So it’s finally over. The reign of terror Toronto FC have had to suffer under General Manager - make that ex-General Manager - Mo Johnston, has finally come to a close. Toronto FC fans can finally breathe that sigh of relief we’ve been holding in for years now. He’s gone, not on one of those fancy and fruitless scouting trips to Brazil, he’s legitimately gone! Take that in. The next time you step in through the gates of BMO Field, take a moment, look around, and smile. From this moment on, the Post-Mo era begins.
With that being said, Mo’s departure during a crucial string of games could help but will probably hinder Toronto FC’s playoff hopes, as well as their now tattered Champions League ambitions. That the 4-1 loss to Real Salt Lake kicked off Nick Dasovic’s tenure as the head honcho is testament to how poorly Mo’s team was really assembled. Do not be fooled, this is Mo’s team; not Preki’s, not Cummin’s, not Carver’s, Mo Johnston’s team of misfits. Sure, it has Preki’s defensive outfit on, but Dasovic now inherits years of poor choices and horrible man management. It’s sad and almost embarrassing that Toronto FC have now had five managers in four years; Preki’s termination as head coach comes too early in the season and has its own ramifications, but now Toronto has to deal with rebuilding (again!) and trying to find that balance between a healthy-but-not-so-healthy defense and a struggling offense. That Toronto has one of the worst shots against tallies is a frightening thought, and losing Stefan Frei is even more so, but that’s beyond the point here; Toronto FC needs to figure out what kind of football they’re going to play and actually play it.
Preki being let go came as a huge shock for me personally. He was doing better than a lot of other coaches in our little league; certainly being ninth place, one spot out of the playoffs, for a first year manager isn’t so bad. Unfortunately, Preki, being Mo Johnston’s man from Everton and Kansas City, took the proverbial MLSE banhammer and was exiled from Toronto FC. Preki leaving could bite the team in the ass, but then again, perhaps it won’t. Under Cummins, a player’s coach like Dasovic, Toronto FC barely missed out on playoffs and was possibly on the right track for next year. MLSE then caught Preki fever and the hard-nosed, hard-fouling mentality of the ex-Chivas man became Toronto FC’s newest fix. Now that MLSE and Toronto FC have shaken their hair out of their eyes and have finally seen the light, Toronto FC attempt what some may conceive as the impossible; six more games, very few points left, and a playoff spot with Seattle’s name on it that Toronto will attempt to pluck from underneath their feet. The test against the struggling Houston Dynamo will really show what Toronto FC is made of. Failure all but ensures Toronto FC do not have the skill required for a post-season berth.
De Rosario and de Guzman’s reactions tell a deeper, darker story. Hinting that Preki had lost the room, De Rosario’s character has now been called into question; certainly he is no longer the do-no-wrong kinda guy Toronto FC fans have been enjoying. His lack of goals and pace has been coupled with new revelations that De Rosario may not be happy at Toronto or may not be a good team player. Selfish play is an obvious characteristic of the Toronto FC skipper. Hopefully he can pull his head out of his behind and lead this team to something great, otherwise, Vancouver is just a phone call and a couple draft picks away. Selling the aging Canadian is becoming an increasingly popular idea. Preki had supposedly attempted at getting rid of the “untouchable” De Rosario and de Guzman. This is probably the reason he is gone, and a club run by its players is a scary thought, and certainly not one that will work. Toronto FC need to find someone the players will listen to, or else this club will crumble from within.
Meanwhile, MLSE has all hands on the proverbial deck, trying to straighten a ship that has been rocking for the last six or seven games. Damage control at this stage is crucial and building hope during ticket renewals is Anselmi’s true motives behind these changes. Expanding BMO Field to 30,000 will only distract supporters groups with the dream of a massive designated section; the reality will disappoint everyone or will cater to a culture of doing just enough to put as much bums in as much seats for as much money as possible. I say to MLSE now, thirty thousand people will not come day in and day out if the team performs poorly. Dasovic and the new GM will need to make Toronto truly competitive. Now we are at a true crossroads. Toronto FC begins its post-Mo era now. Let’s all hope they do it right this time.
