Mastermind & little pal fired as "5 Year Plan" ends in disgrace

" You off then? Don't let the 5 Year Plan hit you in the..."

Do you remember where you were when the Berlin Wall came crashing down? Well you’re spending time reading a football blog so you were likely watching Eintracht Frankfurt v. VfB Stuttgart in the 1989 Bundesliga, but either way, today was Toronto FC's Berlin Wall. Ok, a little strong on the hyperbole but much like the East Germans, Reds' supporters have been stuck under an oppressive regime run by an egomaniac and his pitbull-esque enforcer for too long. After years of iron-fisted yet peanut-brained rule, BMO Field has been left like an East Berlin shell but alas, on September 14, 2010 - sunshine broke through the wall.
　
At a hastily arranged press conference today, MLSE VP Tom Anselmi broke the very surprising but very welcomed news that misDirector of Football and FIFA-ranked clown Mo Johnston had been relieved of his duties after more than four years of shockingly inept "management". Following Johnston out the door was his fellow "First Wave Agency" pal and "successful MLS coach" Preki. The surly Serb, who had lost the plot and his locker room, had obviously reached the end of the line and his body language had become as negative as his “football” tactics.
　
In the interim, the gruesome twosome will be replaced by Preki-arch enemy Nick Dasovic (oh sweet irony!) on the bench and TFC Academy head honcho Earl Cochrane upstairs. According to Tom Anselmi, the search for new management starts today. (Paging Mr. Nicol... Mr. Steve Nicol). There will be plenty of time to hash over the steaming remnants that will be known as the “Mo Johnston Era aka When Morons Ruled The Earth” and also what MLSE will do in the coming months. Tonight however is the night to dance on the BMO Berlin Wall and celebrate a taste of freedom from arguably the worst "director" in the history of MLS.
　
As we spend the night dropping shots of Serbian vodka into Scottish beer, a few happy lingering thoughts remain.... does Mo see the irony that his "masterdrafted" Julius James put the nail in his career coffin?... does this count as a season ticket renewal "giveaway"?... how many horror stories from ex-TFC players will we get to hear now?... which side of Glasgow is laughing loudest? (Answer: Both).... is Nick Garcia already packing his suitcase?... and, did Preki feel “unlucky” because the press conference wasn't at 4PM? Good night comrades... FREEDOM!
　
Let's party - Ewok style!...

　
NOTE (7PM): RSL v TFC CCL Match Preview delayed due to Post-Mo hangover. "Yub Nub. Chibo Ba Yub Nub"

UPDATE (11:30PM): Still drinkin' and dancin'... "The Matchup" will return on Friday. For a preview of tomorrow night's match (GOL-TV) here's the official (boring) one. "AFTER 90" will appear post-match. If I wake up and this Mo/Preki thing was a dream, I'm suing vodka.

Ha! Ha! Ewoks.

No Hall of Fame for Mo's transactions

---- -----------------"Can I get back to you in five years?"

One thing has become crystal clear over the last few days of post-season naval gazing at BMO Field. It doesn't matter, who the head coach is, it doesn't matter how the star player feels, it doesn't matter what the supporters want - Mo Johnston (Yes, the Scottish Hall of Famer!) will do as he likes with Toronto FC. The Wee Glasgow Dictator quickly learned what it takes to excel under the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment umbrella - profit equals success, trophies are a bonus marketing tool but not necessary. In turn MLSE has given the keys to the jalopy to Johnston - with no questions asked.

Mo Johnston should be a head North American/ NCAA scout but that is all. His draft prowess is actually quite remarkable but his day-to-day control of the club is mediocre at a charitable best. In nearly four years on the job, Johnston has yet to establish a solid back-line, acquire a consistent striker or create a balanced line-up.

Somehow, Johnston still has a lot of backers in this city but there is an error in a common defence of the Director. While his drafting has been good, his transaction and transfer skills have often been equally lauded. This is simply not fact. Taking away the motley crew that was the 2007 MLS expansion draft crop, a look at Mo's moves since will reveal far more failure than success.

THE GOOD
A couple of wily trades in 2007 and the signings of veteran English-based free agents were solid early on but have only been complimented by a Scarborough trio in the three years since:
JIM BRENNAN: The captain has been a hardy mainstay but his time is clearly up.
DANNY DICHIO: Journeyman at best, but a permanent folk hero nonetheless.
CARL ROBINSON: Underrated engine of the midfield and the true captain.
MARVELL WYNNE: Mo's best steal but development may have peaked.
AMADO GUEVARA: Not that good, should be a maybe at best - disappears far too often
DWAYNE DE ROSARIO: Without a doubt the best player TFC has seen but unhappy.
ADRIAN SERIOUX: Sometimes error-prone but tough, mean and solid at back.
JULIAN DE GUZMAN: Not enough time but a great talent if surrounded by quality.

