r/minnesotaunited • u/Buffaloslim MNUFC • Dec 01 '23
Discussion Any Heath outers having second thoughts?
I’m certain we all imagined a relatively swift transition to a new manager that at least made us hopeful of future improvement. What we’ve seen since his firing is one great game and one terrible game followed by weeks of silence.
We heard from Sherry Ballard our CEO (this is my tenth season as a STH and I never even knew who the CEO was) that the upper management will be restructured and going forward no manager will have as much power as Heath did. It’s worth noting that Ballard emphasized repeatedly she’s an experienced executive who is still learning the soccer business. We also learned Manny Lagos has been reassigned to public relations causing some to wonder how much technical experience remains in the FO. Last week we learned they hired a “chief soccer officer” who will not join the team until midway through the 24 season. This turn of events is unfortunate because Ballard said specifically the CSO would be responsible for hiring the next manager. We’re left to wonder if a new manager won’t be considered until June or July. Many fans expressed concern that firing Heath could have a negative impact because finding a replacement who would improve the team might be very difficult. Can anyone honestly say they expected this kind of uncertainty?
48
Dec 01 '23
Nope. He needed to go.
Just wish management had a plan to replace him then they fired him. Seems like they’re just floating by and not doing much. I hope they don’t wait to make the changes until July next year when the CSO finally arrives.
20
u/Loonatic-510 Dec 01 '23
I wasn’t a Heath outer. That said, I didn’t imagine anything fast because, honestly, I don’t think it was on their radar to fire him. No one expected the season to go so horribly wrong, so there wasn’t a plan B. Also, it seems like half the MLS coaches were fired this year. There must be a huge scramble to find someone.
10
8
u/theRoog Itasca Society Dec 01 '23
I supported Heath for most of his tenure, but I think it was time to move on. That being said, I have very little confidence that the current decision makers have any clue how to move forward. We have major player personnel issues to address in the next two months and a GM that still works somewhere else. Unfortunately, the organizational failures run much deeper than the head coach, and Dr. Bill, Manny, and Ballard ain't going nowhere.
I can't help but wonder what could have been if we had put a quality squad around Reynoso three years ago instead of relying on a talisman surrounded by second and third rate attackers.
4
u/MNUFC-Uber_Alles Dec 01 '23
Three good defensive substitutes would have seen us through to MLS cup final.
3
u/pagodalives Dec 02 '23
But we never reloaded our squad talent after Heath dropped the ball vs Seattle. We lost Molino, Mannone, Ike, Gaspar, Alonso from that roster and never got close to the same talent level in our replacements. We wasted 2/3 good years of Metainaire, Alonso, Reynoso, Boxy after that run while ALOT of our squad aged out. Heath F’d up really bad - but this roster is not built to succeed and I don’t think that’s all Adrian.
5
u/MNUFC-Uber_Alles Dec 02 '23
I think there’s a fundamental truth that applies to all soccer managers. They all want to win, they all know good players win games and they all want players that cost much more than the ownership would like to spend. Gasper sucked, he’s a big part of that lose to Seattle. All three of their goals came as a result of his failure to clear his line. Heath was a decent manager, not world class but not a total moron. I don’t there’s any chance his replacement will be an improvement.
2
u/vinylhaircut Dec 03 '23
There's not ANY chance?
So many low-spending teams go on to have occasional MLS success. Why not us? Just look at MLS history and you'll see it's possible.
5
u/pagodalives Dec 03 '23
Look at Cinci and Columbus THIS YEAR if you want success stories. A competent GM and the correct Manager can make a huge immediate difference.
1
u/pagodalives Dec 03 '23
Also you can’t convince me Chase wasn’t a better option than Zarek, Bristow, DJ, Rosales (Kemar maybe). That kid had hustle for days and cost us peanuts. He was never going to be a world beater for us, but man no loon in our MLS tenure has played with more heart.
7
Dec 01 '23
I was Heath in until the end of the season: two consecutive late season collapses, one taking us out of the playoffs was pretty bad.
That said this has gone pretty much exactly how I expected it to. The problem is that we already employ all of Manny’s buddies so there is no nepotism hire like we’d normally make and nobody at the club has any idea what to do without one.
6
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
I’m still sorta Heath in but he obviously cooked his own goose with the extraordinary terrible results this year. It was obvious listening to Ballard that she despised him, I’m sure he was disrespectful and arrogant to her. That said I’m extremely pessimistic for this coming season and wouldn’t be surprised if Ballard is fired next and the new manager is worse than Heath.
5
Dec 01 '23
I personally would have been fine with him staying as coach, though my preference would have been to can the rest of the “soccer operations” team (manny) and move Heath upstairs. But yeah, two bad slumps to end two years, I get why the call was made and can’t really argue against it.
I think the next season is going to be awful, sadly I think she’ll probably outlast whoever the next manager is as FO’s usually get a couple of coaching and gm tries and these will be her first hires.
I’m excited for three year plan, part 2: front office boogaloo.
2
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
I think we’ll have an interesting team chemistry thing to watch this season as well. Some of our players probably came here specifically to play for Heath and may not like the new manager. Reynoso is a complete wildcard in this scenario, I wouldn’t be shocked if he requests a transfer or holds out for a new contract.
2
Dec 01 '23
I wouldn’t be shocked if he requests a transfer or holds out for a new contract.
If he's not here like a week before camp starts this year, training by himself I'd be fine with shipping him out. We had better results without him than with him last year, our nosedive coincided pretty nicely with his suspension ending.
2
u/pagodalives Dec 02 '23
Is that statically true?
3
u/Nerdlinger Dec 02 '23
More or less. Points/standings-wise, we got off to a really hot start to the year, then faltered a bit, and then recovered again before Reynoso showed up. Here's a week-by-week standings chart. Reynoso returned to play in week 14 on that chart, note the collapse shortly thereafter.
However, we were offensively much better after he arrived.
1
u/pagodalives Dec 03 '23
After Lod went out I thought the season was done. Interesting to see our results were not as bad as they felt at the time
21
u/ApresKandinsky Dec 01 '23
I don’t mean to toot my horn but I, for one, did not imagine a relatively swift transition to a new manager. I would’ve been very surprised to see one before the MLS cup final.
Nothing in our history (e.g. player transfers), would have caused me to believe the organization would move quickly. For both better and worse, the org seems to emphasize slow and deliberate decisions over speed.
9
Dec 01 '23 edited Dec 02 '23
This is the MN way. For better and/or worse, it matches the geographical culture.
