Wow. I can see why no love for Tim. From the interview it sounds like he has been too busy to pay attention, but then saw one game (Dallas), felt the guys didn't show up and so on that basis of that game decided someone heads had to roll. And he thinks that the problem wasn't really Lalas (who apparaently AEG hired for the 3rd time despite his lack of success each time) or Ruud, or the assinine trades over the past few years. But nooooo... Tim sees the problem is that the players lack character?! He talks about needing the cockiness we had when we were winning championships. Duh... you had a defense back then, Tim. It's easier to be cocky when you don't give up 40 goals in 19 games. It's like the teams actual skills and physical abilities are irrelevant. Coaching tactics don't matter. The team apparently just needs more "character" - that will make Vanney faster, and Pete be able to complete a pass, and Cronin quicker. He is correct that the effort wasn't there in Dallas, but that hasn't been the problem most of the season. Most of the time the team played hard and still lost. It is clear that he has no clue that the teams problems are an incredibly slow backline, a sieve for a keeper, a new lineup on the left and at defensive midfield every other week, a coach who decided that starting Vagenas as our "linking player" every week was a good idea, even though it coincided with our winless streak. Tim hasn't noticed that the team doesn't play team defense first, keeping their shape, staying compact with numbers behind the ball, closing down space, like consistently successful soccer teams do everywhere, including MLS. No, those aren't the issues - we just need more "character"... I'm guessing now that Lalas blathering about players "who can handle the spotlight" trickled down from this clueless moron. What utter BS. Hopefully Cobi sees how this team needs to play and can impart it because if he doesn't, I'm sure Tim won't have a clue about how to hire a new general manager and/or coach. He was right to fire Lalas, but now I'm just scared he will hire Lalas II....
I like the interview. It is clear that the team has suffered from major dysfunction ever since the X fiasco. This team has the talent to win, and now it is all on their shoulders. Tim can't lose with this move. If they don't make the playoffs, well they were headed that direction and that is what everyone exects but if they make it, Tim will look like a genius. "How much input does David Beckham have?" "NONE." Nice.
how funny, we destroy dallas and the fire their coach. dallas destroys us and we fire our coach, or at least make it an untenable position that makes him leave.
Well said SkyDog! You could almost here Tim saying....Not me! It's not my fault, I am/was busy trying to bring a US style football team to LA. I had no idea how bad it was. I saw one game and I knew AEG had to make a change. Bummer for Ruud, but give him credit, he called the shot, sold his house and is out of here; yesterday. Happy trails Ruud......
I'm just not convinced that Tim should be making the decisions he is making. He flat out admits in the interview that he hasn't been paying much attention to the team until "a few weeks ago" (the Dallas game?) and on the basis of that one game he decided changes need to be made. What does he know how to do? Not fix a slow backline. Not find a confident keeper. Not identify a good left midfielder. Not even identify a person who can do any of the above. Tim's solution is to fire some people to "send a message" to the players we already have. The truth is that we do not have the required talent throughout our roster to be the elite team that Tim seems to think we should be. He's not smart enough to figure that out. I have a small amount of hope in Cobi/Bravo but since there is no real ability to make moves from here till the end of the season I'm not expecting much better then the inconsistant results we've already seen this year.
I Am Sam For those of you not familiar with American Corporate Business I give you. Tim Leiweke Preisdent of AEG. You say that guy should be giving a corporate media presentation about a merger between hedge-fund investor groups and chinese based satellite imaging rights for north american telecommunications companies and there government sub contracted distributors. Well your right. And he should also be making soccer decisions. Lalas for all his short comings and there were too many to take that man seriously on any level... he was created and paraded by this man Tim Leiweke. Beckham/Ruud/Simon Fuller/Tim Brynes or "Team Foreign Chokehold" dont understand the league and how it works. Lalas/Bravo/Tim Payne/Cobi or "Team Lucky to Have A Job" probably had to work on other issues #23 jersey sales than team issues. So both camps are down one man each... And it comes down to sides, which side are you on? This is
can we fire Leiweke? is that something to bring to the attention of the Galaxy Ambassadors? that's freaking disgraceful.
And interviews with both Hitchcock and Leiweke, while not outright saying it, implying that those individual games were the main causes...