I've had it. I want his head. I can't take the inconsistany any more. I've already seen one petition for his removal, I will start another one if needed. Anyone know Counce's email? It's time we draw a line in the sand before we start losing our "casual" fan base. We are looked at as a joke in the league. I, as a season ticket holder from the beginning, don't want to watch our team go down the drain. I believe we, the fans, could handle the losing better (to an extent) if we at least had some consistancy with our lineup. We could then judge the players for what they are. Did we over estimate some? Are we not scouting well? Etc.. It is true that all of the responsibility is not Hankinson's fault, but I saddle him with the majority of it. The other teams in the league seem to think that the 10 or so weeks of pre-season is enough to piece together a starting lineup. Why not us? I know it was only pre-season, but have we seen a lineup that is even close to how the team was training? I want him out!!
When grimandi saw that the team had to haul a wagon of painted stones up the hill at practice that Hankinson devised for these adult players, He knew that he was in the wrong leaque,wrong club.
It is true that all of the responsibility is not Hankinson's fault, but I saddle him with the majority of it ____________________________________ _______________________________________ It is totally his fault. He has decided to changed what he wants his team to do but has not told the team. Before the season he described his new attacking style. Being that everyone would take up the role of pibe. Everyone would go in and out of the middle. Now he wants another pibe???Well if he does then he should tell the players what he wants from them. Tell them their roles out there.. He doesn't communicate with the players. If he wants to be a coach, Then COACH the talent that he has on this team. If he wants to be a talent scout then apply somewhere else and bring in a players' coach...
You're correct. I take back my statement. He is the problem and if Counce doesn't see it, he needs to go also.
Bang! I think mrjaw drove the nail through the board with one swift strike there. Short of going winless in their first 10 games this year, I wouldn't count on Hankinson being let go in mid-season. And for those above Counce -- that is, AEG -- when they've got other teams in their stable winning championships, why should they be concerned about anything other than ticket sales in Colorado?
I think Greenie nailed how I feel pretty well. It seems to me that the Rapids front office could care less about the fans at BIGSoccer and in section 127 because they continue to find new ways to sell more and more casual fan tickets. I'm sure Counce can't afford another 1996, but he can certainly not feel much pressure to win a cup when attendance has been growing with mediocrity. And with a large number of consecutive .500 seasons, change the team name/color/location. Definitely no real incentive to keep players like Balboa through retirement. Screw tradition and everything a supporter stands for. Having spewed all this, I will say that this is all premature. Hanky has 3-4 strikers and only two playing spots for them. Sure it seems he's mucked with the back line chemistry, but if you're going to try new blood, you do it at the start of the season. If they click, you're a hero, and if they screw up, you've got a lot of time to correct things. Seems like Hanky was trying to help Chris out playing him on the wing instead of on the pine. The Frenchie fiasco is embarrassing (especially after Amocachi (sp?)). When it rains, it pours. And I find it very depressing that several members of the team are criticizing Hanky SO EARLY in the season. It seems they've given up on him after only 2-3 matches. This is probably the biggest reason to fire Hanky (he may have already lost the respect of the team). Counce will remain as long as ticket sales remain brisk (as close to a tenure position in sports as you will ever find).
This seems to happen on a lot of teams... The coach loses the player's respect, and they quietly tank away their games until he gets fired. After 3 games, it's hard to say if that's happening, but didn't New England have a rough start last year and then end up in the MLS Cup after their coach was replaced? Hope is not all lost just yet, but if this goes another 3 games without a win, then toss him!!
Ouch. That's scary. It is the Big Time Wrestling model. You need a lousy team to play the good teams.
Ticket sales may be good, but watch the numbers drop off (especially season plans) after a couple/few years of "league bitch" status. Forgive me a philosophical moment here, but isn't it the possibility, no matter how slim, of greatness that keeps the regulars coming back?
I agree that after three games is too early to call for someone's head, but that is not the case. This has been going on for longer than that. Players like Pablo and Senny don't come out to the press after three games. The players were very frustrated with his subbing (or lack of) last year and were growing tired of his "antics" as a coach. We were the only team not to play all of our players last year, and it showed when some of our younger guys came in and tried to do something. Tim ran our starters to the groung last season and when it came time to step it up in the playoffs, we were dead. I could go on with more examples, but I'm not going to waste my time. I want to move on with a different coach.
Hasn't that been our status since 1998? For that matter, we were a complete doormat in 1996 and backed our way into the playoffs in 1997. If not for the miracle cup final appearance, it would be hard to argue that any team has achieved less.