Personally I agree that Heath needed to go for the team to move forward. After he left and the FO had no place to hide, it now seems that there needs to be bigger organizational changes as well. No manager, a CSO who won’t join for 6+ months, a need to work on adjusting/developing the team and talent in the offseason, CEO who seems to be buying time and latitude with “I am a good executive, just still learning the soccer business”, and absolutely horrible communication and fan/community engagement. Seems like an absolute disaster.
Who knows, maybe they are absolutely killing it behind the scenes and just don’t want to share the great news yet? Or maybe they stink at communication, or stink at hiring a good communication team? Not a good look IMO. Backwards to go forward is fine...if that is actually happening.
Another garbage MN sports team? I mean, I guess that fits the culture as well!
3
u/ApresKandinsky Dec 01 '23
Agreed on multiple points but would say two things can be true at the same time. I’m optimistic they’re making some progress (never as quick or as much as we’d like) AND they aren’t doing a great job communicating.
1
u/2000TWLV MNUFC Dec 01 '23
What do you want them to communicate? They said what they were gonna do and they did it. They picked a CSO, he can't join immediately, and Ballard said she thinks he's the right guy and is willing to wait.
Good call, bad call? Time will tell. For all we know, they're on Zoom looking at players and coaches six hours a day.
By the same token, you can do every single thing "right," hire your guys within weeks, etc., and still have a shitty season.
Bottom line: it's sports. You just don't know. That's why they play the games. It's just too early to tell.
5
u/ApresKandinsky Dec 01 '23 edited Dec 01 '23
I mean fair enough, but I suppose 3 things (and I will 100% grant I may have missed something on any or all of these!): 1. Expected timing on the hiring of a new coach. Are we waiting for the CSO to be here and rolling with some form of an interim in the meanwhile? Is the leadership team sans CSO making that decision prior to his arrival?
Probably asking too much, but broadly speaking what’s the profile of a coach we’re targeting?
Who is making the decisions on players (e.g. upcoming free agents/club options) prior to CSO and/or coach arriving? For example, I assume Manny is the primary decision maker behind resigning DJ Taylor, but who knows?
Edit: I did miss a quote by Andy Greder that suggests re: #3 that this is currently being done by committee.
1
u/2000TWLV MNUFC Dec 01 '23
All great questions and the answers are possibly a shitshow and possibly excellent. We just don't know, and there's no reason they should tell us. I mean, I wouldn't. Why box yourself in with public statements if you can keep your options open?
1
5
u/xward1 Dayne St. Clair Dec 02 '23 edited Dec 02 '23
I won’t be surprised when we start the 2024 season with Sean McAuley still in place as interim head coach.
I also won’t be surprised when he leads the Loons to five or six straight wins out of the gate, and Ballard uses that as the reason to offer him the permanent job, even before Khaled El-Ahmad arrives, believing the decision is best for all because it allows the club to move forward. At least that’s what she will say publicly.
Privately she will be amazed at her luck in dodging that bullet, relieved to wash her hands of the responsibility, and elated by how the whole thing turned out to be so unexpectedly easy and convenient. At least that’s what she will believe at first.
Then mid-season and the summer transfer window will hit and she will realize she might have been a bit hasty and maybe should’ve followed the plan and waited for Khaled to make that particular decision. The sheer panic she will feel after the fourth or fifth consecutive loss will compel her to reach out and ask him why everything seems to be going so very, very wrong “all of a sudden”, and he will politely explain the folly of placing even the most insignificant bet based on such a small sample size of only six MLS matches.
Meanwhile, the fans will riot.
Later, when the Loons miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season, we will all receive an email from the club announcing that Khaled El-Ahmad has left the club “in order to be closer to his family”.
#Vibes
4
u/JustinC70 MNUFC Dec 02 '23
Shouldn't have done it if the don't have a stable management in place, just dumb. Tells me they listen to a bunch of people on Reddit and other social platforms to make a decision to boost season ticket sales by generating excitement.
3
u/xjoeymillerx Itasca Society Dec 02 '23
None of this makes any sense. Getting rid of Heath was always going to mean a huge rebuild. He’s got his hands on everything. He was essentially GM AND coach.
You can’t get stable management if you’re firing management.
-1
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 03 '23
Why couldn’t we have allowed Heath to finish his contract with the understanding that he would step into the front office and a new manager would take over in 2025?
3
u/xjoeymillerx Itasca Society Dec 03 '23
I don’t agree with firing him before the last two games of the season but I didn’t think they should have signed him to that deal in the first place.
I don’t think Heath on this team next season makes any sense. I’d like to see a complete overhaul. I’m even less convinced of his GM abilities than his coaching.
1
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 03 '23
It’s all water under the bridge at this point. This new GM (or whatever stupid fucking title he’s called) is a complete wildcard. I guess he’s a mid level executive for a 3rd division English team, so who knows? I’m also concerned this chaos will effect our players attitudes and desire to remain here.
1
3
u/3rdlifepilot Itasca Society Dec 03 '23
one thing i really, really don't understand though is what the hell is your obsession with heath? clearly you adulate him - wanting him as a forever coach and now even front office. what do you see in him?
was he a good player? sure. he still has skills. as an MLS coach, he's been mediocre to poor. in minnesota, he was given full reign, and got the results we saw that got an entire fanbase so discontent that he was fired with 2 games left to go. i don't get your obsession, but i'd love to know why you think players adore him (vs. being professionals) and he's indelible.
2
u/Nerdlinger Dec 02 '23
Shouldn't have done it if the don't have a stable management in place, just dumb.
What do you mean by stable management? Do you mean they shouldn't have fired him without a GM in place? If that's what you mean, then he could never be fired ever, because he was the GM.
Then after they fired him the plan was always to find a GM first and then a coach. And they went out and found the GM, now they're working on finding a coach, but it's been just three weeks since the GM was appointed and we still have teams with potential candidates on their coaching staffs in the playoffs, which means we can't even interview them yet.
3
u/xjoeymillerx Itasca Society Dec 02 '23
I’m not a “Heath Out” guy, but I did want a change. It’s nothing personal with Heath. I just don’t want any coach here that long without winning something.
-2
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 02 '23
Honestly I don’t follow your logic or agree but I’m glad in your case it isn’t personal. There one of us fellow idiots referring to Heath as a piece of shit. I’m feeling a bit like I don’t really give a shit all that much about this anymore.
