SoccerToronto FC must catch a good coach

Beginning of Story Content

Johnston may be arrogant at times but he is not a stupid man. He is well aware the agreed contract won’t be worth the paper it’s printed on should TFC fall short again in 12 months time.

He is further aware, should he wish to continue in his present role, he must deliver the most important piece of the jigsaw.

Toronto FC’s fourth head coach in as many years will either be Johnston’s passport to job security or a one-way ticket out of Pearson International.

He knows he cannot do the job himself and he knows the experiment of hiring available Brits with coaching badges but no prior knowledge of Major League Soccer, nor the culture of North American professional sports, has backfired.

Johnston has reasonably deduced the next team boss must be MLS-literate. His choice, he believes, must be someone who understands the league, its players, its standards, its restrictions, and above all, the way the game is played.

Making the grade

Making the grade in a 15-team league (make that 16 for 2010) may look like a cinch to potential foreign coaches but evidence clearly shows it is easier said than done.

I can understand the logic and don’t necessarily disagree with it. Hiring an MLS-savvy coach certainly has self explanatory advantages. My doubts, however, are twofold.

First and foremost all the best MLS coaches already have jobs. Sigi Schmid has proved an expansion team can make the playoffs in Seattle, Bruce Arena has reinvigorated the Galaxy in Los Angeles and Dominic Kinnear continues to demonstrate Houston does not have a problem, at least not where soccer is concerned.

Secondly, whatever happened to the idea the position goes to the best man for the job? If Jose Mourinho suddenly decided to pack his bags in Milan and turned up at the Air Canada Centre, resumé in hand, could Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment turn him away due to his lack of MLS experience?

In other words, Johnston is surely narrowing the field by effectively accepting applications only from those who know MLS but are out of work. And we all know why they are searching for employment.

Whatever your view on the decision to spend millions making Julian de Guzman TFC’s first designated player, the argument goes he is the best Canadian player available at the price and had to be signed.

Same rules apply

What’s good for the goose, therefore, should be good for the gander. Toronto FC has an obligation to recruit the best available coach regardless of his experience, or lack thereof, in North America.

Since neither Mourinho, nor Sir Alex Ferguson, Guus Hiddink nor Carlo Ancelotti are likely to be seeking a new challenge in Major League Soccer anytime soon, let’s get real. Johnston must appoint a coach who can manage the team and help individuals fulfill their potential.

I remain of the opinion the Toronto roster, with the off-season additions of a proven striker and a commanding central defender, should be as competitive as any of its rivals.

What it has lacked, and continues to lack, is a coach with a proven track record who, as a result, commands respect and can extract every ounce of energy and commitment from his players.

He doesn’t have to be popular in the dressing room or with the media. He has to get the job done. Every player from de Guzman down should have to earn his place on the team by showing the right attitude both on and off the field.

The chirpy, upbeat 20-second sound bites make good audio but are hollow and meaningless unless the coach can impart a game plan his charges will follow.

Difficult search

Suitable candidates will be hard to find. Tom Soehn, who led DC United to the Supporters’ Shield in 2007, has parted company with the team after missing the playoffs for the last two years.

Curt Onalfo, who took Kansas City to the Eastern Conference final in 2007 and the post-season a year later, was fired by the Wizards in August.

And what about Preki? Johnston’s former team-mate in K.C. and before that with Everton of the English Premier League has been both league MVP as a player and later Coach of the Year in his first season with Chivas USA.

He’s coached L.A.’s less fashionable team to the playoffs three years running, though he’s yet to get past the Conference semifinals.

Might he be tempted by a "real" soccer atmosphere in Toronto rather than playing to a half-empty Home Depot Center in Southern California?

Johnston is running short of time and allies. Appointing a successful coach with his own connections is critical for the future of the franchise and for Johnston's own employment prospects.

End of Story Content

Back to accessibility links