Who should replace him? Is Preki free? Petke maybe? Chelis from the club formerly known as Chivas USA was also pretty good from what I remember.
Good question! I can make some wild guesses - and maybe some more hopeful suggestions. But to be honest, I don't know how the USL is viewed in the profession, who is really available and what it might take to get them. Also, changing in mid-season is always chancy so we may have to live with the situation for a while. My only hope is that Graham and Warren are as concerned as we are - and that they are prepared to admit that they made a mistake and are willing to correct it. If things don't improve - rapidly! - I will put my two cents in an email directly to those two gentlemen.
Lets not forget preki's last two games were 4-0 and 5-1. Lets look at the facts before this 3 game losing streak. 6 clean sheets, 4 wins, best start to a season ever. Then buckle left to be with his wife, graham smith and Adam Smith took charge and lost. San Jose sending players that MUST play. Graham smith still picking the team. Hmmmm......
USL Power Rankings – Week 6 1. LA Galaxy II (Previous: 4) 2. Charlotte Independence (Previous: 6) 3. Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (Previous: 3) 4. Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 (Previous: 5) 5. Louisville City FC (Previous: 2) 6. New York Red Bulls II (Previous: No. 1) 7. Orange County Blues FC (Previous: 8) 8. Rochester Rhinos (Previous: NR) 9. Charleston Battery (Previous: 7) 10. Richmond Kickers (Previous: NR) Best of the Rest – FC Cincinnati, Bethlehem Steel FC, Saint Louis FC, Portland Timbers 2, Wilmington Hammerheads FC Have you seen this team: Sacramento Republic
That was levity on my part. Levity. I think the consensus on this board so far has been that there are a lot of problems. No one is laying blame entirely on the coach, but expecting him to be an active part of solving these problems is natural. This club appears to be digressing. Overlooking the coaching would be negligent.
We have scored two goals this season. Two. Go back to last year and we're scoring something like 0.25 goals a game! That's like we score one goal every 4 games! It's incredibly pathetic. We're not going to win many games that way. At best we can hope for a 1-0 win and three scoreless draws. That's not going to cut it in this league, not to mention is a disservice to the Sac fan base who expect this team to produce as hard as fans put into it.
So, SacMan - you think the problem is more Smith than Buckle? Or the relationship with the Quakes is the reason we have not scored goals? What we are trying to determine is how to resurrect this team and we are beginning to think the most probable cause is the head coach. If the problem is Smith, how do we proceed - open a thread for him? If you think it is the relationship with SJ, what do we do there to take corrective action steps to improve our team? We all know that there have been some key player changes and that Preki left mid-season last year. I would agree that, for the most part, the defense is not the problem. Scoring goals is! I got from your post that you feel that there isn't anything we can do. Did I read you correctly?
Anyone saying Smith is the problem is wrong. Smith has been nothing but golden, nothing but exceeding expectations, and Republic FC would not be what it is if it were not for his leadership and drive. Graham Smith is the director who has more to do with coaching staff decisions and putting the pieces together. He's the one who found and brought in Buckle, and has had a hand in bringing in a lot of players and staff from his past connections. Graham has been successful up to this point, and we shall see if bringing in Buckle was the mistake or if it was other pieces. I'm still hoping this team turns around in the next few games, because if not, Buckle is going to be on the hot seat and may be headed out of here. The lack of loans from the Quakes is not to blame, but it certainly hasn't helped. If the Quakes are going to loan players, it needs to be for long periods. Preferably season-long or months at a time. Young players to gain experience and develop, other players to rehab or regain their form, etc. Not this last minute one game loan then recall, then a different player a couple of weeks later, then called back up, etc. This is not baseball. You can't just send a player to join a squad a couple of days before a game and play 90 minutes (not even considering the locker room/psyche implications of a regular starter sitting). I can say, as a fan of both the Quakes and Republic, this is not good for EITHER team. The Quakes have several players on their roster that are either young or peripheral players that could use a long term experience and minutes in USL, and likewise the Republic could use a few more players of higher quality (at least on paper) to help them succeed in USL. The way it is now, the Quakes aren't taking advantage of this affiliation to develop players and make the depth of the roster better, and the Republic suffer from unpredictable lack of help with guys popping in and out at a moments notice with no possibility of developing a consistent starting 11 that's cohesive and advantageous to playing the sport. It's frustrating! If we want to get technical, buried somewhere in the MLS-USL guidelines are that an affiliate should be loaning 4 players to their affiliate (open to interpretation, but 4 players at one time would certainly be better for both teams IMO), and add to that the rules stating any loanees who want to play in the playoffs need to have played for at least 5 games (or something like that). There's definitely the argument that the Quakes have not been living up to their obligation. So yeah, you can say I'm a little disgruntled about how the Quakes have treated this affiliation. Not to blame for Republic not performing, but it hasn't helped.