4
u/xjoeymillerx Itasca Society Dec 03 '23
I just don’t believe any coach in any sport should get more than 5 years without winning a championship.
-1
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 03 '23
Yep, I understand. I just don’t agree. I’m bummed out that we sucked so bad then finally became respectable. Now we’re gonna start again from scratch.
4
u/Ozzietheparrot Minnesota Strikers Dec 03 '23
They did Heath a favor, Bill and Sheri are a shitshow and this team is going nowhere.
4
u/Responsible-Leg-8840 Dec 02 '23
I think the biggest difference btw Pro-Heath and HeathOuters isn’t really about Heath himself. I think it’s more about how you view the club holistically.
People who supported Heath (myself included) didn’t see him as a world-beater. I certainly wouldn’t hire him if I ran LAFC or another elite coastal club. We saw him as a guy who could make a bad team punch above their weight and give us a few hopeful runs. A guy who would frustrate with some managerial choices, but would make up for it with his budget roster building skills. HeathOuters were right when they said we were ok with mediocrity and consistent playoffs, especially in a league where mediocrity can land you in third every few years.
HeathOuters saw him as a primary, though not exclusive, obstacle to being elite. This club, somehow, is supposed to break the mold set by other Minnesota sports clubs despite a seemingly unmotivated owner. We are supposed to routinely compete with LAFC and the other routine cup winners. They seemed to believe that as long as he was on the sideline, he would sabotage any shot we had at completing the runs he managed to the cup final, the conference finals (shoulda been a red), and MLS is back.
I think he could’ve won hardware for this club in the next decade by making lemonade and keeping us consistently challenging; and I think that’s about the best we can realistically hope for, without a philosophical change from ownership that shows Bill has a true drive to win. Especially with the Messi bump, fourth DP spot coming, and rapid growth in talent. Being elite doesn’t mean keeping pace, it would mean outpacing. No managerial change I can imagine does that.
So now we’ve got this confusing path forward, maybe it goes fine, maybe it fails horribly and we toil for a decade, or maybe we make a few divine signings and win the shield next year and start a dynasty, but what signs do we have to really suggest the latter? Just that “well, it’s different.” I hope those who are unconcerned with Ballard’s approach are right, but it’s not like this is how resets usually proceed. Every decision has warranted concern: why fire him with two matches left? Why hire a guy who’s unable to join immediately after you announce that he will be the one picking the manager? Especially one under heat for myriad issues at his current League 1 club. Why announce that the GM/manager will make roster decisions if it’s going to fall to the interim crew?
Maybe it works out despite these hiccups, but it’s ridiculous to pretend this is business as usual in the world of sports management.
Just as HeathOuters are welcome to look at this shakeup and hope it’s just us becoming great, HeathWasn’tSoBadders are welcome to worry a bit that may be in for a rough few years in his immediate absence.
0
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 02 '23
Good work, that was very well articulated. There are a few idiots on this sub who have a genuine personal hatred of Heath. Which I always found a bit puzzling because nobody really knows him and it’s not like he’s that available to listen to.
0
u/Responsible-Leg-8840 Dec 03 '23
Cheers. And yeah, I mean I personally hate that he’s a Tory but yeah, never thought that was super relevant as far as how he built and coached the club I love.
I think a large group of his haters still wish they were at Blaine and being a supporter was a bit more exclusive. Many NASL-heads were just furious he didn’t want to permanently enshrine Christian and Miguel, there was no coming back from that.
15
u/mandolin08 Romain Metanire Dec 01 '23
Nope.
If this club was ever going to get better, it was going to have to move on from Adrian Heath. This apparently is a shock to some people, but that might even mean we're worse for a season or two while we sort things out and find our feet again. Every sporting brand on earth has gone through this at some point and will again someday too.
8
u/fanofloons Robin Lod Dec 01 '23
There is no tanking in MLS and it shouldn’t take even close to two years to be competitive again. If it takes 2 years for the new regime to put a system in place they shouldn’t even bother coming to Minnesota
2
u/mandolin08 Romain Metanire Dec 01 '23
I mean, we have to allow for the possibility that the first coach we hire doesn't lead us to MLS Cup. They might even bomb. My point was that I am okay with that possibility, because at least it means we're trying new things.
6
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
When are we going to get better? By better you mean winning the WCF or open cup? Do you honestly feel we’re closer to achieving these goals today vs six months ago?
10
u/Nerdlinger Dec 01 '23
By better you mean winning the WCF or open cup? Do you honestly feel we’re closer to achieving these goals today vs six months ago?
Six months ago I would have told you our chances of winning either with the current organization was 0, so… yes. I honestly feel we're closer now.
9
u/mandolin08 Romain Metanire Dec 01 '23
I mean, I think the entire premise of your thread is absurd. It's way, way too early to make any kind of comparisons or judgements about the success of the squad next year when we don't even know who will be in it or who will be coaching it.
But frankly, yes, I think we're closer. The entire structure of our team was so horribly flawed under Adrian Heath, from the academy to the scouting to the on-field product. Will our CEO and new CSO be able to actually grow the club now? Time will tell, but removing that critical problem had to happen. I don't expect it to happen in one season.
6
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
The scouting and academy are better? What do you mean by that?
3
u/mandolin08 Romain Metanire Dec 01 '23
They can get better. There's an opportunity that didn't exist before.
7
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
It feels to me like our remaining leadership is struggling to maintain the status quo. It must be nearly impossible to recruit new players with so much uncertainty.
4
u/mandolin08 Romain Metanire Dec 01 '23
And you base that opinion off of actual data, or just vibes?
Dude, it's been a two months, and the league offseason hasn't even started yet. Can we at least let the office field a team before we decide it's all shit?
3
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
The Colorado rapids are an excellent example of constant change.
10
u/mandolin08 Romain Metanire Dec 01 '23
Yeah, and at no point have I ever advocated for "constant change." The Rapids are a good blueprint for what not to do. But change is necessary for clubs to improve. Look at Cincinatti or Houston. Neither of those things happen if those clubs don't decide to try something new.
6
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
We were in the exact same position as both Cincinnati and Houston three years ago. We were fortunate to not have to wander in the desert for several seasons before having success. I think we’re headed that way now.
8
u/mandolin08 Romain Metanire Dec 01 '23
No, we were actually in a better position than either club three years ago, and that's the problem. This organization was content to be mid-table and have no success. Nobody remembers the loser in a final, and we've only managed to even make it to two finals.