THE BAD
One of the big problems with TFC has been the revolving door of players. When you don't create a system built around a solid managerial style with talented coaching, what can you expect? The answer: a lot of mediocrity, many courtesy of Mo's agent pal:
CONOR CASEY: Bring in a guy who can’t play on turf - blame him for leaving.
ANDY WELSH: Couldn't cross a ball above a defender's chest.
COLLIN SAMUEL: Didn't hit the net - always hit the buffet.
JEFF CUNNINGHAM: Scores tons of goals. Except in Toronto. Why?
MARCO VELEZ: Usually played Marco Polo with oncoming attackers.
LAURENT ROBERT: Played great for 1 game. Sulked. Went home.
CARLOS RUIZ: Took three weeks to show up but never really did.
ROHAN RICKETTS: Professional Bridge-Burner who Twittered his way out of town.
KEVIN HARMSE: A shocking lack of football intelligence. "No Harmse - no fouls"
TYRONE MARSHALL: Useful defender who should have been kept for another year.
JOHANN SMITH: Previous career high was Bolton's Academy. Nuff said.
OLIVER TEBILY: He came. He saw. He disappeared.
CHAD BARRETT: Not only an awful acquisition but a four-year deal too. Genius.
PABLO VITTI: Has there ever been an Argentine so afraid to take a shot as Pablo?
NICK GARCIA: The human own-goal.

It's a little more evident when they are balanced out like that isn't it? A lot of transactions with little quality. The non-stop revolving door of bargain basement squad players only brings instability and an entire lack of cohesion to an already poor team.

Johnston has prevailed in the art of procuring players who are not wanted elsewhere and available on the cheap while using MLSE's PR machine to trump them as "the next great thing". The man can indeed draft, exactly like a head NCAA scout should. As far as being Director of Football, he is much like many of his transactions: overrated, unwanted elsewhere and needs to be shown the door.

THE STARTING 11: Headlines that would have made 2009 worse

--------------------That is some quality toad. Nice hole too.

Well, that's it then. 2009 is done and dusted with Toronto FC having nothing but a big wad of mediocrity to show for it. But have no fear brave TFC supporters - Mo Johnston is working feverishly to make everything better! (You! Step away from the ledge!) Well, you always have to look on the bright side though right? Imagine opening the newspaper and...

11. DE GUZMAN LOSES AFRO IN FREAK TURF ZAMBONI ACCIDENT

10. MONTREAL TO FIELD BEST SQUAD IN CANADA CUP FINAL

9. CHRIS CUMMINS TIPPED FOR ADULT FILM CAREER "I GUESS IT'S MY NAME" SAYS EX- COACH

8. JOHN CARVER ESCAPES WITH NEW BMO FIELD RECIPE: "TOAD-IN-THE-HOLE-ON-A-STICK"

7. DICHIO ATTEMPTS TO GROW ADRIAN SERIOUX-LIKE DREADS: FALLS INTO DEEP DEPRESSION

6. BITCHY THE HAWK GOES MISSING: HALF-PRICE WINGS AT BBQ PIT

5. ROHAN RICKETTS RELEASES FIRST SINGLE: "SOCCER RAP" GOES TO #1 ON CHARTS

4. PLAYERS ON TRIAL ACCIDENTALLY BURN DOWN BMO FIELD DURING PRACTICE

3. OUTBREAK OF BUTTY-FLU!

2. CARLSBERG GOES DRY - SUPPORTERS FORCED TO WATCH TFC SOBER: MANY LEAVE AT THE HALF

1. MO JOHNSTON SIGNS 2 1/2 YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION.... (What?... Really?... But I was joking... Aww crap.)

BREAKING NEWS: Scapegoat # 2 fired

So Mo Johnston's big state of the no-union address was to remove the "interim" tag from head coach Chris Cummins title. He also removed the word "head" and "coach" from the affable Englishman's job description as well.

Yes, the ever-humble Johnston dispatched yet another manager from the TFC bench with Cummins being the convenient excuse for the mediocrity which Mo has taken nearly four years to build. But not to worry TFC supporters, the Scottish genius and # 1 on Richard Peddie's Christmas card list, "hopes" to have a new manager by February. No... not a typo... February!

Why exactly will it potentially take a professional club over nine months since the departure of John Carver to find a manager? Could it be that he needs to wait for Danny Dichio to get his coaching papers before being announced as Nick Dasovic's assistant? Is Mo waiting to see if the current Luton/ Crewe/ Swindon Town (insert low English league club here) manager is fired and suddenly available? Or maybe Barry MacLean, Mo's agent who seems to represent 75% of TFC, needs more time to do Mo's job for him?

Considering that the coaching style of your on-field manager should reflect upon your squad, how exactly are off-season moves going to be decided? Obviously it will be Mo (and his agent) fully deciding on the draft and any (if any) off-season acquisitions. This series of events will of course mean that any new manager will likely just be another extension (i.e. puppet) of the Scottish Lord and doomed to be Scapegoat # 3 in the "Keep Johnston at MLSE For Life Program".