I won't clutter this thread by quoting all of QuietType's post, but I wholeheartedly agree that Graham is not the problem, and that it is disappointing that SJ is not using SRFC to develop players as vigorously as they could. In my view, that latter has nothing to do with how we (SRFC) play.....it's just a SJ fan's (me) lament.
Well said QuietType - and I agree. I just wasn't sure what SacMan was really saying. I believe you are right about Smith and about the Quakes/SRFC relationship. Are they going to be here or not? Can I count on them for 60 minutes or not? Another thought I had (please let me know if you think this has any validity or not) is that the league, even though it has expanded - has strengthened. I believe across the board. I am not sure that we have kept pace and it appears that you either improve or start to fall back. After all is said and done, however, I want this team to succeed and to play good soccer. I sincerely hope Buckle buckles down and puts out a winning team! Starting with the next game - a win over Los Dos in LA!
I was merely pointing out that blaming the coach without any facts is futile. Practicing all week on a game plan with 11 starters and come friday night san Jose decide to send a player is not conducive. It also messes with players who are being dropped for these guys. And yes, while graham smith has been great for the club he needs to keep his nose out of the dressing room and let buckle bring in his own players rather than cheap college boys who suit the budget rather than improve the team. Braun and Vukovic leaving saved the club $120k a year, we got in Christian and Minter for about $20k. Its now a business that has to make a profit and he only has to finish top 8 for the play offs. As for seeking the return of Preki? Gimme a break fellas...
Maybe "levity" is too obscure a term. How about I was just being silly. Does that work for you? Note the references to "consensus on this board" and "no one is laying blame entirely on the coach," etc. We all know your Buckle's biggest fan on the board, but you need not be so sensitive. Facts, they are useful, aren't they? Is that a fact? Your source of this information? And your source for this? Are you saying that Buckle has has no input? Again, how do you know this? You certainly state it as a fact. What is your inside information? I think I speak for most everyone by saying we're fine with speculation and opinion, since we all do it, just don't present it as fact. Speaking about facts... Actually, there have been seven clean sheets, and four of those belong to our opponents. You left out the fact that this is the longest losing streak in team history. You may dismiss that since Buckle was not here but, IMO (see how that works?), that's a cop-out. Probably true. I have no problem with that little bit of speculation based on broadcaster's comments during the last game. They probably have that information. Well, since you want to cherry-pick data from Preki's last two games, one of which was a friendly, let's not forget that Buckle's record over the last eight league and playoff (singular) games is 2-3-3. That's 1.125 pts per game, and that won't get it done. And that's a fact!!
Are you sure that's why they're making the moves they're making? How is it any more of a business that has to make a profit now than it was a year or two ago? Why does the team have to make a profit?? If they're really concerned about making a profit right now, as a third division team playing in front of sold out crowds and looking to reach MLS shortly (in an expensive new stadium, and with an ownership group that includes multiple billionaires) that would be REALLY foolish.
