I believe GM competence is a bigger piece of the Thorns' problem than coach competence. If you look around at other successful teams, their coaches aren't necessarily the ones with the best LinkedIn pages:
Seb Hines' last job before joining the Pride was coaching in the Orlando City Youth leagues.
I believe GM competence is a bigger piece of the Thorns' problem than coach competence. If you look around at other successful teams, their coaches aren't necessarily the ones with the best LinkedIn pages:
Seb Hines' last job before joining the Pride was coaching in the Orlando City Youth leagues.
Juan Carlos Amoros got fired from his last two gigs when he couldn't win in the English or Spanish top leagues.
BUT
Hines benefitted from Marta and shit-hot Pride GM Haley Carter convincing half the Brazilian National Team to come play in Orlando, and then going out and signing perhaps the best striker in WoSo. Meanwhile, Amoros has GM Yael Averbuch furnishing him with half the USWNT for his game-day roster decisions.
Similarly, if the Thorns had been able to sign another, say, top international winger and a top CB? Who knows, maybe "bringing the Kenergy" would be enough to make Gale look every bit as smart as Hines.
So, I'd argue the real drop off for the Thorns wasn't from Parsons to Gale- it was from Wilkinson to LeBlanc.
Granted, Wilkinson had the advantage that he was probably taking alot of other team's newbie GM's lunch money back when the NWSL was starting. And maybe LeBlanc would have flourished, too, as an NWSL GM in 2013 back when nobody else knew what they were doing.
But while other teams have gotten more sophisticated and the quality of league front offices has improved overall, it doesn't appear that LeBlanc has the skills to keep up with that.
I don't think it's primarily Gale's fault the Thorns aren't signing big-name talent like other NWSL clubs in this new gold rush, nor is it Gale's fault that the team's only "splash" signing in the past couple of years played a position that was already filled in the starting 11.
Also not his fault that Sophia Smith and the team's great core of young players (thanks again to Parsons/Wilkinson) have had to adapt to 4 coaches in 4 years (though it is, partially, his fault that it will probably end up being 5 coaches in 5 years).
I believe that replacing LeBlanc ought to be a higher priority than replacing Gale. Without that change (or a miraculous awakening/acquiring of talents LeBlanc hasn't shown so far), I think the Thorns will have trouble keeping up with the better run teams in the improving league.
**Disclaimer, for kielbj et al: No, i do not have first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of the front offices of various NWSL teams, nor am I privy to any metric that measures GM competence, aside from talent signings, roster construction and league standings. I have no evidence to present. I've never met LeBlanc nor do i dislike her personally. This is only one fan's opinion based on what's available for us all to see and read casually**
LeBlanc should be head of community development or something similar. She is (or was) well-liked by the fan base, and that kind of thing seems to be her strong suit.
I believe GM competence is a bigger piece of the Thorns' problem than coach competence. If you look around at other successful teams, their coaches aren't necessarily the ones with the best LinkedIn pages:
Seb Hines' last job before joining the Pride was coaching in the Orlando City Youth leagues.
Juan Carlos Amoros got fired from his last two gigs when he couldn't win in the English or Spanish top leagues.
BUT
Hines benefitted from Marta and shit-hot Pride GM Haley Carter convincing half the Brazilian National Team to come play in Orlando, and then going out and signing perhaps the best striker in WoSo. Meanwhile, Amoros has GM Yael Averbuch furnishing him with half the USWNT for his game-day roster decisions.
Similarly, if the Thorns had been able to sign another, say, top international winger and a top CB? Who knows, maybe "bringing the Kenergy" would be enough to make Gale look every bit as smart as Hines.
So, I'd argue the real drop off for the Thorns wasn't from Parsons to Gale- it was from Wilkinson to LeBlanc.
Granted, Wilkinson had the advantage that he was probably taking alot of other team's newbie GM's lunch money back when the NWSL was starting. And maybe LeBlanc would have flourished, too, as an NWSL GM in 2013 back when nobody else knew what they were doing.
But while other teams have gotten more sophisticated and the quality of league front offices has improved overall, it doesn't appear that LeBlanc has the skills to keep up with that.
I don't think it's primarily Gale's fault the Thorns aren't signing big-name talent like other NWSL clubs in this new gold rush, nor is it Gale's fault that the team's only "splash" signing in the past couple of years played a position that was already filled in the starting 11.
Also not his fault that Sophia Smith and the team's great core of young players (thanks again to Parsons/Wilkinson) have had to adapt to 4 coaches in 4 years (though it is, partially, his fault that it will probably end up being 5 coaches in 5 years).
I believe that replacing LeBlanc ought to be a higher priority than replacing Gale. Without that change (or a miraculous awakening/acquiring of talents LeBlanc hasn't shown so far), I think the Thorns will have trouble keeping up with the better run teams in the improving league.
**Disclaimer, for kielbj et al: No, i do not have first-hand knowledge of the inner workings of the front offices of various NWSL teams, nor am I privy to any metric that measures GM competence, aside from talent signings, roster construction and league standings. I have no evidence to present. I've never met LeBlanc nor do i dislike her personally. This is only one fan's opinion based on what's available for us all to see and read casually**
Makes no sense to replace Gale first. Replace the Prez of Soccer, then let the new hire bring in a GM, who in turn makes the decision about the coach.
For the Thorns,
Prez of Soccer = GM = KK, right?
LeBlanc should be head of community development or something similar. She is (or was) well-liked by the fan base, and that kind of thing seems to be her strong suit.