And, in case you missed that sweet little nugget today, Johnston admitted he has agreed upon a 2 1/2 year contract extension pending finances. Joy! TFC supporters can expect a whole lot more of the same for a long time to come. Simply sad.

Toronto Uncapped?

Most local football supporters will remember Canada’s senior squad debut at The National Soccer Stadium (aka BMO Field) for a couple of reasons. The warm September night featured a solid game against CONCACAF rivals Costa Rica capped off by a cracking equalizer by Scarborough’s own Dwayne De Rosario. The other newsworthy item that night was the noticeable protest by a good number of Canada supporters, voicing (or wearing) their displeasure with the Canadian Soccer Association. The vocal, black-shirted crew showed the CSA how tired they were with the sorry state of football in Canada and even gained admiration from some of the Canadian players on the squad. Overall, it was a notable debut in Toronto’s new stadium despite the fact that the stands were half-full at best.

Despite the decent game and a rare show of protest by Canadian sporting fans, it was in the following days when a disturbing spin began to emerge from the CSA. Not surprisingly, the association did not recognize the protests in the stands nor did they choose to highlight the play on the pitch. Instead, the words that were slowly leaked through the media referred to the CSA’s disappointment at the lackluster attendance at BMO Field. No doubt buoyed by the success of that summer’s U-20 World Cup and enchanted by Toronto FC’s constant sellouts, a bigger crowd was obviously expected by the CSA. However, there are major differences between the matches played at the World Cup or TFC home games and that of the September friendly. The obvious distinction is the fact that the Cup and MLS matches had meaning to them. The results were important, the rivalries full of competition and fire. A friendly is still a friendly no matter how good the match is. Add to the equation that Canada’s first match at its new home was against CONCACAF also-ran Costa Rica did not help. After a summer of international stars, fans could be forgiven for being less that excited to see a team Canada sees in most Gold Cups. No offence meant towards Costa Rica, Canada wishes it had recent the World Cup appearances they have, but a more glamourous fixture surely would have excited the locals a little more. Most importantly, a bigger side could have justified the truly expensive price of some of the tickets. Did the CSA truly believe fans would pay up to $100 for this friendly, no matter how good the seats?

It is in fact the CSA’s views towards Toronto that become truly confusing and thus – worrying. If such “disappointment” at the Toronto supporters was expressed after an overpriced and lackluster friendly that was barely promoted in the media, how will it affect the city’s standing as home of the National squad? Will these inevitable “failures” be used to justify moving future fixtures to other sites around Canada? In most facets of Canadian society, hating Toronto is a favourite hobby for those who don’t live here. There is little doubt that within the CSA, with its powerful provincial fiefdoms, that this attitude surely exists in some circles. Admittedly Toronto has not been a perfect place home for the National team in the past but will these minor negatives be spun to excuse the CSA for moving the side to other stadiums? The federations in places like BC, Alberta and Quebec will likely want their share of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and will highlight Toronto’s shortcomings. Toronto supporters may soon be hearing grumbling about the state of BMO’s field turf; the tendency for away teams to get a lot of support from ex-pat communities; past attendance woes and any number of Toronto based negatives. If these kind of problems start to be highlighted, then fans can be sure further excuses are on the way.

If and when this scenario develops, Canadian supporters in Toronto will be left scratching their heads. How, after initial investment and excitement in BMO Field could Toronto lose its status as the main home for Team Canada? As with most problems with the CSA, the answer will lay with the eternal infighting between the individual provincial federations. This is a problem far too big to be investigated here but is at the root of most of the association’s lack of success. The truth is, BMO Field is by far the best football facility in Canada and deserves to be the main base of operations for the senior men’s squad. Montreal’s new Saputo Stadium (or Stade Saputo, or Parc Prosciutto – whatever) will be a good minor league venue until it further expands but is not in the same league as BMO yet. Canada’s other stadia such as Edmonton and Burnaby are simply not good enough for our senior team.

In the end, there is no reason why Toronto cannot be the successful home of the team. However, for this to work, the CSA must play smart and fair with the local supporters. The so-called problems are minor, easily addressed and can be fixed. The turf is FIFA approved and was good enough for the U-20 World Cup. Grass would be good but the turf is fine. The away fan issue can be handled by using the approach the rest of the world does. Put all away supporters in one area and let them yell and scream and wave flags all they want, it would spur the Canadian supporters to out-do them. Finally, the biggest complaint has been attendance. Price the matches fairly. Supporters will pay good money to face late qualifiers versus the likes of Mexico and the USA etc. but don’t expect them to pay $100 and up to see St.Vincent and the Grenadines in the preliminary round then whine when no one is crazy enough to pay that amount. Toronto is the correct home for the team. Whether the rest of the country likes it or not, it is the media center of the country and an easier destination for European based players than Alberta or BC. The city has a metropolitan area with about 5 million people, a football specific stadium and a professional club with a strong fan base to draw from. If Toronto is ignored by the CSA in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers and beyond, then one has to assume the decision has less to do with the city and more to do with the internal politics of our national association. But really, would that surprise any Canadian football supporter?