Sad but true. Woe is us.... Seriously though, what's the over/under in # of games for Hanki getting tossed out of here. Should we start a new thread for that?
I blame Hankinson! First of all, has he ever played the game? What kind of credentials does this guy have? Why can't he recruit talent? He either gets players that are too young with not enough skill or players that are too old. We end up with no bench! The big mistake he has made was building the whole team around one player (Grimandi). He did this with Pibe too and it became a problem. Honestly, I don't think Crawford or Jeff Stewart should play until we desparately need them to. Why aren't we starting Carrieri? I know he mouthed off to the press, but someone had to. In my opinion, the whole team consists of Chung, ZiZi, and Fraser. It has taken Hankinson too long to rearrange his team to the proper positions after the Grimandi departure. I just have this feeling that Hankinson is lost...please call your friend Yallop for some help, I'm sure he can give you some insight. That's my 2 cents!
What bugged me about Saturday's game was all the fouling. It honestly seemed like the Rapids were more interested in getting yellows on cheap, unnecessary fouls than on stringing passes together. After Mastroeni's cheap foul got him a yellow near the end, I actually found myself hoping the damn Mutts would score again and run up the score. The Rapids didn't deserve to even be close. They finally started to play in the last 10 minutes (not sure if that had anything to do with Beckerman or not), but until then that was the ugliest Rapids game I've ever seen in person. What a waste. And the fouling isn't all Hanky's fault, but I do feel like he should take most of the blame.
Welcome to our new "Black & Blue" football! Great frickin idea. What a team concept. We won't lead the league in anything but fouls as long as the situation doesn't change.
The most glaring aspect of the game for me was the complete lack of passion and emotion exhibited by the players on Saturday. This team seemed to feel lucky to score their goal and once they got it, they were content to try and hold the lead. I've said this before but the Rapids lack a killer instinct. Once they got the goal, they never looked like scoring another. Good teams smell blood and are relentless in their pursuit of another goal. You can't tell me that Ruiz, Twellman, Stewart, Razov, and LD are content with one goal. No way and neither are their teams. You can see teams visibly pick up their games when they get a lead and try to put their opponents away. Not the Rapids. I hate to say cause I've been a Hanki supporter for his two years here but enough is enough. I was content to give him time to build a team and he has. Now he has to get them to play and he can't. Carrieri's comments cannot be a lone voice in the lockerroom. We've read hints from Pablo and Spenny and they have to be growing larger. Hanki has to go as well as, Counce but I doubt that will happen since they are selling tons of tickets even with a horrible product on the field. The Rapids have to find a way out of this funk and I think all the excuses have been used up except for 'Hanki must go'. I've never seen a performance so devoid of excitement and passion as Saturday's against NY/NJ. It was pathetic.
Unfortunately I've often felt this about the Rapids. We've had a tendency to field soft teams here, and this goes back to Mooch as well. I wish I could say that the Rapids are a team who play their hearts out, but they aren't. The teams looking for a silver bullet whether it's in the form of lineup or an SI. What they really need to do is look to themselves for solutions. I don't know if Hankinson is the guy to get them to do that. Problem is who can? Anyone ever wonder if Vermes would be a good coach?
True statement... I guess what feels particularly bad about this year's situation is the the hype and strength coming out of the preseason has been followed by lackluster and meandering play in the regular season. With the reports and feedback on how strong the team was going to be, I don't think there were many who, on April 11, would have expected to be 0-2-1 at this point and using a random-lineup-generator every week.
You need to take MLS for what it is, a centrally controlled league that has no interest in allowing a team in Colorado to win championships. When the Rapids are averaging 20k a game as an average team, why would the league care if they get better? MLS is interested in LA, DC, and NY winning, period. They need big markets to keep the league going. So, you get a league with extreme parity with a few teams having the edge. Personally, I wish the team would be more aggressive. Last year we would make a ton of runs, which cost us on defense, but it was a hell of a lot more entertaining than the soccer played this year. I believe the Rapids had 1 shot on goal in the first 30 minutes.
That's the first name I've seen tossed out there, and a good one at that. He played with a lot of heart, certainly has MLS experience under his belt. Might be worth a look. Would he be the first coach who had also played in the league? (Clavijo wasn't playing anymore by the time he was coaching NE right?)
Bingo, but no former players are yet to coach a team. Well, we really haven't had that many coaches period in this young league, yet...