With that being said, Mo’s departure during a crucial string of games could help but will probably hinder Toronto FC’s playoff hopes, as well as their now tattered Champions League ambitions. That the 4-1 loss to Real Salt Lake kicked off Nick Dasovic’s tenure as the head honcho is testament to how poorly Mo’s team was really assembled. Do not be fooled, this is Mo’s team; not Preki’s, not Cummin’s, not Carver’s, Mo Johnston’s team of misfits. Sure, it has Preki’s defensive outfit on, but Dasovic now inherits years of poor choices and horrible man management. It’s sad and almost embarrassing that Toronto FC have now had five managers in four years; Preki’s termination as head coach comes too early in the season and has its own ramifications, but now Toronto has to deal with rebuilding (again!) and trying to find that balance between a healthy-but-not-so-healthy defense and a struggling offense. That Toronto has one of the worst shots against tallies is a frightening thought, and losing Stefan Frei is even more so, but that’s beyond the point here; Toronto FC needs to figure out what kind of football they’re going to play and actually play it.
Preki being let go came as a huge shock for me personally. He was doing better than a lot of other coaches in our little league; certainly being ninth place, one spot out of the playoffs, for a first year manager isn’t so bad. Unfortunately, Preki, being Mo Johnston’s man from Everton and Kansas City, took the proverbial MLSE banhammer and was exiled from Toronto FC. Preki leaving could bite the team in the ass, but then again, perhaps it won’t. Under Cummins, a player’s coach like Dasovic, Toronto FC barely missed out on playoffs and was possibly on the right track for next year. MLSE then caught Preki fever and the hard-nosed, hard-fouling mentality of the ex-Chivas man became Toronto FC’s newest fix. Now that MLSE and Toronto FC have shaken their hair out of their eyes and have finally seen the light, Toronto FC attempt what some may conceive as the impossible; six more games, very few points left, and a playoff spot with Seattle’s name on it that Toronto will attempt to pluck from underneath their feet. The test against the struggling Houston Dynamo will really show what Toronto FC is made of. Failure all but ensures Toronto FC do not have the skill required for a post-season berth.
De Rosario and de Guzman’s reactions tell a deeper, darker story. Hinting that Preki had lost the room, De Rosario’s character has now been called into question; certainly he is no longer the do-no-wrong kinda guy Toronto FC fans have been enjoying. His lack of goals and pace has been coupled with new revelations that De Rosario may not be happy at Toronto or may not be a good team player. Selfish play is an obvious characteristic of the Toronto FC skipper. Hopefully he can pull his head out of his behind and lead this team to something great, otherwise, Vancouver is just a phone call and a couple draft picks away. Selling the aging Canadian is becoming an increasingly popular idea. Preki had supposedly attempted at getting rid of the “untouchable” De Rosario and de Guzman. This is probably the reason he is gone, and a club run by its players is a scary thought, and certainly not one that will work. Toronto FC need to find someone the players will listen to, or else this club will crumble from within.
Meanwhile, MLSE has all hands on the proverbial deck, trying to straighten a ship that has been rocking for the last six or seven games. Damage control at this stage is crucial and building hope during ticket renewals is Anselmi’s true motives behind these changes. Expanding BMO Field to 30,000 will only distract supporters groups with the dream of a massive designated section; the reality will disappoint everyone or will cater to a culture of doing just enough to put as much bums in as much seats for as much money as possible. I say to MLSE now, thirty thousand people will not come day in and day out if the team performs poorly. Dasovic and the new GM will need to make Toronto truly competitive. Now we are at a true crossroads. Toronto FC begins its post-Mo era now. Let’s all hope they do it right this time.
Preki had to go because that was a Mo Johnston hiring. I am not sure Preki should've been fired this season but this team badly needs a clean slate.
ReplyDeleteBMO expanding to 30,000 is embarrassing. I can just see 17,000 showing up while they announced it as 29,000 in attendance.
Hopefully it opens up more season tickets, otherwise a 30,000 seater will look half empty most of the time.
ReplyDelete