Mo’s new coach
By Ben Knight
Whichever side of the Mo Johnston debate you’re on, you can argue your case based on Toronto FC’s hiring of Preki as their new head coach.
The pro-Mo forces will say that leading a mid-talent Chivas USA team to 40 wins, 21 draws and three playoff spots in three seasons proves the man can get results. He certainly fits Mo’s demand for MLS experience, and his no-nonsense approach to defence and team attitude is long overdue in the Redcoat boot room.
Mo blasters can counter – once again – that Mo gave a job to an old pal, and that TFC needs a GM who has wider, deeper contacts throughout the vast world of global soccer. Oh, and Preki-coached teams have never advanced past the first round of MLS playoff coin-flippage.
I will not seriously try to argue against either side.
This is a perfect Mo Johnston signing. The plus side looks compelling, while the down side is not so clear. It can take forever for the dichotomy to clear out. If the Torontos hadn’t crashed 5-0 in Joisey on doomsday, many folks might still think the present roster is adequate.
Preki, called on the subject, said Toronto doesn’t have enough players to win, but can get more. That’s a clean, direct statement that Mo is working for him. TFC’s never had that before, and it’s long-gone time they did.
Players will be gone. We already know Preki can kick can, because he canned Amado Guevara clean out of Chivas two years ago. Guevara came north, and has been consistently creative for Toronto FC ever since.
But Mo’s huge signing of Julian DeGuzman essentially covered Amado’s spot, and it’s not like there aren’t huge holes (central defence, both wings, GOAL SCORING!!!) where the Reds don’t need help. The simple answer? Trade Guevara. But the man is having knee surgery, and who would ever make a deal for a player on those terms? Terrible timing for Toronto, but what else is new?
Preki’s been known to coach from the back, too. His defensive preferences (often physically brutal) now guide a team where the defenders are shaky, everyone including the fullbacks press forward, and the whole shooting match concedes frightful, fatal flurries of late-game goals. Johnston promised pushing fullbacks from the birth of the franchise. Is that dream over now?
It will also be interesting to watch the still-somewhat-old-school Toronto press corps grapple with a coach with only one name. You won’t find it in either the CP or Globe and Mail style books, but look for “Coach Preki” to be the consensus fallback.
I think a no-nonsense drill sergeant who defends his own goal physically and can tell bad-attitude stars to go play for expansion teams is likely exactly what TFC’s current sorry state calls for. But Preki has also got to understand that DeGuzman and Dwayne DeRosario are not going to hang back chop-tackling fresh-faced NCAA grads when there is attacking to do … and – gasp! – goals to be scored.
Mo has to get this one right. And you’ll know it’s working when Preki starts telling Mo what he needs – and Mo goes out and gets it.
(And the new players aren’t old Johnston buddies like Nick Garcia.)
Thoughts, y’all?
Onward!
November 20th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
There are plenty of people who go by one name that the Globe has never had problems with - Pele, Cher, Madonna, Sting, Nene, Kaka.. .
November 20th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Yes, but all of them were famous! They’ve never had to “introduce” and one-named person before.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Guevara had surgery this week and will be in rehab for the next six weeks.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
I don’t like that Mo keeps hiring old buddies. It worries me. There is something to be said about working with people you trust and have long standing relationships, but to win and excell some times you need to take risks. This might mean working with people you have no history with; people with new ideas that are not scared to challange the status quo, and even the person who hired them.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Yes, but Mo wanted to get a coach with MLS experience. (I think that’s a pretty good idea, although I thought it was silly to say that out loud until Mo had someone’s signature on the dotted line. Who knows, maybe there was already a “gentlemen’s agreement” with Preki at that time.) In any case, I don’t think there’s any coach with MLS experience who doesn’t also have a history with Mo, good or bad — and then the fellow has to be available as well. Seeing how we have to live with Mo for at least another year, Preki is probably by far the best we could do.
I think we will already know more about the arrangement & understanding between the two by next week — expansion draft & trade opportunities before & after. Remember that a short time ago (when CC left), Mo had said the squad was almost good enough, didn’t need major turnover, and just needed a few more players. The tune he & Preki were both singing at the Preki introduction was already quite different.
Quote now from Mo: “The locker-room will be shaken up, absolutely, 100 per cent. A new guy comes in, that’s going to happen. We sat and spoke about numerous players and we’ll do our due diligence and get some people in here and get some people out.”
All this tells me, there’s at least a “meeting of the minds” between Preki & Mo, and there should be a good chance for Preki to influence & mold the squad in his direction. Not that I was hoping for major turnover, but I think it’s to be expected under a strong coach with a plan.
November 20th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
If Mo screws up this time,it will it for him,however,it could mean another disappointing,wasted season!!!I don’t trust anything he says or does.
November 20th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
There will be some surprise moves for sure, but remember guys, Preki really is the first quality proven coach behind the TFC bench.
IMO he will do good, maybe the rhetoric coming out of the locker next season will be of making an MLS Cup final and winning instead of just wanting to make the playoffs.
To quote the purply dressed psycho with the perma-smile circa 1990’s ” This TEAM needs an enema!!”
November 21st, 2009 at 9:01 am
This, no surprise, is the wrong move. Toronto does not need a coach with MLS experience. Toronto needs a coach with CONCACAF experience. After all, the goal here is to be the best team in CONCACAF, not just the MLS. But not only did TFC miss the playoffs, they also got trounced by the Puerto Rico Islanders. From a strictly business point of view, success at both levels will go a long way towards building the TFC brand, moreso than just one. Look at what Mtl Impact’s run at the CONCACAF cup did for their brand.
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Does it concern anyone that Preki and Mo have the same agent and Preki’s brother is an agent at the same agency?
We all know that Mo has an overly cozy relationship with First Wave Marketing. Now that relationship is gonna get even cozier
November 24th, 2009 at 3:03 am
I’ll reserve judgment on the Preki hiring. I think he could be good for the club on balance, so long as he has the freedom to build the club he wants.
In answer to the pushing fullbacks issue… they can still do it. But we’ll have to play three CB (that means at least two new ones) and move Wynne up to wingback, likely with a new partner on the left side. I tend to agree with those who say Brennan and Wynne are better suited to playing in MF or attacking winger roles than as fullbacks.
I’m not a huge fan of the talent level on this club, but I will say that I think a rebuilt (and competitive) back line gets this team well into the playoffs absent any other changes. TFC don’t score a lot, but just stopping the defensive madness will help immeasurably. I think De Guzman having a full camp with the (hopefully new) defenders will help also. It was asking a lot for him to make an impact in a handful of games down the stretch.