Hunter: Smith and Andrulis likely to return

When I came into Columbus on I-70 for the WWC I passed a building labeled Tom Fitzgerald's Sanitation Company. I appeared to do the thankless job of supplying port-a-potties and other waste hauling activities. As I drove by, I wondered what Greg Andrulis would be doing next year. Unfortunately for C-bus and MLS fans it looks like Andrulis will retain his current dignified job. I for the life of me can't figure out how. Picked First, Finished Worst. The Crew have to be the biggest underachiever since Bart Simpson broke onto the scene.

 

Figures...Columbus is the only team in any sport where missing the playoffs or just sneaking in is perfectly acceptable.

 

I cannot justify paying for another season of horrible soccer. Andrulis must go, and if it takes a massive protest this weekend, I'm willing to do it.

 

They really think people are going to pay money to see another Andrulis-coached team?

Forget it. HSG can kiss my ass.

 

I can't believe that they are going to put people in a position of choosing between supporting the club that they love, and paying for what you know is an inferior product with Andrulis coaching. It sucks, I can't turn my back on this team, but at the same time I can't just chuck more money straight down the crapper to see sh!t soccer. He's lost the locker room everyone knows it, everyone sees it, Andrulis out!

 

I can't imagine that this is true. It just makes no sense.

If Smith asked feedback from the few players who have left it all on the field Andrulis would surely be gone.

If Smith had any respect for the fans he would go straight to HSG and tell them that Andrulis needs to go immediately after teh final whistle of our season.

And you gotta think about this. His contract is up. So he needs to sign another contract. How many coaches sign one year contracts? None that I can remmber. If this is true we are looking at another 2-3 years of Andrulis. That can't be right.

I honestly can't believe that Smith is that stupid that he is willing to let this happen.

I'm with Zak, something has to be done this weekend to make sure they hear us.

 

Assuming this is all true...

I would like to see the contract Greg gets. If he gets two years (or more), the the Crew can go f'themselves - that's like continually rewarding years of below average seasons and no appearances in MLS Cup finals. If he gets one year, I'll be extremely upset but still give them a couple of games to see exactly what they do.

What I question is: the execuses for this season's performance were in order: injuries, national team duty, player loss (Torres and Dunseth), various (soccer gods, bad food, personal problems, lack of proper erections, etc.)...

Will that change next season?

I say, no.

National Teams will start qualifying in January so I'll expect an increase in call-up frequency and duration (training). Unless Maissonueve retires, and we get rid of West and Cunningham - we will likely have the same injury problems (those three seem to be the most consistent injuries besides McBride, who this season managed to stay relatively healthy compared to previous seasons).

That leaves allocations and senior international roster spots for tuning.

Senior Internationals
Oughton - I say gone: by eliminating Oughton the Crew free a SI spot, potential conflicts due to Oughton being called up to the national team; for a marginally average player.

Walsh - I say also gone: frees SI spot, for an average player who although has potential is (like almost all youth SI's the Crew have played) a roll of the dice and will likely not turn out.

Williams - I hope to hell gone, but I have this sickening feeling that Smithdrulis will give him another season to provide the role they (and MLS) seems to have for SI's (veteran skills and leadership).

Chacon - Most likely gone, but I also have this feeling the Smithdrulis will evaluate him during the offseason to see if they can bleed any more out of him. That overtime assist in DC probably did more to help APC's career than anything - when our backs were against the wall he delivered. As long as he is relatively inexpensive compared to his on field delivered worth he will probably be kept even if as a substitute.

Allocations

Honestly I don't know enough (yet) about International soccer and the who's and what's - but I would assume Cunningham and every other player who doesn't have a contract next season - won't. That will free up maximum space to negotiate with allocations.

 

If you are corey gibbs why would you want to play here for a hapless coach? The only reason I can figure is if he wants to form some sort of bond and get used to playing with Hejduk. I want to jump out of a window.

 

I've always thought this was the kicker: the guy's been the coach for two-and-a-half years. In any sport, offering a one year deal to a guy with his tenure is an insult that they wouldn't accept.

And since HSG is notorious for not wanting to eat coaches' contracts, no matter how badly they suck, I figured there was just no way we re-sign the bastard.

The real question this raises is: What happened?

Hunter wrote that he was almost for sure gone. He didn't make it up, he got it from someplace.

So somebody, most likely Smith, got on the horn and said "No, no, not true" so Hunter essentially printed a retraction.

