Editorial: TFC bench doesn't know is it's Cummins or going

After the all too predictable failure of Toronto FC on Saturday afternoon, the supporter's, and media's, axe was immediately and forcefully swung at interim manager Chris Cummins' head. It is hard to argue that anger, what with the technical shortcomings of TFC in the San Jose match and in many previous matches this season, but how much of the blame can lay solely at Cummins’ feet? Think about it this way, if your bus hit a lamppost on the way to work but the bus driver only had his learner's permit - would you blame the driver or the TTC who let him drive the bus? Chris Cummins, whose previous coaching zenith was as Luton Town's youth coach, has a learner's permit at best.

Cummins should have indeed been far better tactically than he has been this season. You should not deny him some of the responsibility for the constant all-out-defence, or Torontonaccio as we call it here, every time TFC held a slim lead. The astonishing statistic of 15 goals allowed after the 75th minute is shameful. The late game let downs, as well as the often impotent offence, are sure signs of a club that doesn't have a system that it is confident playing and players who have even less trust in their ability to succeed. The awful tactics, strange substitutions and often baffling line-up inclusions (yes you Chad Barrett) show a manager who is either woefully ill-prepared to manage at this level or is being controlled too tightly from above by a Director who has a hard time letting go of the reins. Perhaps the sudden and shocking departure of John Carver earlier this season had a lot more behind it than was let on at the time. After all, it's not as if Carver ran to another job was it?

Carver's early season departure is the most frustrating episode of this saga. Before the season began, Mo Johnston and MLSE were telling the world that this season's goals were Champions League and most importantly the playoffs. Carver's departure was indeed a road bump but it happened less than a third of the way into the season. If the less than lofty ambitions of a post-season were true, then why wouldn't a club of this size go out and find a suitable manager by mid-season to steady the ship? In MLS, half a season is an eternity. The right manager, and there are an awful lot of qualified ones out there, could have led Toronto well into the CCL Group Stage and safely into the playoffs. There are two big issues with a hiring of that sort though - spending the non-salary cap money to attract a good manager, and most importantly, having the Director cut the strings and allow a qualified manager to run the show his way.

A new face in TFC's coaching staff is an obvious checkmark in Mo Johnston's post-season to-do-list. It doesn't necessarily need to be a huge name in charge but it has to be a man who has the respect of the players and the freedom to create a style and set of tactics that TFC can and will play. Three Head Coaches in three seasons is no way to build a solid foundation. Mo Johnston will have to bite the bullet on this one and hire a strong character who may not always agree with him but that can work with him. He must also fight the temptation to simply promote from within in order to keep payroll down and keep his own job continually safe. As for Chris Cummins, he seems like a really genuine, nice man who was sadly put in the driver's seat of a bus headed towards a cliff with his learner's permit flapping in his jacket pocket.