But that would mean running the Fire like an actual soccer team rather than a financial asset to bleed dry.
Neither is going to happen, that is until all the expansion/SUM money stops coming in. No matter what the league says, I don't see them stopping at 24,25,26,27,28......I believe it will be a 30 to 32 teams league, if that's the case we are stuck with Hauptman for 10-15 years at least. #GODHelpUsAll
Of course Yes, and this is what is so maddening. We all see that thinks could improve quickly if he would let it happen. The think is that it would not even cost that much money. How much would a competent President and Coach cost? Maybe $200,000 each. For a pittance, we could have a team that we could be proud of and he would make even more money. I don't think that even Robbie Fowler can help on this one.
Don't know. It's from the December 2000 coaches trip to Barcelona. Remembered seeing it in the misty past. Found it on this Spanish Stockov fan site: http://www.angelfire.com/tn2/Stoichkov/spanishnews.html There's a separate picture which I assume is with David Kammarman, but I don't know if that means he's not the lurker. Hristo Stoichkov visitó ayer las instalaciones del Camp Nou acompañado de sus entrenadores de los Chicago Fire. El búlgaro invitó a todos sus técnicos (Bob Bradley, Denis Hamlett, Frank Klopas, Daryl Shore) y a David Kammarman, utillero del equipo, a conocer todos los rincones del coliseo barcelonista. El único que no pudo asisitir fue Mike Jeffries, segundo entrenador. Todos alucinaron. Mientras las elecciones americanas no pueden estar más reñidas, en fútbol ya saben lo que escoger: Barça. So it sounds like Mike might not have made the trip? He was hired by Dallas in January. Only 4 coaches being present matches up with this quote from an English Stockov fan site: http://www.angelfire.com/tx3/Stoichkov/ChicagoFire.html "The US media announced, that the Bulgarian megastar Hristo Stoitchkov has arranged a welcoming of the coaching staff of Chicago Fire in Spain the coming month. The four coaches of Fire will stay in the Catalunian capital four weeks. On the 11th they will watch the Catalunian derby-match Barcelona-Español and Stoitchkov is going to be their host."
Pictures re-posted since Angelfire. Per Chicago-Fire.com via Internet Archive Wayback Machine, Jeffries was scheduled to make the trip. http://web.archive.org/web/20010408025519/http://chicago-fire.com/press/releasetext.asp?prID=153 "From Barcelona, with Love The entire Fire coaching staff - Bob Bradley, Mike Jeffries, Denis Hamlett, Frank Klopas and Daryl Shore - next week will be heading to Barcelona, Spain, as part of an off-season coaches retreat. During its two-week Spanish stretch, the Fire entourage will benefit from a host of opportunities, including planning for the 2001 season, scouting talent, and exploring possible pre-season training sites. The coaches will also get a closer look at how other teams operate as they are scheduled to attend training sessions and games by first and second division teams, including a match between Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona vs. Español on December 11 at Nou Camp. Fire forward and former Barcelona megastar Hristo Stoitchkov will be serving as the coaches' host during the retreat." Daryl Shore wrote letters that were posted to the website, but the only one I found does not mention who went with them.
Well, there you've got pretty much everything right about this club in a single photo. As much as it would be nice to have Frank be the full-time face of the Fire, ideally we seek new blood. But finding someone else with the same local respect, charisma, and int'l experience is very difficult. Though he's another retread, really the only guy out there that can 'fix it' tomorrow is Bob. It won't happen; but hire an ambitious business-focused president with Bradley as the Bruce Arena-style GM/Coach/Guru/Chief Inquisitor, then attitudes change damn quickly.
These things are not within the realm of possibility. Trusting people who I think I can trust, my impression is that Andrew could never cede control in the way you are suggesting, and without that, no one like Bradley or Arena would touch this club with a ten foot pole. Forget about spending money, I don't think he has it in him to sit back and let people do their jobs without sticking his nose in.
To demonstrate how far we have fallen, the modern day equivalent to this trip would be Frank Yallop and Clint Mathis participating at an off-season coaches retreat at FC Hoverla Uzhhorod, hosted by Razvan Cocis.
Look, I wish Klopas all the best going forward. He just never should have been a manager, nor a TD at this level. Now, he'll likely have to restart his career @ the level he should have been at, which is either as an assistant coach to a legit manager, or as a scout.
...and we are not really in disagreement. I felt that he could have been an effective coach or a passable TD, but certainly not both at the same time. His double duty did not work in Chicago, nor in Montreal. He is still a heck of a lot better than Yallop, though. That said, we could and do much better.
The idea that Klopas was "pulling double duty" when he became coach in 2011 is a myth. When he moved downstairs, he was no longer technical director, his duties upstairs were taken on by Jeffries, Leon and later Petrei. The fact that the soccer operations setup was so unclear was in some ways purposeful. I don't know where the idea came from that Klopas was "pulling double duty" in Montreal. Matt Jordan was their TD last year and Adam Braz was it this year. In two and a half seasons with the Fire, Klopas never had a losing record and tied the club record for wins in a season (post Shootout) in 2012. He did all this with a smaller player budget than has been given to Yallop. For a bit more perspective, in 23 games as interim coach in 2011 (his first MLS gig) Klopas went 8-5-10 (34 points). In 27 games this year (his 16th year as a head coach), Yallop has earned seven less points. Klopas had no DPs on his team that season due to cut backs on player budget. Yallop has had four just this year. He had some faults, like any coach does. That said, had he been given the budget Yallop has received this year, I think we'd be having a different conversation entirely right now. I'm really interested to see how the Fire end the season solely to see where Yallop ranks in two year futility among past MLS coaches. A quick glance says he's right up there (or down there) as it were.
Short answer: Press coverage of the removal of Nick De Santis as sporting director. Longer answer: When he was hired, Klopas' title in Montreal was head coach and director of player personnel. When Nick De Santis was removed as sporting director, in July 2014, Saputo said of Klopas: “He will have the responsibility to tweak this team according to what he feels he needs to be more competitive for the remainder of this season, the 2014 CONCACAF champions league and the 2015 season". Most every article that I can recall from that time period implied or stated directly that Klopas would now have the duties of GM in addition to that of manager. A later reorganization by the Impact that September led to changes that walked back the appearance/actuality of dual duty. Saputo going to Saputo
@seamuslush, thank you. @FrenFan, I agree that Klopas was a decent coach (but not more than that ). However, he was both...and that was too much.
Frank Klopas as manager of the Fire in MLS Regular Season Action: 39 wins, 29 losses, 23 ties. 43% Winning Percentage (38% overall as TD or Manager 2008-2013) 140 points in 91 games. 1.54 PPG (1.43 PPG overall as TD and/or Manager 2008-2013) Yallop, Bliss, Pauno as manager of the Fire in regular season action (no meaningful difference in results yet to break it down further): 15 wins, 32 losses, 28 ties 20% Winning Pergentage 73 points in 75 games .97 PPG Since Klopas left, the Fire have managed one more victory (15) in 75 games than the Fire had in Klopas' final season (14 out of 34 in 2013). Since Klopas left the Fire have not matched our record in his worst season as TD or Manager (1.2 PPG in 2010). No real reason to think this will be the year, although the new acquisitions might change my mind.