Assuming there's no miracle MLS Cup title run on the way, the Revs will be in the market this winter for their seventh manager in the past seven seasons, if you include interim managers. There are a number of directions the club could go in. Experienced or "Up and Coming"? Is MLS experience as either a player or coach necessary? How much player personnel power does the new manager get? American or foreign-born? What members of the coaching staff and front office are retained? Personally, I'd like to see the club take a run at Jesse Marsch, although I'm not sure he's ready to give up on the idea of managing in Europe. Caleb Porter is another potential candidate that I'd have some interest in. Thoughts?
I feel like my honest answers to your questions are going to lead to Bob Bradley - ouch I don't want that. More experienced than not. Player/Personnel - Not sure if they'll go with two bodies, Coach & GM, or one. This role should be important and the experience qualification is more important here. Continue the stream of talent in/smart sell-ons out going. This is the area where prior MLS-knowledge may be more important. Either American or Foreign born but not a Heaps/Burns/Friedel style hire please. Someone good. Probably most of the staff go. Maybe the GK coach. Maybe Shalrie who, I believe, has duties with lower level teams. In the main Onalfo and Williams probably need to go. Not as punishment, although some would interpret it that way, but as a truly fresh new-start. I believe there are foreign names that could be very good as a pure head coach. Potter and Gualtier weren't up to the high profile and high pressure situations they wound up in, but, they might be excellent in training and, relative to MLS, above average in game tactics/management. I fear we already know the answer: Williams and Onalfo
The most important thing is building off the foundation Arena and crew have laid for the organization. So to me, Dir. of Soccer > Manager. Find that first and then have him pick the manager. I'm not a Marsch guy but he'd probably be OK as Manager. If you want to go outside the box, the best players are Spanish and Argentine, so I wouldn't be opposed to a foreign hire - but your Dir of Soccer needs to be someone who understands the league. Supposedly Oscar Pareja may be looking for a job soon, so I'd take a long look at him.
Honestly, I think the manager piece of it is "easy" in a manner of speaking. Guys like Pareja, Porter, Marsch, Savarese who have had a level of success in the league or elsewhere are out there or will be. DON'T hire someone who has no real coaching history, like Heaps and Friedel at the time they were hired. A Noonan-esque hire I wouldn't be against, because he spent the better part of a decade apprenticing. So someone like Steve Ralston might be a good candidate. But the Club Sporting Director piece...man, I don't know where to begin on that one. I'm not learned enough to comment on who might be out there that they could bring in. I don't know who they should look at to find their next Arena/Garth Lageway kind of guy. Although, and I'm not sure if I'm serious with this or not...but one wonders what Jay Heaps has learned in his time in Birmingham and if he might be a better GM than a coach.
Hard to evaluate Onalfo, because we don't know how many of the good signings are him or Bruce. Gotta keep Shalrie and Hitchcock. I like what Peay has done with R2, but he's a "Bruce guy" so might not survive the housecleaning. As for outsiders, Ralston is an obvious candidate. Robin Fraser is a good coach, and available. It's not his fault the Rapids are Spoon-worthy.
I think you're both right in what the organization will do. And if they do, give the Revs another 4/5 years before they're seriously competitive again. This team is building a good base for the first time in years. Onalfo/Williams will have this team take a step back and the Revs just can't afford that right now.
It's pretty normal for any team, or business, that's doing well to go for an internal hire when they have to choose the next boss. Of course, there might be better internal hires than those two. I recall seeing a list of assistants who deserve a chance to be a head coach, and Dave van den Bergh was on it.
I'm going to predict two things. 1- given how this has gone down I would expect Kraft & co to make a very generous offer to Carles to stay here. He is the key player, so retaining him and keeping him happy is in everyone's best interest. 2. I expect them to spend some money - either on a DP (though don't ask me to explain how the roster gets adjusted for that to happen) - or a U22 Initiative stud similar to what Miami has done with Farias. I also think they try to retain Buck for another season or two but that may be difficult as it looks like his eyes are on England. But bottom line is the Krafts will spend some money to 'smooth' this over with the fanbase.
