Oh and also, now that the season is over, thanks to Sam, Phuoc, Alex, Wilder, Melina, and everyone at STF who started this whole thing over essentially from scratch earlier this year. I'm really happy that STF didn't just disappear into the ether, and I appreciate that you've kept the momentum going without the backing of a network in what was, at least on the Timbers side, a hot mess of a dumpster fire of a season.
Well said! Thank you to everyone on STF for keeping this rolling - it’s been refreshing to see the discussions thrive here both during and after every match, especially because it means staying off that other app.
Relieved this hot mess of a season is behind us - hoping that this offseason will be the reboot on all levels the Timbers have needed for years.
The lineup may look very different and missing several fan favorite players, but if it means this team is consistently fun to watch again, so be it.
Let’s hope whoever the new coach is will implement a style of play that actually suits the strengths of the players on the field. Onwards!
That was certainly a game of soccer. It felt like the weaknesses that we've known about all season long (stupid mistakes leading to set piece goals, little attacking cohesion, etc.) were on clear display. You could see the first Houston goal coming from a mile away when Bingham decided to punch the ball instead of catching it. What a mind boggling decision.
This offseason is going to be one of the most important ever for the club. Ivacic, Niezgoda and Loria should all be gone. If they want to stay another season, Blanco and Yimmi (especially Yimmi) need to be on significantly reduced contracts that don't have much of an impact on our budget. It's probably time for Mabiala to retire. I'm interested in seeing if Boli will stay, but again, he should not eat up a significant chunk of our wages. I'm open to the idea of Bingham staying as a cheap backup, but there's no way in hell he should be our starter. I'm very concerned about the backline but I'm not sure where the real errors lie there; I think it's a combination of lapses in concentration and coaching.
Here's hoping we make the moves necessary to stay competitive, because the last two seasons have been nowhere near good enough.
I agree with significant parts of your post. I also think that Mabiala should retire and that Boli has played well enough to stay with the team as a back-up forward. I also agree that I’m not sure exactly which of the starting defenders to keep or release. However, the team has to change some personnel so the Timbers don’t give up two or more goals so often. Then there is Cristhian Paredes, who worked very hard this year with Williamson and Ayala injured. But Paredes doesn’t score enough to be the “more offensive” player next to Diego Chara. If Chara retired, perhaps Paredes could replace him. However, Paredes doesn’t have Chara’s former speed or exceptional ability to steal the ball.
Why would we expect Paredes to score much? He's a central midfielder. It's a bonus when he does but his role is transition. I loved the idea of Paredes transitioning into a 6, especially with Williamson briefly outclassing him at 8. However, Paredes has grown into that 8 role and now Evander has been playing better deeper too. It's hard to see room for everyone in midfield so flexibility might be a determining factor in who stays. I believe Williamson will be on an option year. It's hard to imagine keeping him right now. I love the dude but we did a terrible job constructing the roster and now we're borked. Williamson could get another crack at the 10 spot with Evander playing deeper but Moreno might be better there, or as an inverted winger.
It's hard to see a way to have Diego Chara, Williamson, Evander, Paredes, and Moreno on the pitch at the same time without someone out of position or sub par for their position. I guess, with our inclination to play the fullbacks high up the pitch, we could sit Paredes and Chara deeper to cover, with Williamson, Evander, and Moreno mixing it up in the middle between the central mids and a lone forward. That leaves Antony and Asprilla on the bench for sure (and Yimmi if he's back for some reason) and relies on the fullbacks for width. It seems more likely that Williamson goes and we make Moreno the de facto 10 or play Evander out of position.
Hell, maybe one or more players demand to be traded, or the new coach ships them, and we have new players to think about.
I don’t see Moreno staying. While things have been better between him and the FO, he made it clear that he thinks he will develop more somewhere else. Considering we have been trying to get a contract extension for him all year and an agreement hasn’t been reached, I think both sides will do their best to find the right spot for Moreno, and I think it’ll be away from Portland unfortunately. I think next year we’ll role with a midfield of Chara, Paredes, Williamson, Evander, and Ayala. Three will start and two will be on the bench. Unless Hubly leaves the Thorns (I know nothing about that so maybe that happens) then I don’t see Williamson leaving
I don't disagree that Loria should be gone on principle, but I believe he's under contract. So, unless we can trade or sell him, meaning another club sees more value in him than we do, I'm afraid we're stuck with him. I wouldn't waste the amnesty provision on him.
I think Blanco is out of contract.