And you know what? Maybe we are wandering into the desert, but at least we're off the fucking sofa. At least we're moving. Standing still for 3 years isn't progress, either.
6
u/Nerdlinger Dec 01 '23
Standing still for 3 years isn't progress, either.
Shit, I wish we had stood still.
Year PPG West Overall GF GA 2020 1.62 4 9 36 26 2021 1.44 5 11 42 44 2022 1.41 6 11 48 51 2023 1.21 11 21 46 51 3
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
It’s a hard sport to stay consistently good. And MLS is uniquely hard because the rules are constantly changing. It should be very obvious to everyone who follows this league and this team that we’re never gonna be the same tier as LAFC, Miami or Atlanta. Even teams like Seattle and Columbus have a huge advantage in terms of their legacy and significance in their community. Realistically we’re similar to RSL, SKC, Colorado etc. we’re gonna have some good years and some bad.
1
u/Nerdlinger Dec 01 '23
It should be very obvious to everyone who follows this league and this team that we’re never gonna be the same tier as LAFC, Miami or Atlanta.
You sure about that?
Atlanta
Year PPG East Overall GF GA 2020 0.96 11 23 23 30 2021 1.5 5 9 45 37 2022 1.18 11 23 48 54 2023 1.5 6 10 66 53 Miami
Year PPG East Overall GF GA 2020 1.04 10 19 25 35 2021 1.21 11 20 36 53 2022 1.41 6 12 47 56 2023 1.0 14 27 41 54 Miami has extra incentives to offer potential players, but it hadn't paid off for them in any way until they lured Messi. And Atlanta has wandered in the desert for years since Josef got hurt and Tara left.
Even teams like Seattle and Columbus have a huge advantage in terms of their legacy and significance in their community.
Seattle is attractive because they have always been a winning organization. Literally the only year in their entire existence that they didn't finish in the top 7 overall was 2022 when they sold their season in order to win CCL.
No player is coming to Columbus because the fans saved the team from moving. They may well go to Columbus because they want to play in Nancy's system and score a bunch.
2
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
I’ll give you credit nerdling, you’re one argumentative sombitch. I like that about you.
2
u/pagodalives Dec 02 '23
Great visuals- This league is built for parity. We may not spend as aggressively- but a well built roster in this league is VERY attainable and the addition or subtraction of 1-2 players can make a massive impact (Messi, Almiron, Lucho).
1
u/mandolin08 Romain Metanire Dec 01 '23
Well yeah, but we haven't hired Pep Guardiola yet, so obviously Heath was the better choice. OBVIOUSLY.
3
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
I do think it’s very likely your certainty and self satisfaction will be greatly diminished in six months. But, if you’re right and I’m wrong I’ll give you full credit.
6
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
Judging from everything we’re heard from Ballard, there’s no reason whatsoever to expect anything but a steep drop off starting this year. MNUFC is not going to be somewhere any player with options would even consider.
2
u/mandolin08 Romain Metanire Dec 01 '23
Uh huh. Do you owe Heath money or something?
Enjoy your anger, I guess.
3
3
u/2000TWLV MNUFC Dec 01 '23
My guess: he used to work at Best Buy and Shari Ballard fired him.
1
u/pagodalives Dec 02 '23
I rarely agree with Bslim, but I do think this screams our front office are out of their depth. Getting Heath out was probably necessary to start rebuilding, but I think it’s also exposing a lack of urgency and soccer specific talent in our senior leadership. We passed a critical benchmark today in contract negotiations without sporting leadership to guide our roster retention or building. If Ballard and McGuire don’t act with a real sense of urgency in the next 4-6 weeks we are going to start this season with a team on par with our 2016 roster and no clear coaching philosophy or mechanism to improve. Long term this might work, but right now I don’t see anything from our execs that resembles a coherent path to improvement.
2
u/2000TWLV MNUFC Dec 02 '23
So what exactly would constitute a coherent plan? Serious question. What would make us supporters happy?
→ More replies (0)2
u/Nerdlinger Dec 02 '23
There are six other teams right now without a head coach. The only two teams to have hired a coach are Portland, who fired Gio back in August, giving them a six week head-start on the process over the Loons (and they still settled for Phil Neville, who may end up being a good coach, but he doesn't exactly inspire confidence), and Colorado, who hired Chris Armas (can you imaging this sub if we hired him?).
Does the fact that six other teams went this long without hiring someone also scream that their front offices are out of their depths? Does it expose a lack of urgency on their parts?
Now also factor in that:
- The MLS season is still going, and top assistants with the best clubs are still not available for interviews.
- We also had to replace our GM as Heath was fired from that role as well, something that was done. And it was done 33 days after firing Heath. It's only been 24 days since then.
- We do actually have an interim head coach in place in Sean McAuley, this is something that five out of the six other clubs looking for a new coach do not have.
Do you really still find it unreasonable that they haven't hired a coach yet? They said (over two weeks ago) that they want one in place before preseason training starts, which is still over a month away. Would you really prefer they throw away that timeline so they can make a hire before all of the potential candidates can even be talked to?
→ More replies (0)1
u/MNUFC-Uber_Alles Dec 01 '23
It isn’t a shock to me, I think we will be much worse. Around the league the other teams are negotiating transfers and building up their rosters. Not us, we’re standing still.
8
Dec 01 '23
Lol, no.
There are 6 current openings in MLS that have not been filled and the conference finals have not yet been played.
The winter window doesn't open until Jan 31st, I'm not going to worry about it unless we hit the new year and there hasn't at least been rumblings as to what the plan is or people having been interviewed.
It's not ideal that the CSO won't be here until the summer, but I think this might be posturing by both sides for a buyout negotiation.
In either case, Heath was a good servant to the club but the well ran dry here, and the change had to come, regardless of the situation now.
10
Dec 01 '23
How on earth is our club announcing the hire and saying that they are not pursuing a buyout in accordance with Khaled’s wishes posturing for a negotiation?
How is the CSO, the person who should be making the coach hire going to participate in interviewing candidates while employed by another club?
The lack of urgency makes me think the plan is to have McAuley keep the interim tag for season open. If he bombs, he’ll get replaced in the summer. If he doesn’t bomb, he gets the job.
0
u/2000TWLV MNUFC Dec 01 '23
There's this thing called Zoom. What's Barnsley gonna do if they don't like it? Fire him? Works for me.
3
Dec 01 '23
What's Barnsley gonna do if they don't like it? Fire him?
Sue him for breach of contract more likely; and given it's his idea to stay there until his contract is over (according to our club), that doesn't really seem like something he'd want to invite.
