Was honesty the best policy?
Sunday, April 26, 2009 | 03:01 PM ET
In the presence of John Carver you always knew exactly where you stood and precisely what he thought. To the best of my knowledge he treated everyone in that familiar, no-nonsense fashion whether it was media, fans, players or employers.
To some, shall we say more sensitive North American ears, he could come across as brash, but it’s simply the Geordie way.
Why beat around the bush when you can call a spade a spade?
Product of culture
Carver is a product of his native culture: proud, passionate, fiercely loyal, and always ready to stand his ground and fight his corner to the last.
He would be your first pick when choosing the team for the debating society, and perhaps your last if you were searching for a suitable candidate to join the diplomatic corp.
Wearing your heart on your sleeve is all very well but in Carver’s position he was walking a disciplinary tightrope on a game to game basis.
Ironically, he’d made a commitment to himself to ‘put a lid’ on it in his second year as head coach of Toronto FC. He would, and did, count to ten and he would not criticize match officials. Not until that fateful night in Dallas.
Thereafter the writing was on the wall.
Carver was rightly fined by Major League Soccer for his comments about the referee’s performance, but clearly felt he did not get the backing of his own management in the aftermath.
Mysterious absence
Combine that with his mysterious absence from the bench the following game, coupled with his simmering dispute with the league over his refusal to open Friday practice to the media and one thing became clear:
This was not going to end well.
Pride comes before a fall, they say, and ultimately Carver fell on his own sword rather than allow his intrinsic values to be compromised.
All of which leaves Toronto FC searching for its third head coach in as many years, and the likelihood of facing a season full of uncertainty and potential underachievement.
Players are paid to play, pure and simple. But Carver’s departure will have a knock-on effect. A new coach with new ideas equals a new and blank sheet of paper from the players’ perspective.
Some will view the change with suspicion. Others will see it as an opportunity. Soccer is a team game composed of 11 individuals at any one time. Carver’s methods might not have suited everyone, but at least he brought continuity into the third year of the franchise.
Strength through stability is a key ingredient for any successful team. That collective strength is currently under threat and it is incumbent upon Jim Brennan and his teammates to demonstrate they are mentally tough enough to navigate a path through choppy waters.
When, in 2017, someone writes: “Toronto FC: the First Ten Years,” history may chronicle Carver as a failure.
With 11 wins in 36 games, topped off with an inability to win the first Canadian club championship, is hardly a glowing resume after all. But before the book goes to print, the author should also note no-one wanted success more than John Carver.
Whatever his players did or did not do, Carver always knew and accepted the buck stopped at his door. Until the day he locked the door behind him and handed over the keys to the new tenant.
Major League Soccer may not see his like again -- a scenario which will suit the suits in New York to whom Carver was a loose cannon.
The bug gun has fallen silent but peace has its price. The Passion Play is over.
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About the Author
Nigel Reed lends his extensive experience, passion and knowledge of the game of soccer to his role as play-by-play announcer for CBC’s Major League Soccer broadcasts.
Reed has more than 20 years experience covering soccer, most notably a five-year stint from 1999 to 2004 where he was a host and producer for the English Premier League for BBC. He also covered English Premier League giants Liverpool and Everton for BBC Radio and provided analysis for both BBC TV and the BBC website.
More recently, Reed served as play-by-play announcer for CBC’s coverage of the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He also hosts The Soccer Show for the Toronto sports radio station the Fan 590.
Recent Posts
- Was honesty the best policy?
- Sunday, April 26, 2009
- Slow progress for Toronto FC
- Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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- Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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- Friday, September 12, 2008
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- Sunday, August 31, 2008
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