getting the first goal, VERY good at keeping plenty of people behind the ball with the lead, and VERY good at burning teams as they have to open up. One of the most impressive things about Nicol's job this year, is that he improved the team little-by-little, with a LOT of patience. If it hadn't been a quick enough turn-around for management or fans, so be it, but he did it his way (to coin a phrase).
I think Nicol did have to win last pm in order to keep his job, following his team's poor outing in the second game. But by winning such an important game in such a dominant fashion, and in spite of being forced to juggle his line up, he has convincingly proven his ability and silenced his (and Smith's) critics, myself included. The intriguing issue that arises now is the question if he and Gulati can coexist since they seem to have a very different opinion of how the game should be played and what constitutes a good player. Ironically, if the Revs continue to win Nicol's position may become more powerful than Gulati's.
I CAN'T BELIEVE SOME OF YOU PEOPLE. What does a coach have to do to get a "hell yes' form you all? SN takes over with the team in trouble. The team is playing a style that doesn't suite the personnel available. Then there are injuries and card suspensions. Top that off there is a mega trade and additional new players. We are left with a blue color bunch of average MLS players. SN institutes a new style and slowly gets the team to------"GEL". The result is that in the past two months we have fielded the best team to ever wear a Rev kit. What MLS team has ever made a run like the Revs pulled off in the past two months. SN has done as good a job as any coach in the world could have done with what he has had to work with. The thought that management would even consider replacing him after what he's accomplished is absolutely rediculous. I will tell you this and it isn't an idle threat: If SN isn't offered the coaching job for next year I will send my season tickets back to Mr Kraft covered in dog ************ and stay on the Island and concentrate on watching soccer on Fox Sports World, Canada.
In mid-August there was a thread here about getting a new coach next season, stopping the Revs' mediocrity that has permeated the last seven seasons, and how Nicol hasn't done the job even though he had been at the helm since May, since we continued to lose at a ridiculous rate up until that point. At that time, I said whole-heartedly that he should be let go at the end of the season and a new search should begin. We were just about out of playoff contention when that thread was active. After the last 9 games, when we've seen the same active offense scoring goals on the line, but Steve Nicol having patched the holes in the defense, the results are going our way in a BIG TIME way, well, you'd have to have your head examined to think he isn't the coach for us. His inspiration, gutsy talk, and krafty planning is why the players are playing like they are, and they are playing for HIM. It just apparently took a while before the players bought into his system, and this is HIS team now and he should be retained for next year, even if we go down to Columbus in 2 games (which I doubt will happen). Take the damn 'Interim' moniker off now, give the guy the respect he deserves in the media, and give him the team for next year, at a minimum (a big fat raise might help too!). On the other hand, they can fire Gulati's ass any time. He's the most useless piece of crap I've ever seen. I hope the Revs can win it all, and send Todd Smith off into the sunset with style.
Let it rest Hopefully this question will be answered once and for all. Steve Nicol will be the "Interim" Head Coach for as long as the Revs are still playing--hopefully for the next 2+ weeks. They are not going to discuss this at all until after the season is over. Steve is concentrating on Columbus and is focused on preparing the team to do what they need to do. There is no point in reading into Gulati's words and getting bent out of shape at this point. It seems pretty clear that no matter what happens to not make it official after the season would be the biggest blunder in Revs history, and they all know it. Tom
I think his job is secure for next season at least. He's proven he knows how to put the right people out there on the field and that he can motivate them. I think they're just waiting until the offseason to discuss any of this, and rightly so. I don't think the Revs need any extra distractions.
George: All I was saying was that the 3rd Chicago game would be a big test for Nicol. Big games like that were ones where the old Revolution would often roll over die, especially after the game two loss. Nichol certainly deserves to be back. You'll get no argument from me.
Can we go back to being friends once the Revs are out of the playoffs? Amigo? Bro? Main Squeeze? Buddy?
Definitely the 'proverbial sunset' Rickster. What I was referring to was Todd's work being done here in New England after 2 years at the helm. An MLS Championship would be sweet, and then he'd ride into the sunset, content that his work is complete, kind of like one of those old cowboy movies (with the theme music trailing behind him).