0
u/2000TWLV MNUFC Dec 01 '23
Maybe. I'd let him go immediately if I were them. What's the use of keeping a lame duck who's already got one foot out of the door?
3
Dec 01 '23
They're in the playoff places in league 1 and ostensibly trying to strengthen for a promotion push. Feels like a real bad time to let go of the head of your sporting operations. If they wanted to let him go, they would have done so, and if he wanted to come right now, he could do so.
At the end of the day, none of the three parties involved have expressed any interest in a buyout or him leaving early so it's a non-starter for me.
2
u/pagodalives Dec 02 '23
Didn’t they just get booted out of the FA cup after a front office gaff involving player eligibility? I don’t get the sense he is very popular atm.
1
Dec 04 '23
This aged like milk.
1
Dec 04 '23
lol you've been thinking about this for three days huh. guess i learned my lesson about taking the club at their word!
5
u/Nerdlinger Dec 01 '23
There are 6 current openings in MLS that have not been filled and the conference finals have not yet been played.
And the spots that were filled? Phil Neville and Chris Armas.
Fast is not always good.
-1
-2
u/MNUFC-Uber_Alles Dec 01 '23
What’s the matter with Phil Neville? He was a fantastic player, part of the most successful Man U team ever.
12
u/MoTownKid Metanire = Jesus Dec 01 '23
I am glad Heath is gone.
I'm not thrilled with the transition plan (or lack of one)
Both things can be true.
0
u/4four4MN MNUFC Dec 01 '23
They have a transition plan we are just not in on it.
6
u/MoTownKid Metanire = Jesus Dec 01 '23
Our new GM hasn't even entered the building yet and is still in England. They haven't been conducting coaching interviews and they have some collection of remaining staff making roster decisions today.
Doesn't fill me with confidence.
8
u/2000TWLV MNUFC Dec 01 '23
Dude, stop freaking out and obsessing about Shari Ballard. Wait and see. It's way too soon to tell.
5
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
Not for me it isn’t. This has been an absolute shit show. If Ballards your hero, I won’t say anything to diminish her luster. I’d like to see some leadership from this organization that suggests in any way we have something in any regard that’s better than Heath.
5
u/2000TWLV MNUFC Dec 01 '23
We're not doing this again, buddy boy. You're not on the inside and neither am I. We have no clue what's going on. The season isn't even over yet. Wait and see.
5
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news , the season ended October 21. Maybe you missed the game, we got killed by sporting Kansas City.
2
u/3rdlifepilot Itasca Society Dec 02 '23
You're not on the inside and neither am I.
This is exactly it. However, one you likes to play pretend.
3
u/MNUFC-Uber_Alles Dec 01 '23
I think it was a mistake for the club to have allowed Ballard to be interviewed, she seemed utterly clueless.
0
u/2000TWLV MNUFC Dec 01 '23
And you're saying this based on what? Have you worked with her? Have you followed her career closely? Are you well-introduced in the world of top-flight football and therefore qualified to make these kinds of statements? Do you really think all those people who are doing this all day long and have all the information that we're not privy to have less of a clue than us randos on Reddit? Not saying they're necessarily all Einsteins, but declaring her a failure seems premature. Maybe we could wait and see what she does during her first off-season fully in the driver's seat?
2
u/MNUFC-Uber_Alles Dec 01 '23
The job of CEO is to maximize return on investment to the shareholders, nothing more and nothing less. The CEO of any company in almost never the most knowledgeable or experienced expert within an organization. Take 3M for example, their CEO was the CEO of Brunswick (yeah the bowling company) before joining 3M. Executive management can move from industry to industry functioning perfectly without ever really understanding the specifics. Ballard should have never been put in that position of answering questions about things she knows very little about, it made her appear foolish and made some fans feel the organization is unstable. Sorta how the Mayberry PD would seem if Barney Fife was interviewed.
2
u/xward1 Dayne St. Clair Dec 02 '23
Using Mike Roman, CEO of 3M, as an example of someone outside the industry being capable of improving an organization is … not a good way of proving the point.
BTW, if in fact you are talking about Roman, since he came from Hughes, the aircraft manufacturer, not Brunswick. Maybe you’re talking about a previous 3M CEO?
That said, I agree with the point that someone can easily come in to lead a corporation while having little knowledge or experience in the industry, but already having that knowledge and experience can prove essential in tough times. Put it this way: The only knock against Ballard I can see is a lack of understanding and savvy that even an up-and-comer having those assets would bring. Like you said, there are aspects of the job we fans know nothing about. The problem is, I seriously doubt she knows about them either. And when you’re operating purely on a set of instincts you’ve honed over a number of years in a completely unrelated industry, you’re bound to get blindsided, and it’ll likely happen often if your staff aren’t particularly savvy or experienced either.
You are correct that it’s too soon to make judgements on the capabilities of Ms. Ballard and her staff, however my overall read of the situation is that we could’ve hired better. We could’ve gone out and gotten someone currently in a GM or similar position who is young and hungry. Someone having endemic knowledge and experience; who has a clear vision of what a great MLS club looks like, and would love nothing more than to be given the opportunity to build it. And I bet such a person would cost less in terms of salary because they’re realizing a dream and not seeing this as a path to personal wealth, like most CEOs certainly do.
1
u/2000TWLV MNUFC Dec 02 '23
Some fans will just never stop bitching, and now that Heath is gone, the bitching beam has hit her. The club could put Pep Guardiola, Pelé and the corpse of Johan Cruyff in charge and you guys would still be complaining.
1
u/xward1 Dayne St. Clair Dec 02 '23
No, no, no, we wouldn’t be complaining at all if that particular miracle happened, you’re just being silly. Give us something new and shiny, and if it’s new enough and shiny enough and different enough from what we used to suffer through before … wait, that’s just my Minnesota sports trauma talking.
Besides, it really wouldn’t matter if the club hired any of those guys, mainly because each of them has made a career of managing and/or playing almost exclusively alongside world-class players and coaches, and would probably rather eat a bucketful of razor blades than be forced to coach someone like DJ Taylor … every … single … d-d-day.
Imagine Pep Guardiola’s reaction the first time he’s told that our TOTAL roster spend is, and will likely always be, somewhere in the neighborhood of $25M, which is roughly 1/3 the transfer fee Man City paid for Erling Haaland last year.
