Re: Re: Re: The offical "Fire Bob Gansler" thread By "intense" I was implying all the things you touched on really. I've heard from numerous places that we need a new influx of coaching blood in MLS. This sure seems like a prime chance to me. I just don't see how anyone can argue that a team thats well on their way to finishing in the bottom third (or lower) for three years doesn't need a change at the top. It would happen with almost any team, in any sport, in any country. If not, then the front office of that organization's ambition has to be in question. It seems to me that in the back of all the "Gansler Apologists" minds' theres the reasoning that the 2000 Cup buys Bob more time than a normal coach. Three years of sub par performance would seemingly outweigh that. And on the same note, the only thing saving a lot of these coaches jobs is the 8/10 in the playoffs format. If a team were missing the playoffs consistantly (as the Wizards would have with any number of fewer teams in the last two seasons) the manager would surely be out and most fans would agree. Instead we get the "but we made the playoffs" excuse. SNS: You bring up Muser and the Royals... In the Royals last three full seasons under Muser (99,00,01) The Royals finished (averaged over the three years) in the 81st percentile of teams. The Wizards, as they stand right now, would be right near the 75th percentile. Hardly a difference in performance compared to their opponents. Yet no one disagreed that Muser sucked and should be fired. But Gansler, with a similar performance record in the last three years, is fine to stay put? This proves two things to me: Ganslers defenders think winning the Cup 4 seasons ago and the fact that 80% (oddly right where the Wizards fall) of the teams make the playoffs make up for the sub par performance compared the rest of the league.
Re: Re: Re: Re: The offical "Fire Bob Gansler" thread I guess I am an optimist at heart and still hope the Wizards get on a roll these last 6 games and not finish with a sub 500 record.
After the title, there has been nothing, 8 outta 12 and 8 outta 10 is not great at all, it isn't even that good, as has been stated. And to use your analogy, we are not treading water right now, we are sinking and it doesn't seem to be slowing down. So playing terrible for two months is going to keep us fom a burn out??? We gotta play competative soccer, it's been two months since we had a win, that doesn't look like Gansler is just getting guys healthy for the playoffs.
Re: Re: Re: Re: The offical "Fire Bob Gansler" thread Ben, please disregard my previous post. It was really stupid. Sorry. But addressing your reply...
I'm fairly sure this is the last year on Mr. G's contract...and there has been many rumors I've heard from inside about replacements after this year...two names I have heard more than once is Mo and McKeon.
McKeon..............riiiiiiiiight. We are not treading water. We are standing on top of Dallas to keep our head above water.
I completely agree that allowing 8 teams in the playoffs keeps me off Bob's back. But that's the same reason I think Wiz fans should stay off now b/c we're going to make it again. If we flame first round, let's look at a change. That would be 3 straight years of .500 soccer followed by a first round loss. A title gives you 2-3 years, and he'd be at the end of it. Would firing Bob now really help the team, or would it just make some of you fans feel like the management is doing something or sending a message or lighting a fire under some of our underachievers? --- I can't believe I'm being labeled a Gansler Apologist. Can I at least have the "give Gansler until the end of the year" label?
It's like this girlfriend I had once. She was OK. Had some good times. Had some really good times. Had that one time where we were on top of the world. But we've had some rocky times, too. Some really rocky times. Not a win in 2 months times. Could we have stayed together and made it work? Maybe. Would it have been bearable? Maybe. Maybe not. Could I be content with it like that indefinitely? Absolutely not. I knew I didn't want to spend the rest of my life with her, but now was ok, I guess. She did just enough to stick around--to not get Cantona'd through the wall. I thought I could do more with somebody else. Nothing personal. Nothing personal, Bob. I just don't think KC and you are right for each other anymore.
Agreed, what’s the point in getting rid of him now? 500 in pro sports isn't bad and throw in a title and his resume doesn’t look that bad. However his in game management while behind is terrible. I think when he is up he does a fair job. Please no more of this hire MoJo crap. He helped us win a title but I would hope fans would have higher standards for a manager than one who has only a year as an assistant under his belt. That being said if Preki wants to be GM, manager, and goalkeepers coach let him.