I believe next year would be an option year for Yimmi. We should not pick up his option unless we can do so at a much lower price. I assume a contract with an option year would stipulate that the year be at the original salary but I really don't know. I don't see much point in keeping him unless the price is very low, if only to keep Diego Chara happy for his final year. But this is business.
Mabiala is also out of contract.
Bingham is too, and I wouldn't offer him a new one.
Niezgoda is out of contract.
Ivacic is still under contract, I'm pretty sure, so we'd need to sell, trade, or amnesty him.
I wouldn't pay Boli more to stay. I like his workrate but he's had the yips and has probably plateaued. I'd be fine with him and Mora as backups but I really want a striker that terrifies other teams. I can't imagine anyone outside the Timbers has Mora or Boli on their minds at all.
"I don't see much point in keeping him unless the price is very low, if only to keep Diego Chara happy for his final year. "
Absolutely not. The Timbers should not be making roster decisions based on "will this keep a player happy". I don't care who the player is, or what the relationship is, or anything. YC isn't good enough, hasn't ever been good enough, and he needs to not be here next season.
Of the expiring 2023 contracts (YC, Blanco, Niezgoda, Williamson, Boli, Mabiala, Asprilla, Miller, Bingham of the first teamers), the only one I'd absolutely keep is Eryk Williamson. I would be OK with offering Boli another one-year deal at about what he's making now, he was unremarkable but fine this season, and is a serviceable bench guy now that Mora is healthy again - and being a stopgap until Mora's return was the reason he was brought in, so job done.
Other than that, say goodbye to the rest of that list and start rebuilding this team into being a good team.
Annoyingly, unlike the salary list, the MLSPA's free agency list isn't searchable or sortable, but:
The one name that jumps out at me here is Kellyn Acosta. He'll have his choice of destinations I think, so I'd be surprised if he came here, but again with all that money coming off the books, maybe Ned takes a run at him and see what happens. I might also give Maxime Crepeau's agent a call and see whether he likes rainy springs, big bookstores, and touristy donut shops.
Darlington Nagbe's a free agent too, but I don't really see a role for him on this team.
Otherwise, I think Ned's gonna have to improve through trades this winter, which will show us how good he's gotten at his job.
I'd love to keep Williamson too but don't see where / how he fits in now. What are your thoughts on how to manage the congested midfield? His HG eligibility will end, making him more expensive. I thought he'd be better than Paredes but that prediction hasn't played out so far. I think I'd rather experiment more with Moreno at the 10 than move Williamson up, even though he's been there before. That would leave us starting Asprilla on the right wing or on the left in place of Antony. Williamson isn't a winger, even inverted. We've got too many 8s, especially with Evander performing better there than at the 10. So, yeah, no need for Nagbe and that ship has sailed.
Kellyn Acosta could be a reasonable Diego Chara replacement. It amuses me to think of having two Acostas in midfield, assuming we pick up Bryan's option year. But the timing is bad. We can't afford both Chara and Acosta right now and the midfield is already pretty full.
I'd take Crepeau if we could get him.
I'll be impressed if Ned is able to sell or trade any of our contracted players for anything worthwhile. I don't know what another club would see in Loria, for example, that would net us enough to find a better replacement. We've only got so much salary cap space and specific roster slots. Maybe we've got a HG player who could step up?
My whole philosophy is no one is untouchable. That said, Chara isn't going anywhere, nor should he. Paredes also earned his spot this season. Evander's not going anywhere, and is a linchpin, not to mention a DP.
I want Eryk to stay and develop, but I would absolutely listen to offers if I were the Timbers - if not now, in the summer, for sure. Same with Ayala - I'm not as attached to him, so I'd definitely shop him this winter just to see if anyone's interested.
"We can't afford both Chara and Acosta right now "
Sure they can. Diego Chara is one of the biggest steals in MLS, he only makes 650K. And one of the salaries hopefully staying off the books now is his brother, who makes...the same as Kellyn Acosta. I'd be fine paying Acosta the same as he's making now, because the production is going to be so much more.
"I don't know what another club would see in Loria, for example, that would net us enough to find a better replacement. We've only got so much salary cap space and specific roster slots."
Don't forget, teams get a set amount of TAM every year in addition to being able to trade players for TAM/GAM. So while a Marvin Loria might not bring back like $800K in MLSbux, he might bring enough, when paired with the money they get every season anyway, to find a better replacement for roughly the same or slightly more.
"I'll be impressed if Ned is able to sell or trade any of our contracted players for anything worthwhile."
The great thing is that so many guys are just straight up out of contract that extensive trading might not be necessary, or Ned might trade some of the available money coming off the books for players. MLS is such a weird/dumb league when it comes to player acquisition that it's possible to "fix" a roster without doing a lot of player-for-player trades.
