For me, though, it's the stagnation that has afflicted this roster and team since 2021. Other than Dairon Asprilla, name a current Timbers player that has gotten appreciably better under Gio in the last 3-4 years. That list is very, very short. Also, look at the complete disintegration of anything resembling a coherent system/style of play, particularly last year; that trend has continued this season as well, through the injury-hit start of the season until now. There are flashes of a good team in there, but even in Saturday night's win, the Timbers didn't really look all that coherent for large stretches of the game. Just look, for example, at how well Columbus passed and moved the ball a couple weeks ago - it was easy to tell that they had a system, they knew what to do to execute that system, and while the Timbers did win that game, Columbus looked threatening throughout. I want the Timbers to be that.
I have said multiple times that I know a new coach will not miraculously turn this group into MLS Cup contenders. I do, however, believe that after six seasons, Gio's players aren't really responding to his training in productive ways - they're seemingly running on muscle memory at this point. I don't mean that in a "he's lost the locker room" kind of way; it's just that after this long of one way of doing things, there's a natural tendency, when a boss/leader starts talking, for someone to go "yeah, yeah, I know" and then just go out and do what they always do.
It's my belief that a new coach, who would bring new ideas and a new training structure/style, would be a breath of fresh air that might at least be able to get this group to play more consistently and more coherently.
The way I've put it a lot is that a new coach may not turn this roster into a juggernaut, but a new coach may well turn what is today a dispiriting 4-1 loss into a closer loss, a 2-2 draw or even an occasional win. And a new coach may make the team more entertaining to watch, which is really the root of what I want.
"the solution is more complex"
I agree with you, and I would even say that there is no one "the solution" to the mess the Timbers are in. But, given that ownership isn't going to change any time soon - whether that be the actual owner (which is the dream) or in the current owner's ownership style, we're stuck with "what can we change to freshen things up?". You can't fire the players, and the boss isn't going to fire the GM he just promoted; that leaves a coaching change.
If the Timbers miss the playoffs again this year, or if they sneak in at a 9 seed and lose that play-in game, it will be harder and harder for Gio to defend his position I think; in a league with an extreeeeeeeemely friendly playoff structure (63% of MLS teams make the playoffs!), missing the playoffs two years in a row, or crashing out of a play-in, should basically be any coach's ticket out the door.
Of course it's not just the coach. The FO hasn't built well, although I imagine the coach has input into that. Ownership is embarrassing and damaging. But....
We've seen the same defensive failures year after year after year after year no matter the personnel. It's like the back post doesn't exist on corners and it hasn't existed for at least the last 4 years. That's just bad coaching.
I really like Savarese as a person. He seems like someone who'd be awesome to spend time with. But that, alas, doesn't make him a good coach. The back post tells me he's not getting the job done, defensively.
If you listened to him post game the back post was open because we were short a man and had to leave somewhere open. He said usually that is where parades is but with evander being off we had to move people around. They found it so good on them.
If you watched the play, the back post was open because Mosquera fell asleep or got caught ball watching. It's not that there was nobody there, it's that the player there just didn't do his job. If it was just the one time or the one player, it wouldn't be a thing so many of us harp on. This is SOP for the recent years of Timbers corner defending.
You are really stuck on the anti-Gio train. What is your rationale? As I've said before, the solution is more complex. It begins with ownership.
I am hardly the only passenger on that train.
For me, though, it's the stagnation that has afflicted this roster and team since 2021. Other than Dairon Asprilla, name a current Timbers player that has gotten appreciably better under Gio in the last 3-4 years. That list is very, very short. Also, look at the complete disintegration of anything resembling a coherent system/style of play, particularly last year; that trend has continued this season as well, through the injury-hit start of the season until now. There are flashes of a good team in there, but even in Saturday night's win, the Timbers didn't really look all that coherent for large stretches of the game. Just look, for example, at how well Columbus passed and moved the ball a couple weeks ago - it was easy to tell that they had a system, they knew what to do to execute that system, and while the Timbers did win that game, Columbus looked threatening throughout. I want the Timbers to be that.
I have said multiple times that I know a new coach will not miraculously turn this group into MLS Cup contenders. I do, however, believe that after six seasons, Gio's players aren't really responding to his training in productive ways - they're seemingly running on muscle memory at this point. I don't mean that in a "he's lost the locker room" kind of way; it's just that after this long of one way of doing things, there's a natural tendency, when a boss/leader starts talking, for someone to go "yeah, yeah, I know" and then just go out and do what they always do.
It's my belief that a new coach, who would bring new ideas and a new training structure/style, would be a breath of fresh air that might at least be able to get this group to play more consistently and more coherently.
The way I've put it a lot is that a new coach may not turn this roster into a juggernaut, but a new coach may well turn what is today a dispiriting 4-1 loss into a closer loss, a 2-2 draw or even an occasional win. And a new coach may make the team more entertaining to watch, which is really the root of what I want.
"the solution is more complex"
I agree with you, and I would even say that there is no one "the solution" to the mess the Timbers are in. But, given that ownership isn't going to change any time soon - whether that be the actual owner (which is the dream) or in the current owner's ownership style, we're stuck with "what can we change to freshen things up?". You can't fire the players, and the boss isn't going to fire the GM he just promoted; that leaves a coaching change.
If the Timbers miss the playoffs again this year, or if they sneak in at a 9 seed and lose that play-in game, it will be harder and harder for Gio to defend his position I think; in a league with an extreeeeeeeemely friendly playoff structure (63% of MLS teams make the playoffs!), missing the playoffs two years in a row, or crashing out of a play-in, should basically be any coach's ticket out the door.
Of course it's not just the coach. The FO hasn't built well, although I imagine the coach has input into that. Ownership is embarrassing and damaging. But....
We've seen the same defensive failures year after year after year after year no matter the personnel. It's like the back post doesn't exist on corners and it hasn't existed for at least the last 4 years. That's just bad coaching.
I really like Savarese as a person. He seems like someone who'd be awesome to spend time with. But that, alas, doesn't make him a good coach. The back post tells me he's not getting the job done, defensively.
If you listened to him post game the back post was open because we were short a man and had to leave somewhere open. He said usually that is where parades is but with evander being off we had to move people around. They found it so good on them.
Okay, so, that's one game. Now explain the rest of the last 1.5-plus seasons.
If you watched the play, the back post was open because Mosquera fell asleep or got caught ball watching. It's not that there was nobody there, it's that the player there just didn't do his job. If it was just the one time or the one player, it wouldn't be a thing so many of us harp on. This is SOP for the recent years of Timbers corner defending.