SoccerCan Cummins cut it at Toronto FC?

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For all the talk about the "new" 4-3-3 formation, it doesn’t matter what formation he chooses or which players he selects as long as they deliver more wins than losses.

It is the only criteria by which his work should be judged and his decision to "take the plunge" is clearly an indication of his determination to swim and not sink in uncharted waters.

At a crossroads

Of course, it didn’t have to be like this. Cummins was at a crossroads when his long time friend and trusted ally John Carver threw in the towel.

In some respects - though probably not financially - the easy option would have been to stay loyal to Carver and accompany his Geordie pal back to the UK.

It was a choice which crossed Cummins’ mind, but not for long. His opportunity in football management has come relatively early.

At age 37 he’s less than three years older than his most senior player, but it is essential he commands respect from 34-year-old Danny Dichio and downwards if his gamble to stay on in Toronto is to have a prayer of succeeding.

Cummins has a couple of important assets which should work to his advantage.

First and foremost he has inherited the strongest roster in franchise history, a squad which - in my opinion - is perfectly capable of sustaining a playoff challenge in the coming months.

Secondly, Cummins knows his players. He’s worked with most of them for well over a year and formed part of the welcoming committee for the new acquisitions over the winter.

Rough road ahead?

On the flip side, there is the potential for negative equity.

Under the Carver regime part of Cummins’ role would have been as a kind of buffer between unhappy player and dissatisfied coach. This is common with most assistants.

To some extent he would have been the players’ confidant – an assignment he can no longer fulfill. The dynamic has to change immediately and it remains to be seen how the adjustment will play out.

In addition, Cummins has never coached a senior team. He’s done sterling work with young, gifted players in his previous jobs at Watford and Luton Town.

If it wasn’t for his influence, Ashley Young may not be a full England international player now.

However, the graveyard of professional soccer is sadly littered with competent, knowledgeable assistants whose chance to move into the managerial hot-seat proved to be an unmitigated disaster.

More laid-back

By his own admission, Cummins is a far more laid-back character than his predecessor. Don’t expect to see any Carver-esque touchline rants in the near future.

MLS commissioner Don Garber can breathe a sigh of relief in the surety he won’t have to fine or censure anyone from the Toronto FC coaching staff for criticizing the performance of his long-suffering referees.

But Cummins’ more subdued approach does not mean he’s not passionate. To gain the trust and respect of the players he has to be honest with them, and to do that he has to be honest with himself.

He must, at all times, be comfortable in his own skin and back his own judgment.

He has to accept he can only keep eleven individuals content at any one time – the remainder will have an axe to grind – but that comes with the territory.

With his eyes wide open and fully aware of the pot-holes ahead, Chris Cummins elected not to turn back at the crossroads.

He has chosen a route fraught with risk but which, when navigated correctly, can bring great reward. Time alone will tell if it’s a cul-de-sac or a short cut to the highway.

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