I'd take calls for Williamson. I think people like the idea of him, more than the actual player. When not injured, he hasn't produced a lot. Sure, he's had a few moments. But I don't see why the house should bend for him. And he might be crocked, anyway. If a good deal presents itself, then do it... which would probably be next summer, because who would take a chance on him right now?
I felt like Williamson was on an upward trajectory when he was injured. I feel he was more creative in attack than Paredes but a liability on defense. He started improving enough on the defensive side to come out ahead on aggregate. But he’s injured all the time and Paredes has improved all around. We also played Eryk effectively out of position for a bit. I could ser a place for Paredes and Williamson in rotation depending on the circumstances. I mostly worry about salary/roster cap space. Evander moving to 8 complicates things too. If I felt more confident that Paredes could really step into the 6 role when Diego leaves I’d be even less conflicted. It’s a good problem to have, I suppose.
"...outbursts and an arrogance not befitting a coach with such limited experience."
"Neville undoubtedly has an ability to build a rapport with players and to charm employers. He is, overall, not an unlikeable person. However, we will mainly remember the outbursts, the narrative twisting and an arrogance not befitting a man with such limited coaching credentials."
“"The performances over the last two games in my opinion have been outstanding"...(after a marginal performance)..."I’m pleased with the direction that we’re going.” It was a baffling assessment for anyone watching the game."
"In France (WWC 2019), six goals from an in-form White helped to paper over the cracks of an at times chaotic defence and frequent lapses in concentration."
"Phil Neville leaves England Women with their ranking lower than when he took charge in 2018."
Hmmm.
Combative and defensive about his work? Seeing "progress" no one else seems to see? "Chaotic defense"? "Lapses in concentration"?
That sounds pretty goddamn familiar.
I'm not asking that Paulson lure Sir Alex out of retirement. But something a little more ambitious than someone who sounds like GW in his managerial years, or Gio on one of his worse days, doesn't seem like a stretch. Yet this joker seems like as high as Peregrine is looking.
As an exercise, assume Neville truly, demonstrably, regrets the things he said, changed his mind about them, and tried to make things right. Even then, where you’ll have to answer for his character in the very first questions from the press--YOU DON'T MAKE THE HIRE GIVEN YOUR DAMNABLE RECENT HISTORY.
But at least he's a terrible coach, and there are receipts.
This feels like a bad dream.
I guess I just pray the backlash is such that they change their mind?
"overpaid and underperformed for two seasons in a row." Seems like at least 3 seasons in a row...
BTW, whey did the Timbers part with Steve Clark? I fondly remember being the the TA screaming "Steve, Steve, Steve" after he made a great save. Now, the guy comes back to toy with the Timbers and taunt the fans. He looked like he was enjoying every minute of it.
His contract ran out and he wanted a big raise to $500k annually. Timbers balked but not Houston.
FWIW, I've heard second-hand that his personality made him unpopular with staff — arrogant and difficult to deal with. No idea whether some of this rubbed off on teammates. But keepers often are head cases, including the very good ones. Clark? He was in command last night and distributed the ball very well when not holding the ball to tick off the fans.
Ah, thanks for the back story. I wonder what Ivacic did to piss the team off? I'd take him most any day over Bingham. He seems to anticipate where the shot is going to come from and is much quicker and more athletic than Bingham is.
Every time Ivacic was benched this year, he demanded a trade. Every time, the Timbers refused. Ivacic eventually filed a stupid grievance with the MLSPA about it.
I highly doubt we'll see Ivacic in MLS again. Not just for the Timbers - word gets around about these things.
Question is, why bench him? Maybe it was about off the pitch stuff, not his on the field performance. If so, I can understand that. As it stands, I don't think we have a high level starting keeper in the fold and we need one with our porous defense. Where is Nic Rumondo (sp?) when we need him?
Thanks for the link. It's not my impression that teams routinely switch out their keepers. Everything else about Ivacic aside, I think he should have been the starter all season long. I get it that employees who are a pain in the ass are no fun to be around, but if benching said employee in order to show them who's boss ends up costing the team, that's a bad decision IMO.
There was also the "threatening language towards Portland Timbers staff" that got him suspended for the last three games of the season. I haven't heard any details about that particular incident...
Several stories on O-live. Bottom line is he is a bad teammate, employee and he and his agent chose to file BS grievances against PTFC and demand a trade. He alienated his teammates and the club.