I agree with that in general. But we don't fully know the situation in the locker room at this point. The comments from players prior to us knowing the news that just came out were all in favor of Bruce. Now knowing that Williams might have had something to do with Arena's being fired, will they want to play for Williams (or Onalfo). If the chemistry is shot (and we'll know soon enough) you absolutely can't bring back those two guys. But I do agree, as has been mentioned a couple of places here, that the whistleblower situation does put the Krafts into a precarious position.
I might be naive, but I'd be surprised if Onalfo/Williams return. I think history has shown the Krafts that as far as their ownership style goes, they're best served going out and hiring the absolute best coach they can find and letting him run the whole show. Arena was more of a Parcells/Bellichick kind of hire. Onalfo and Williams would be more of a Burns and Heaps/Friedel hire.
Well both Onalfo and Williams had more coaching experience than any of those guys, but I get your point. The question will be ... what's the Kraft's game plan? If the stadium rumors are true, I'd expect them to go after a name. If we're staying at Gillette for the foreseeable future, I think they'll head in the wrong direction with their next hire. They can always say, "Look, we spent small amounts and didn't win the Cup, and then we spent big amounts and didn't win the Cup, so what's better for our P&L?" It always comes back to one simple thing ... how invested is the ownership in the on-field aspect of the Revs?
I agree on Fraser. he won the west in 2021 with the lowest payroll in MLS, and Colorado decided to double down and give him even less to work with. I dont think he's quite as good as Nancy, but he'd be a guy I'd be looking really hard at to see what he could do with at least some resources to build a roster
I don't seem them becoming permanent, but I worry that they'll be here for the remainder of this season, which to me feels like giving up on a very good shot at a title run. I can't imagine that the players will play for Williams, after all that's happened. And, I have to believe they'll let management know that. As for Onalfo, I am keeping a much more open mind. Supposedly he clashed with Arena on personnel issues - well, I want to know who was in favor of bringing in Altidore and the Galaxians - and who was in favor of the other acquisitions. There's been a clear division between the wins/losses in recent acquisitions and I can fully believe that Onalfo told Arena he'd be crazy to bring in a washed-up Altidore, a too-expensive Omar, a mediocre Lleget, ... and that Arena responded with inappropriate/abusive comments and then did what he wanted anyway. It sounds like Onalfo was frozen out of personnel decisions, which means that Arena owned them, good and bad. Yes, but history also shows that they don't seem to get really serious and make a big hire unless they know that things have gotten really bad and they are being humiliated. So, IMO it comes down to how much they get it. Now that the Patriots are back in season, I have trouble imagining this getting the full attention of Bob, even if the Hamptons season is running down. And, is there any reason to have any confidence in Jonathan?
To paraphrase "the artist," I wanna party like it's 2017... This is the same thing I thought (hoped?) we'd put behind us when they hired Arena: Who is calling the shots? How can we get good players to come here (we've had fantastic results in the past few years, how do we keep it going?) But it always comes down to the same question--how committed are the Krafts? With their "soccer version of Bilechick" now gone, how do we fill the void? I can't say I'm confident any of the "usual suspects" are up to the task, but I'm happy to be proven wrong. What are the chances they can get a Tata Martino type for that role?
Gotta believe those transfer fees have convinced the Krafts that there is money to be had if you continue to take this club seriously and choose the right people. At least I hope they see this as enough of a reason to continue investing in the club.
Crew fan here, I'd suggest you take Caleb Porter off your list. He's won MLS Cup with 2 different teams but he doesn't wear well. Nancy is light years better.
Doesn't sound like Revs management agrees much with you...at least on the part I highlighted....Interesting that Peay has the job.....did I hear that Shalrie and Hitchcock resigned vs. were fired?
Hitchcock's still on the staff, as near as I can tell. It was Shalrie and Dave van den Bergh who the Revs "parted ways" with, according to various press. Interpret that how you will.
Not really anything new here, but the RW quote is interesting: Clint Peay named interim head coach of Revolution September 12, 2023 by Larry Henry Jr sbisoccer.com Spin much?
Richie Wiliams = dead man walking....say goodby to yur coaching career. Why would the revs elevate Peay to interim head coach only days after naming Williams interim Head coach? Hmmmmmm.... and what's with the firing Joseph and van den Bergh? This whole thing smells bad to me. I wonder if the team really did refuse to practice? or maybe there was serious pushback on playing for Richie? Waiting for the leaks to start