Odds not good for quality new manager

Make no mistake - Mo Johnston needs to make more than a few good player acquisitions this winter in order to improve TFC. However, the decision that will have the deepest impact on The Reds will be who Johnston hires to manage the team. There are high expectations from the supporters but betting on a big name may not be smart.

There are a few serious warning signs to all prospective new managers. The football coaching fraternity is a small one and word of TFC's dysfunctional backroom will be legendary by now. Three managers in three seasons, a Director who seems to have too much control over the on-field decisions, a poor record of acquisitions and world-renowned penny pinching by the ownership hurts TFC as an attractive place to manage.

There are positives to taking a chance with The Reds, such as a half built squad, a good game-day atmosphere and a high level of media exposure (at least in MLS terms) but the negatives may be quite the hurdle for the top level candidates to overcome. We take a look now at some of our odds on the type of possible new managers:

THE BIG-NAME "LEGEND": 100-1
Very little chance of an established international manager at Toronto. The simple stumbling block would be cost. MLSE has a tradition of hiring the lowest cost coach available and will not be willing to spend big money on a big name that the Board has never heard of. Not necessarily a bad thing though - remember Ruud Gullit in Los Angeles?

TOP LEVEL MLS MANAGER: 50-1
The fans' choice right now would be Steve Nicol of New England with others like Canada's own Frank Yallop getting talked up as well. The reason these kinds of managers will be wary of Toronto is simple. They are strong men who like to be in charge and will not want to be told what to do through the puppet master style of Mo Johnston. A manager like Nicol will want a level of control over personnel that Johnston won't hand over - it would put his job on the line far too easily. Johnston wants to be the only brain in town.

EXISTING MLS ASSISTANTS: 10-1
Unfortunately the most experienced MLS assistant Paul Mariner, formerly of New England, has returned to England but there are still some experienced men out there who are looking for their first chance at being in charge. MLSE may balk at this route as they would likely have to pay compensation to the club that any assistant is currently employed with.

EX-MLS MANAGERS: 8-1
This is an area where Mo will likely centre his primary search. There are a few names circulating the North American landscape with the most recent being DC United's recently departed Tom Soehn. The price on an ex-MLS manager would be right and Mo could trumpet their experience but there is usually a reason they are unemployed. A good manager could be persuaded to take little money in order to get back in the game but Toronto's "Manager Pit" reputation will alarm the best possibilities.

LOWER LEAGUE UK MANAGERS: 5-1
Perhaps the reason Mo is putting a February deadline on a new hiring is so he can see who is fired from England's League One or Two and/or Scotland's First Division. Mo loves these kinds of managers and would love to proclaim the great experience the new man had with his time at Luton/ Swindon/ Lincoln/ Grimsby/ Dundee/ Queen of the South/ (insert your favourite lower league club here). Also, easily fired a year later (see Carver and Cummins).

"THE DOUBLE D'S" - DASOVIC & DICHIO: 3-1
Who can't see this coming? After a long "exhaustive" search, Mo will suddenly proclaim that the best men for the job are already here. Nick Dasovic will be proclaimed as a "great, young Canadian coach" with North American experience while Danny Dichio will be the tonic to placate the sheep in the crowd who expected better but will still have an excuse to sing "The Dichio Song". No mention will be made of the bargain basement price and the eerie similarities to the Raptors' promotion of under-qualified Canadian Jay Triano. Dasovic will end up being Scapegoat # 3 and Dichio will take his place as "Toronto's Kevin Keegan".