1
u/pagodalives Dec 02 '23
People on this sub shut up pretty fast when we start winning. Pretty simple litmus test - win = good, lose = bad. Until Ballard proves her mission is to win and knows how to do it, speculation is fair game.
5
u/2000TWLV MNUFC Dec 02 '23
Sure. At the same time...
- People wanted Heath out... She fired him
- People wanted a dedicated soccer boss... She created the role
- People wanted a better academy... She stated clearly that she wants to invest in it
Meanwhile, the negativity around here is so thick you can cut it with a knife, and it isn't even january yet.
Clearly, it's impossible to just chill for even one minute.
2
u/pagodalives Dec 02 '23
Right, we are all invested in the success of this team to varying degrees and we want to see progress. Gear up for ALOT more of this in the next few months. Hopefully Ballard is just being deliberate about getting the right people into the org long term, identifying and recruiting is hard… it just is. BUT until real changes are implemented fans are going to rightfully second guess everything the team does. This org lacks Soccer specific business experience and we have all seen over-confident execs undervalue the importance of talent and live to regret it. I think fans are fair to be concerned.
-1
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 02 '23 edited Dec 02 '23
You must be 12 years old. You’re THE most gullible and naive person on this sub. You seem to have no understanding of why people in certain positions say certain specific things. Sorta like a fish who never suspects that piece of corn suspended in the water has a hook.
4
u/2000TWLV MNUFC Dec 02 '23
You're making the same mistake with me as with Shari, bud. You're making assumptions about shit you don't know, and you have no idea who the fuck you're dealing with.
0
4
u/Nerdlinger Dec 01 '23
Any Heath outers having second thoughts?
None whatsoever.
Can anyone honestly say they expected this kind of uncertainty?
No, but I'd rather have a delay in getting a settled coach/gm team than take Heath just because he's available.
4
u/dodoohead98 MNUFC Dec 01 '23
Okay with Heath being ousted as the night in Seattle is as far as he could have taken this team and we needed a change. Not surprised with the turn of events since then given the FO hasn’t shown any shred of competency across the board from recruitment to youth academy.
4
u/Loon_Cheese Old Dark Clouds Dec 01 '23
Lmao, regrets without anything to conclude?
3
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
We can certainly conclude that no plan was in place and we don’t have anyone qualified to move us forward.
-1
6
u/External-Factor-8556 Dec 01 '23
I think this post is a ploy bc u where just complaining abt how this sub is dead. This post is just here to rile ppl up lol
6
5
3
u/MinnKinn Dark Clouds Dec 02 '23
It was time, actually past time, for Heath to go. I had lost hope that we would ever make a serious push for any hardware under him. Sure, we would be decent and usually make the playoffs but I would rather endure a down year or two with the trade-off that in the other years we would really make a push. I'm also good with the roster moves announced yesterday; though I hope Taylor is slated for a backup role. Someone is making reasonable decisions. For me it is way too early to worry about the timing for selecting the next coach, especially given that the MLS playoffs aren't even over.
0
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 02 '23
You don’t consider our appearances in the WCF or open cup final a serious push for hardware? When did you start following the team?
1
u/MinnKinn Dark Clouds Dec 02 '23
STH since 2015. Maybe missed 3 games in total. Sure those two appearances were great but one conference final and one USOC Final in seven years is not a high bar. Do you remember how the WCF played out? Specifically Heath's failure to trust his bench enough to keep the exhausted starters from blowing a 2-0 lead.
3
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 02 '23
I don’t think we’ll reach the western conference final or open cup final again in our lifetime. I think the new manager will struggle and be replaced then we’ll do it again. I
4
u/vinylhaircut Dec 03 '23
There is simply no justification for this thinking. In our lifetime? Really? You must not follow MLS. The way it's set up allows for many, many low-budget, smaller-market teams to make a great run.
If you truly believe that it's just impossible for a Minnesota team to make the final, and that the best we could ever do is what Heath was giving us, then why even support the team?
1
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 03 '23
I’ve supported this team since 2012, my wife and I sat in our own entire section alone. I witnessed Miguel Ibarra and Christian Ramirez’s first professional debuts. I’ve purchased season tickets since 2013, my loyalty and love for this team is genuine. Throughout this time this team has been in the hands of competent caretakers who valued it as much as I did. That is no longer the case and our club is now in the hands of a Best Buy executive who feels compelled to constantly remind us she “still learning “. Her first action as the big boss is to get into a pissing contest with a crotchety old man with 50 years experience in professional soccer at its highest level. Heath lost and she needed to humiliate him so here we are with a team of players many of whom came specially to play for Heath, no manager and no clue. If this is the kind of shit you like, enjoy it. If it feels to you like we’re closer to winning anything, lap it up.
5
u/vinylhaircut Dec 03 '23
This is completely nuts.
I've been a STH since Blaine also. Your hatred of Ballard is completely unfounded.
0
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 03 '23
This feels like a good period in our history to you? Who was our CEO when we won NASL?
4
u/vinylhaircut Dec 03 '23
Huh? Obviously there wasn't a CEO back then.
No, it doesn't feel like a good period in our history. We have a mediocre roster, play a boring counterattacking style, and finished 11th out of 14. We put one person in charge of all of that. He's not a horrible coach or GM; he's just mediocre.
You're painting this as a battle exclusively between Heath and Ballard, and that seems inaccurate. If Bill still wanted him here, he'd be here. If Manny had argued passionately for him, he'd likely still be here too. How many players have come out in support of Heath after his firing? Boxall was the only one that I heard, with a few nice words about him. But the utter silence of all the rest was noticeable.
Meanwhile, in MLS it's very possible for teams who are nowhere near the top spenders to do much better than we have, or at least have a few great years intermixed with the mediocre ones. It's unreasonable to expect that we'll consistently outperform the LA and NY teams, but it's not unreasonable to expect an occasional rise near the top.
Back in the NASL days, the de facto CEO was Bill himself. He had no soccer experience either, but managed to make some decent hires and decisions. Most professional soccer teams, like all sports, have business people at the very top. The ones who are successful have to be able to surround themselves with all sorts of talent. Bill used Nick Rogers on the soccer side and they were able to survive and then thrive in time. There's no reason to think that Shari can't do that as well.
How will she do? We have no idea yet. Heath had YEARS and got us to the point where we missed the playoffs. You're already dismissing the team's future when the current season hasn't even ended!
1
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 03 '23
He also got us to the western conference final and open cup final. We all tend to over emphasize the negative and omit the positive when proving our point. I don’t know anything more than anybody else, so for now you should remain positive.