Head Coach and Technical Director Paul Buckle will answer fan questions live on reddit on Thursday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sacramento Republic FC Head Coach and Technical Director Paul Buckle will answer fan questions live in a reddit AMA (ask me anything) session on Thursday, May 5 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to submit their questions for the Q&A online via reddit, Facebook or Twitter and using the hashtag #AskUrbs. To give as many fans as possible an opportunity to ask Buckle a question, fans are welcome to ask questions prior to the AMA on reddit. Buckle will answer the questions live on Thursday from approximately 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Ask a question on reddit > Ask a question via Facebook > Ask a question via Twitter > At the conclusion of the AMA, select questions and answers will be featured at SacRepublicFC.com.
The ownership group are not billionaires. The first round of investors were just people with "extra" money who wanted some fun. Those guys have to be paid back. The billionaire investors ie Nagle wete brought in on business plans which showed a profit in year 3 - guess what, its year 3! I didn't say buckle doesn't have a say in players, but smith sets the budget and identifies players, good or bad, who fit into that budget. Why did preki jump ship? why has buckle dumped 15 of preki's players? The answers are clear as day, if you want to see them.
Another thing to think about is the future. When we make the jump to MLS is Buckle the coach we should have? Or should we try to find a better coach?
That depends... how does averaging 0.25 goals scored per game in the third division translate to MLS? Here are ten options: 1. Jason Kreis, if he's still jobless 2. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, if he wants to come back to the US 3. Any of a dozen current MLS coaches, if they're available between now and then (Pareja, Porter, Marsch, Berhalter) 4. One of the top assistant coaches, like Robin Fraser 5. Some coach who is having success at the NASL or USL level 6. # Where is Preki 7. Some retired MLS player who seems competent (Donovan?) 8. Some foreign coach who hasn't yet shown they're mediocre in the US 9. Paul Buckle 10. Each game a random season ticket holder is selected from the stands
Here come the questions and answers that I found a little more interesting from yesterday's Reddit Q&A. Warren joined Paul... Q: This off season it seemed our teams focus was cutting costs(sold several starters) and getting younger. To me this feels like giving up on winning now and trying to develop talent for the future. What are your thoughts on this? Smith: It's a fine balance. We are trying to create players for the future, but also compete now. And believe we have a club that will do-so this season. Our average age last year was 29. This year is 24 (25 with Dom) and with that comes a bit of patience. In addition, we're maturing, but we have a philosophy if players want to move on and chase their dreams we won't stand in their way. Which means, some can't wait for MLS and that forces our hand in a direction we didn't necessarily want to go in. The group of boys we have now is a strong foundation and with some additional investments, will compete. If anything, we've made the investment into supporting our players through the Academy, technology and staff. Buckle: We're mindful of getting the balance right and get those results.
Q: The style of play this season has been... confusing. Under Preki the strategy was clear, which was to take the ball up the wings with overlapping play and either cross or cut to the middle, while Mirkovic clogged up the midfield and distributed out to the wings. How would you describe what has been previously called "Buckle ball"? How have roster changes affected your strategy? Paul(?): We haven't changed our strategy. It's the same system as last season. The change in roster always affects style of player in the sense we've lost a top player in RoRo. That is very evident now. RoRo was and is a player that can make something out of nothing and could turn a game on it's head. Our style of play hasn't changed, we've just struggled with continuity. Our system of play is exactly the same, we're lacking a bit of star quality at the moment in the final third. And that is definitely something RoRo gave us. That's a tough one for any team or any coach to take, but we tried everything to keep him. Ultimately we're not going to stop him from pursuing his goals. In the meanwhile, we're looking to find that missing piece and adjusting to get back into that momentum and continuity with our same system of play.
Q: Why did Colvey get the start over Kiffee this past weekend? Is there a policy/agreement on how the team handles incoming loan players from the Earthquakes? Paul(?): There is a policy. It is a very healthy policy that I have with Dominic Kinnear and one that has been mutually beneficial. If I take a player I can start a player, or take them in the 18, but if I take a player I am probably going to play him. Where James Kiffe is concerned. James has played in almost every match for me and when Kip came available, a player I had in mind before the season, I thought it was a great time to give James a little rest.