So what was the scenario here? And who was tellling the truth?

I only know this - I will watch on TV, I will follow the team and I will love the team, but I will not give them my money as long as that idiot is on the sideline.

 

this made my decision for me.....i am waiting on putting a deposit on season tix for next year until they assign the coaching position. if the re-sign andrulis i will not get season tix. if they sign someone else outside the organization i will get them. even though next summer is filled with weddings for me i will still take a chance on the scheduling of the games wont be the same weekends.

 

Jesus, looks like I've got my work cut out for myself this weekend. I'll try and get Jim Smith cornered at some point and ask him a bunch of questions. I hope this isn't true. I want Andrulis gone.

 

I gotta hope that this article is similar to the dreaded "vote of confidence" that cocahes get when everyone knows its over.

It's either that or spin from Smith before the final game to say, "Look we got a man who can lead us to the Cup, so come out for the game and get behind him and the team." But if so, that's a strange spin.

 

The more I think about this, the more it smells.

Beyond the above (which is weaseling of the first order) there's this:

Smith previously said, as is reasonable, that everyone, players, coaches and staff, would be evaluated after the season. He said it was necessary to see the end result before making decisions and changes.

But NOW he's telling Hunter (and it has to be him - nobody else over there has the throw-weight to get Hunter to retract a statement) that the decision has ALREADY BEEN MADE TO KEEP ANDRULIS!!!!!!

What happened to "Everybody gets evaluated"??? What in the name of Timo Liekoski has Andrulis done so well that he gets a pass on even being evaluated????

What a crock of horsecrap.

 

I sure as hell won't be there this Sunday simply because Hunter's piece might have some truth to it.

 

I'm going to turn my house into a bar, then everyone can come over, donate some cash for some beers, and we'll just get the shootout package.

 

Wire's gotta be crossed somewhere. I really don't believe this article. Something is wring. There is no chance Andrulis is back.

Bill pointed out what Smith said earlier. Eveyone is evaluated after the season. This is just paper filler.

There is no chance HSG gives this bum a 2 year contract or more. They got rid of Jeffries in Dalllas when he was running the team into the ground. The last thing they want is a 75% empty SSS that they put their money into. That would look worse than Dragon Stadium any day.

Andrulis is gone. The article is bunk.

 

hang,

The only problem is that the fans have not stayed away, yet.

Only a small house Sunday, and of greater importance, a drop in season-ticket renewals, will cause HSG to actually do something, if the status quo remains a week or so after the Crew is eliminated from playoff qualifying/contention.

 

That's always a good laugh when driving on I-70 east of Columbus, but the Tom Fitzgerland Sanitation Company was there even before the Ignorant One was a gofer for Timo.

As for the current manager, he will move back to Miamisburg (assuming he had stopped making the commute as he had for six years as an assistant).

 

Makes you wonder how much truth there is to the "over half the team might be gone" statement as well.

Business as usual next season minus one to three players?

It could happen.

 

I don't have season tickets, I was thinking of getting them this off-season, but screw it. If they keep Andrulis I'm never coming back to a Crew game. From '99 until now the club has done nothing but turn from classy to crappy. The team has gotten worse and worse as time goes by. CCS has lost the feeling of being fan friendly with constant price increases and sh!tty concessions. Top to bottom the Crew have gone to sh!t. The only thing that keeps me coming back is my loyalty to the Crew, if they keep Andrulis they are telling me my loyalty doesn't mean crap to them.

 

The house will be packed on Sunday. I have my two tickets PLUS my wife had a Pepsi certificate for 2 more free tickets. Many season ticket holders are cashing in their unused tickets for this game. So people isn't going to be a problem (parking definitely will be!).

The only good news is that the due date for season ticket renewals is 10/26; the day after the game. If we're out and Greg is still in, then I'm saving my money for next year. And I did let my account rep know about this.

 

I'm sure this is posturing from the front office. HSG reads the Hunter column on the paper or even here and makes a nasty call to Smith. Nothing ruins team chemistry more than knowing your coach isn't back next year. Don't need to play hard because the coach won't be back next year.

Now the story is "players" won't be back. Now they need to play hard to fight for a roster spot for next year...

Motivation by fear. Not necessarily intelligent, but hey, we've had how many years of mediocrity? Why stop now?

 

I thought I heard Rob Stone say on Sunday that Andrulis was under some pressure and that the club has the option on his contract for next year.