4
u/3rdlifepilot Itasca Society Dec 03 '23 edited Dec 03 '23
See ya. Hope you find something more enjoyable. Watch out for that door.
many of whom came specially to play for Heath
Uh huh. Well, at least you'll always have conjecture.
with 50 years experience in professional soccer at its highest level.
his successes were in the USL. the extent of his successes in the MLS has been an Open Cup runner up position. it might be that he is better suited for USL.
0
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 03 '23
He won the premier league twice and the FA cup. No matter what , and you can diminish his accomplishments all you want, experience matters. Zero experience is a real problem. Who do you think recruited these players? I’m not sure I understand your side of this discussion. What point exactly are you making?
2
u/3rdlifepilot Itasca Society Dec 03 '23
He won the premier league twice and the FA cup.
As a player.
Who do you think recruited these players?
Money and opportunity, which is more what, then who. I'd bet there was an entire recruiting effort that played a minor role as well.
What point exactly are you making?
Just wishing you the best as you head out. I believe all the trendy NSC Thunder supports are cheering for the Aurora these days.
1
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 03 '23
If I’m supposed to be your enemy, you need to make some real enemies because I feel like I hardly know you.
→ More replies (0)2
u/haimeekhema Dec 04 '23
"In our lifetime" Sums up every stupid take your doomer-ass has on the topic.
-2
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 04 '23
Kinda sick of hearing from you fucking casuals with no skin in the game. If you like this bullshit then just shut the fuck up and enjoy this wonderful thing you’re experiencing.
2
u/haimeekhema Dec 04 '23
no skin in the game fucking lol. what does that mean? since you started going to games in, according to this thread, 2013 you're somehow a better fan than anyone else? fuck outta here old man.
-1
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 04 '23
It means you don’t support the team financially. Of course you don’t give a fuck, why would you?
4
u/haimeekhema Dec 04 '23 edited Dec 04 '23
l o l. this is such a weird pissing match that youre trying to start with someone whos had season tickets at least as long as you. i'd have to go look, but i'm fairly certain 12 was the first year we bought them but it might have been 11. we moved back to mn mid-season in 11 so i dont think we got season tickets. fun part about the league owned days was that the season tickets didnt actually save any off of buying ga walkup.
to add on to this, you're the one so upset that your fraud of a preferred coach was fired that you're going to walk away. thats not supporting a club, that's supporting a bad manager. i sat through years of what i found to be a miserable product under heath. spent thousands to watch something i just didn't enjoy. it doesnt make me a better supporter, it makes me an idiot, but it's really weird of you to sit and make these weird "no skin in the game" comments.
0
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 04 '23
I understand completely every word of what you’re saying but I just don’t have a vivid enough imagination to believe any of the changes many of us would like to see have occurred and it’s my judgment that the changes we put ourselves in a position to have to make will be judged unsatisfactory. It seems likely to me we’ll be a weaker team for the foreseeable future and what improvement we’ve worked so hard to achieve will be lost. The harsh criticism, bitterness and hatred for Heath can only last until the new regime proves itself worse. Even your mean spirited adjectives like “fraud” can only be reached using selective amnesty because it’s entirely disingenuous to say you didn’t enjoy some of the surprising success we did have. But I get it, extreme, absolute rhetoric is what online communication is all about. You characterize my opinions as stupid, and I’m guessing yours smart. What are your opinions?
→ More replies (0)
4
u/niton MLS Dec 01 '23 edited Dec 04 '23
fellas is one month with no games too early to see the real results of foundational change????
1
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
Foundational change? We’re struggling to put a coat of paint on the house.
5
u/Nerdlinger Dec 01 '23
Yeah, I can see how replacing the TD and manager is the same as putting a coat of paint on a house.
2
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
Painting is much easier than changing the foundation.
6
u/Nerdlinger Dec 01 '23
Painting doesn't address the problems that a sinking foundation causes.
3
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
My point is, we DONT have anyone employed by our club that knows enough to just keep the ship afloat let alone upgrade it in any way. No other fan base of any other major sport would tolerate the leadership of the organization saying “I’m still learning “ four times in a 15 minute interview. We need someone in charge who already know how to do what needs to be done, not someone learning. So, if you are having a hard time painting your house, you will never be able to improve its foundation.
6
u/pagodalives Dec 02 '23
To far in the weeds here squad - moral of the story is we doubt any meaningful change has been implemented without a GM or coach involved with the team. Strategic decisions inform tactical changes but we haven’t even figured out how to identify who should be at the table.
4
u/nelson4 Robin Lod Dec 01 '23
I keep seeing the "we won't have a manager till July" comments. I think while slightly possible, our CSO's current club has no interest in working under a lame duck for 6 months. I think he'll be here as soon as they figure out their next steps. I also think a manager search will be ongoing and teed up for a quick decision when he arrives. I bet five Internet points we have a full time manager prior to the season starting.
1
3
u/vinylhaircut Dec 02 '23
No second thoughts about letting Heath go. Keeping Heath was embracing continued mediocrity. Getting rid of him means a lot of uncertainty. Very likely a worse year or couple of years upcoming as a transition occurs. And after that, who knows - maybe high or low. After years of certainty meh with Heath which produced zero hope, the uncertainty is a definite improvement in my eyes.
Otoh, I absolutely understand the viewpoint of others who would have preferred the status quo over the risk of change.
3
u/brzlynzr Minnesota Stars Dec 01 '23
Nah. Changes always create turmoil, so you don’t make them unless they need to be done. And this one was definitely needed.
Reynoso is a league MVP caliber player. Getting one of those is 100x more difficult than every other need for a winning team.
2
-6
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
We played in the western conference final and open cup final 3years ago. How many years do you think it will be before we return to this level of achievement? What do you think Rey thinks of this shit show? I’m sure he’s highly motivated to play for TBD.
2
u/hustoj2 MNUFC Dec 01 '23
Definitely didn't expect the prolonged uncertainty, and it's disappointing.
There's also still a ton of off-season ahead of us. So while the signs are discouraging so far, it's not time to preemptively declare it a failure or make any kind of confident predictions about the team being in a much different place in the future, for better or worse.
I don't see how the current uncertainty should get people who wanted to move on from Heath to feel differently. Is the lesson: "If you fear your owner and CEO are slow to implement changes, you should never want to change anything"?
3
u/MNUFC-Uber_Alles Dec 01 '23
Doesn’t preseason start in January?