El Jefe: Thanks for catching that. I stand corrected. That's a good question. For my part, I feel like management has been trying to improve the team. The front office has worked on improving our personnel, which has, in all honesty, met with mixed results (doesn't it always?), but I believe that management is trying to improve the on-field product regardless of Gansler's future with the team. I don't think firing the manager is the best way to light a fire under players, either. If you want to fire up players, reward them for performance, and punish them for non-performance...sacking the manager, in my view, wouldn't reward performing players nor punish non-performing ones. And if our players are unmotivated, as many here suggest, why? If we understood that, we might understand better how to remedy that problem. There may be good reasons to fire Gansler, but I think the question is well-asked...we should not make a change just to make a change, not should we do it in an attempt to motivate the players.
Don't you feel that this should be the coach's job? Either it's not being done, or not being done effectively. (Or the players just truly don't give a crap.)
I'm not sure I'm saying fire Bob today. At the end of the season is perfectly fine. And .500 is incorrect. We'd have to win all of our games the rest of the season to be .500 over the last three years. That, again, is unacceptable.
Good point Andy It still wouldn't help. Ben's sort of right, but this deserves a little more light. .500 is extremely incorrect. Since wininng the Cup, KC is 5 games under with 20 ties. Ties being 2/3 of a loss, the reality is about 7 games under a true .500. Not good in a salary cap and draft league. Even if you consider 1.375 points per game the ".500" line for soccer -- AS YOU SHOULD!!! -- , KC is well under. Mean PPG works out to 1.375 when 25% of MLS games end tied. 75% times 3 points plus 25% times 2 points divided by 2 teams = 1.375. '03 MLS should exceed this number driving mean or ".500" PPG down only slightly. Either way, KC will not reach any threshhold of true .500 by winning out, as if they will anyway.
I said it last year, and Im saying it this year: If we finish 10-10-10 again this year, f'ing fire him. If we get booted out of the playoffs first round, f'ing fire him. Preki can never coach professional soccer. His attitude on field demonstrates that. He's never been a leader, and he will never be, that's not his style. that is exactly why Mo could make a great head coach. he lights fires. he knows the complete game. He could work out great. I still say we should enquire about Joe Clarke or Bob Warming (I know I keep saying this) before we try and get Mo or promote bliss. Regardless, something needs to happen. At the end of thes season. Something Major, otherwise i'm not sure i can justify driving from Columbia 16 times (and Ive missed one game in three years)
Preki: Agreed. Mo: Well, it can go either way. He could be a Lou Pinella - or he could be a Hal McRae. I'd be willing to give Mo a shot. I like Brian Bliss, but we need a complete makeover, a fresh start. Heck fire Gansler now, let Bliss finish the season, then bring in Mo next year - unless Bliss takes to Carson.
wizchart: you're just doing all that math to entertain yourself, right? seriously. you can also look at the games as zero sum contests. looking at it that way, you only get 1 point for a tie compared to 3 for a win, but you also keep your opponent at 1 instead of 3. So looking at it that way, 10-10-10 would still be .500, not square root of 1.375 or whatever. .500 gets you in the playoffs of nba, nhl and nfl (some years). .500 is most certainly mediocre. ---- I think of any former wiz players, peter vermes would be the best manager, if he were interested. I talked to him many times when he played here, saw him on the field, and he's got a great soccer mind. He's played defense and attacking at high levels. He's a great motivator as well. Anyone know what he's doing?
That's absolutely wrong. I was a math major at KU. 15-15-0 = 45 points 10-10-10 = 40 points 45 != 40 Unless every team in the league has the same number of ties your assumption is false. Not only is 10-10-10 NOT .500, teams with worse records tend to finish above us. 10-10-10 = 40 points but 12-13-5 (which is < 0.500) = 41 points. Ties are NOT "half" a win in MLS.
Absolutely, motivating a team is the coach's job. My point was that firing the manager to motivate the players, which was what Van Buren's question was asking, just won't work. If you want to make the case that Gansler isn't motivating the players and is, therefore, creating an environment where team performance is poor...that's a whole different motivation and a much more valid reason.
Can any Wizards fans come up with a replacement that has more that one year of coaching experience please and stop throwing out these ridiculous names. By the way the Preki thing was a joke, I’m sure he would suck as a manager.
Steve Sampson. Though MLS will need to wait until he's fired or quits Costa Rica. We got Bob from the A-League. I'm sure there are several A-League head coaches that are ready for a look at the MLS level.