San Jose Mercury News (Sunday, 12/28/03)

Dom and Jamil are good news...

Wow, John Doyle as an assistant? Why would they do that over Goose? Personally, my guess from 10,000 feet is that Goose would be a better coach anyway, and why not get the salary cap break with the player/coach deal?

 

Well its cited as sources associated with the team, so Id take that with a grain of salt.

With Walker getting a full roster spot, we now have quite the roster crunch to sort out. Even if Ekelund goes somewhere else we need to move somebody.

 

Thanks on that grain of salt, lurking. Yes, The Goose would be preferable (most definitely). I like John, but.....

 

Our midfield just won't be the same without Ronnie. And seeing Ronnie play for another team would just be so sad.

 

Yes, if Ronnie goes somewhere else, I'd prefer that he gets a berth overseas. I'd hate to see him on another MLS team.

 

Don't teams often have two assistants? The article didn't say Goose wouldn't be an assistant as well.

btw, I know about Doyle's playing career but was/is he also the color commentator for the tv broadcasts? I think he is but i'm not sure.

 

there will be lots of changes to the roster, not just 1 or 2 (IMHO).

 

The Quakes had Dom Kinnear and Tim Hanley (GK coach) as assistants last year. I suspect they'll have one assistant in addition to Hanley next year. For the record, I think I'd prefer Goose to Doyle.

Yes, John Doyle and John Shrader did the Quakes broadcasts. If Doyle becomes assistant coach, I think Christopher Sullivan (former Clash and USMNT player) might provide good color commentary. He's still in the Bay Area and did a decent job filling in for John Harkes on MLS Wrap a couple times this year. Here's his site:

http://www.purofutbol.com

 

Paging Mr. Lagos. Mr. Manny Lagos, please pick up the white courtesy phone.

 

Nothing against Doyle, but I think he's a jinx. He's got too many losing seasons logged with this team. Dom and Goose, seemed to be a good combination.

 

I concur. What coaching ability has Doyle demonstrated to warrant an assistant coaching position with the organization? Agoos, if anything, has demonstrated that his influence and experience has carried over onto the practice field. His mentoring of Dunivant and Walker last season lifted both players' games and was a key to our MLS Cup success.

I'm happy to hear that Walker has been given a full roster spot but that means we're going to have to free up a lot of cap room. In the modern era, even championship winning teams need to be shaken up a bit. The question is, who do we trade/release?

With Walker's emergence, he essentially makes DeRosario expendable. Walker, while still raw, possesses much of the raw talent, speed, and skill of DeRosario. DeRosario is older, takes up more cap space, and takes up a Senior International slot. While I'd love to keep Dwayne, there is just no chance of that happening with the current state of MLS finances.

With our abundance of forwards, I would also argue that Faria should be traded/let go. If Ching can return healthy from his achilles injury, he's definitely worth keeping, whether he is a starter or a sub next season, there's no denying that with his size and pace he'd be a valuabe player to keep. I doubt that Levesque costs the team much, but he should be kept regardless.

In the midfield, there are three players that we absolutely must keep, and that's Mulrooney, Mullan, and Alvarez. While the first two seem obvious and will likely be kept, Alvarez is a promising young player, doesn't take up much cap room (if any), and could be an integral part of the team next season. Every other player seems expendable, and that includes Ekelund, as vital as he has been. I have been arguing that we package one of our forwards/midfielders with a draft pick for Mark Lisi of the Metrostars. Regardless of how germaine or pertinent this thought is, it is indicative of the team's need to replace Ekelund with someone younger, while still skilfull. Lagos, Russell, and Corrales have all been important off the bench, but none have showed the kind of skill required to keep them in the starting evelen.

To be honest, it's really the defense that worries me most. Rumors (however credible) of a Robinson trade scare me. It's really not as though Dayak and Agoos are getting any younger. A switch to player-assistant for Agoos would really help with the cap situation, and I'm sure that Dayak would take a cut if it meant staying with the team. I consider one of Waibel/Roner to be expendable in the event that we draft or trade for one or two solid defenders this offseason. The fact of the matter is that we need to get younger (or taller) in the back.

 

Can anyone tell me with 100% certainty where these rumors orginated? I'm trying to fit this into any kind of reasoning. Maybe I'm missing something, but I just can't find any sense in this.

 

I think it first originated on the Metro Boards, and made its round across the MLS team forums. It was first mentioned here by Jeff Adams. I tried to get more info from some league insiders like Bergin, but nothing doing. No one knew anything about this rumor, hence why I added that "however credible."

 

Rumors (however credible) of a Robinson trade scare me.

NO CHANCE

 

WOOT! Thanks Wee Man, I think it was somebody on the Burn board that was trying to drum something up.

When I look out 1, 2, 3... years into the future I see a solid nucleus of sub-30 players on this team and Robinson is/was a key member.

 

To echo Dred's remarks Johnny, that is fantastic news.

 

Just be careful who you consider a league insider. Sometimes the best observations come from those who are NOT so easily willing to consider themselves "insiders."

And, as Quake fans, let's not be so quick to spread incredibly insane rumors such as this one. I've been reading about this for weeks, mentioned here and there on these boards. I couldn't make sense of it. And I just finally had to ask. We should all be so inquisitive when it comes to rumors such as these. Let's remember that in the future....

 

Now there's sense talking.

 

I concur, and I point again to my disclaimer "however credible." That was, maybe, the third or fourth time said rumor was mentioned on these boards, and while I never thought it carried much weight, the thought made me nervous.

I'm sure glad I posted it because quite frankly, it apparently got Johnny's attention.

 

I disagree with "Quaker" comments to use Chris Sullivan as reporter on the field. Chris Sullivan has got to be the most stuck-up soccer player from Quakes/Clash history. He is a downright snob. And he has no reason to have such an ego. Even the legendary George Best who had a few games with the Quakes doesn't have nearly the same ego. I say I would prefer Easy Perez, or one of the Demling Brothers, one of the old timers who is easy to like and is more approachable and most importantly knows the game. Eric Wynalda might be a good alternate.

I concur with Crazy_Quakes_Fan on the asst. coach comments. John Doyle as assistant coach isn't entirely credible. I also don't think he necessarily has all the respect from the players. Sure he did a few great goals for the Clash/EQuakes, with even more spectacular gymnastics after the goal, but I think Jeff Agoos is more deserving as assistant coach and is highly respected by his colleagues & team mates.

 

Not much weight, but enough to make you nervous, huh? Seems like enough weight for you....

My point was that before we get "scared" or "nervous" we should question the rumor. Before that "nervousness" and "scaredness" makes us question our entire defense. We only lend credit to a rumor if we allow it to make us nervous, thus just spreading the rumor and the "nervousness."

 

You're right, I probably should have employed Okham's razor on this one, but since when have soccer fans used logic?

Regardless, I still wrote my assessment as though Robinson would remain with the team. We still need to draft or trade for a young central defender and/or right back.

Edit: Sorry, I didn't mean to get so off-topic. Thanks for calling me out SJQF, however, it was the lack of information on the rumor that worried me. Either way, I should really shut up about the Robinson thing now.

 

Re: Re: San Jose Mercury News (Sunday, 12/28/03)

Not to mention The Man himself, who's responsible for making all the decisions.

Good onya, Johnny.