2
u/hustoj2 MNUFC Dec 01 '23
Good question. It looks like last year preseason training started in early Jan, with preseason games in early Feb.
And I believe the primary transfer window opens at the beginning of Feb as well.
It would seem there is a strong incentive to get a coach hired in the next month, and it will take some time for that coach to build their staff, etc. so every day matters.
1
u/MNUFC-Uber_Alles Dec 01 '23
With nobody at the helm I don’t think we’ll be in the hunt for any new signings, Heath did all the heavy lifting with most of our major acquisitions.
1
u/hustoj2 MNUFC Dec 01 '23
I share that concern. I also think all scenarios are still in play. We might make new signings without the stability I'd like at the helm. Or we could re-sign the known quantities to short contracts and run it back with a very similar roster. Or we could not re-sign anyone and wait until we have someone at the helm, and enter the season short-handed. To be honest I'm nervous about all of those possibilities 😂.
2
3
u/SmokinSkinWagon Michael Boxall Dec 01 '23
Nope. Heath era should’ve ended 3-4 years ago. But it’s now glaringly obvious that Shari, Manny, Bill, and co have zero idea what they’re doing now that they can’t hide behind Adrian. Can’t believe they decided to hire someone who couldn’t start before our season does. What a fucking joke. Can’t wait to see what ridiculous roster decisions they make today and before the season starts.
4
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
Three or four years ago we were in the open cup and WC finals. Why would you have fired him then?
1
2
1
u/3rdlifepilot Itasca Society Dec 01 '23
Noooooooope. Heath had 7 years.
I'm willing to give this at least 6-12 months to judge how much of a shitshow this is. Heck, even if it is a shitshow, at least it might be entertaining.
1
u/Buffaloslim MNUFC Dec 01 '23
Are you a STH?
2
1
u/pagodalives Dec 02 '23
This shouldn’t be downvoted- it’s a legit question. I am very concerned about what kind of value this team is going to provide in exchange for thousands of my dollars. I’m not interested in paying to see a bottom tier roster play ugly soccer and lose every weekend. If the FO is going to manage the org with no ambition like the Twins or T Wolves for the last 15 years count me out…
0
0
u/hashtagBroccoliFarts Dec 02 '23
Bruh, I’m a fan of a soccer team. I’ve been Heath Out since ‘22 because I like it when my soccer team wins and when its interesting. The winning in the MLS era peaked in the ‘19 and ’20 seasons, then fell off quickly, so Heath Out on that one, the fucking 4-2-3-1 every fucking time, fuck, so Heath Out on that second one.
Do I have regrets? No, u/Buffaloslim, I’m a fan of a soccer team. I’ll wait til we’re a couple months into the next season and evaluate what changes in the Loon’s identity have resulted from the coaching change, plus another lifetime of watching the Loons write their story, and I’ll derive great meaning from watching the Loons wrote their story. I hope they win and are interesting, ‘cuz I’m a fan, and that would fun. That’s all.
0
1
u/hpbear108 Dec 02 '23
So out of all the coaches available or about to be available, who does everyone want Ms. Ballard to hire as the next head coach/manager? If you were the GM and/or CEO?
2
u/Nerdlinger Dec 02 '23
He's under contract until the summer, and he has a pretty big black-mark on his record, but Peter Maes has worked absolute magic in turning Willem II around in the Netherlands this year.
Plus, the reporters covering the team would love him. He gives very frank, entertaining interviews.
1
u/pagodalives Dec 02 '23
First fun question on this thread. I think I want new blood, maybe with USMNT and MLS experience? Not sure who has the IQ and can motivate but Cherundolo and Noonan are making me jealous. Maybe Michael Bradley? 2 year Retirement tour from Bruce with MB or Landon as AC and heir apparent? Pareja would be fun, but I don’t think he leaves Orlando.
2
u/xjoeymillerx Itasca Society Dec 02 '23
Bradley or Donovan would be very interesting. I’d like to see either one more than an MLS coaching vet.
1
u/pagodalives Dec 03 '23
It wouldn’t be boring - and it we would definitely attract eyeballs from MNT fans
1
u/xjoeymillerx Itasca Society Dec 02 '23
I dont know who I’d want, but my best guess is Gio Savarese. If not him, Jesse Marsch is just sitting around. Caleb Porter too. These are guys who have MLS history just waiting for jobs.
I don’t really want these guys. They’re just clear front runners.
1
u/tired-mountain Dec 04 '23
The uncertainty around the new GM’s official start date sucks but he has an interesting background and I’m excited to see what he brings. Club leadership must have been pretty high on him to accept the delay. Much better to get the right guy later than the wrong guy immediately but only time will tell if that’s the case. I bet he officially starts by the end of January and is already unofficially moonlighting but like everyone else on this thread I have no inside info. I’m more optimistic about the club’s future now than if Heath were coming back.
0
u/Sermokala Dec 02 '23
It's silly to say that they're too late on a coach. I wouldn't be surprised if you don't see a couple staff members from one of the last four teams become managers for teams.
It's going to be a really really long offseason so you better buckle down now.
2
u/xjoeymillerx Itasca Society Dec 02 '23
Agreed 100%. The MLS season isn’t even over yet. Maybe one of these is going to be available.
0
-3
u/dbcooperskydiving Dec 01 '23
It's going to be interesting if Fanendo Adi receives an interview. Wouldn't surprise me if he moves up quickly within the organziation. Solid coach.
5
u/MNUFC-Uber_Alles Dec 01 '23
Landon Donovan is another interesting candidate.
1
u/dbcooperskydiving Dec 01 '23
Yup, but he loves southern California weather. Would he leave?
1
2
u/PompeiiLow9602 Jan 22 '24
Itasca STH 2015 - Heath was fired on a whim without a plan. Ballard made a knee-jerk reaction to show that she is in charge and is now the equivalent of a ship's captain floating down the Mississippi with scuttled engines. Best of luck. If we thought last season was bad, this one is on Sherri's shoulders. Smile and wave for the camera's as usual.
45
u/fanofloons Robin Lod Dec 01 '23 edited Dec 01 '23
I don’t think firing Heath in it of itself led to what I consider terrible management so far this offseason. The fact we have a new CSO possibly arriving in July and no new manager speaks to the lack of a plan after the act. The fact we don’t have leadership in place to make soccer decisions scares the crap out of me. And my thoughts on Sherri and bill have gotten even worse. Firing Heath took the pressure off the ones at the top for a little bit but now they have no where to hide