Pay now or pay later. Timbers are now paying hand-over-fist for letting him go. How many points dropped this year because of poor goal keeping? And they'll have to pay again, to fix this. Ivacic was a Gavin player, with mostly Gavin's ego invested.
Adding insult to injury is that Ivacic's guaranteed salary is $460k, close to what Clark demanded. And Ivacic, with lesser skills and on-the-pitch leadership, crashed and burned in spectacular fashion.
Yeah, after the season Clark had in 2021, it was absolutely baffling that the Timbers didn't give him the salary he was looking for, and instead gave that money to a much lesser keeper.
Missing the playoffs two seasons in a row, in a league where 64% of its teams make the playoffs, is inexcusable from a team and an org that presents itself as "Soccer City USA". The Timbers haven't been that for several years now, and they need to get back to that designation actually meaning something.
They couldn't manage to finish seventh last year to squeak into the playoffs and now couldn't find a way to finish ninth in the expanded playoff format. I'm skeptical that the FO has the vision, expertise, and resources to make the team a strong contender. Hard not to be pessimistic.
Well, Neville’s former squads bagged silverware after they canned him. So perhaps Merritt’s cunning plan is to bring him in, tank, then fire him and win the league.
As Blackadder would say; more cunning than a cunning Fox appointed Dean of Cunning at Cunning University.
Or maybe - just maybe - Paulson really is that stupid.
"The Athletic reports that Portland is in talks to bring on Jason Kreis as an assistant under Neville, along with Miles Joseph, who coached the Timbers for the final stretch of the season following Savarese’s firing."
Okay, so best case Neville shows up, is his usual shit coaching self for 6 months, then gets fired and Kreis takes over? Maybe?
I just can't for the life of me figure out why Phil Neville would get preference over either of those two, even if I wasn't all aboard the "Miles for permanent head coach" train.
Merritt "Son Of Hank" Paulson will never have money problems. He does, however, have a problem being a mature adult who wants to maximize the value of his asset by making it as high-performing as possible. Instead he's going to, as mr. c says, turn the Timbers - well, keep the Timbers, if the last few years are any indication - into one of the teams in MLS nobody ever thinks about one way or the other.
I'm RCTID, but goddamn, Merritt, you need to sell and GTFO. It's clear you don't give a shit about your toy any more, so please sell it to someone who does.
Kreis and Neville have done nothing but fail. This is the least ambitious signing I have ever seen. Complete shit show. At this point it seems like mp long term plan is to make Portland the next Denver, rsl, DC, fire, sj. Just hire a bunch of coaching failures and pack the team with garbage budget players with "mls experience"
At this point we need to do a massive #mpout campaign. Get a petition going with as many signatures as possible. Then stop going to the games and don't sign up for season tickets. Time to show him how bad we want him out. This is inexcusable at this point.
Kreis won a Cup with RSL. So he has a star on his c.v.
But he got canned back in 2013 and in the ensuing decade you’re right and he’s done nothing of any real value.
It’s kinda like Neville; to make a case FOR him you’ve got to spotlight his first couple of years for England Women and squint hard at everything since then…
Honestly, it just feels like the fix is going to require a top-down, “burn it hull-and-sticks” grade overhaul, starting with a HC with genuinely thought-out tactics and a roster to make them work, a GM to assemble that roster, and an owner to pay for all that. And - starting with the top - I don’t get the feeling that Paulson is that owner.
He seems to be a small-thinking, insular, MLS 1.0-kind of guy (plus thin-skinned rich kid, which may play into that) who likes familiar faces around him. It’s nice to be loyal to your people…but where’s the pressure to perform? Where’s the reach to think big?
I was off the #selltheteam train just because there’s so many worse people in the prospective owner market. But now I’m boarding just because I can see more lost years as Paulson’s limitations prevent the organization from doing the amount of work needed to fix this mess.
Paulson could be the right owner. He was for the majority of the time he’s owned the team, in my opinion. However, it seems to me he enjoyed being much more visible and involved with the team. Since he’s been banished, I’m guessing some of the thrill is gone. I think the observation that a new owner could be worse than Paulson has merit, pun intended. If there could be a truce between ownership and fans, it might result in more interest in fielding a competitive team.
I haven’t been #MPOut for that very reason; there’s some worse options out there. “Rich guy looking for secondhand glory” seems like a job description likely to attract some sketchy applicants.
I just think that the league has passed him by. The last four or five years have been full of pretty poor roster management, failing to deal with obvious coaching and roster issues, picking up bodies seemingly almost at random…if it’s moneyball it’s been underwhelming. But I don’t think it is. I think MP, Ned, the whole organization, is just out of energy and ideas.
Was going to make a similar comment. When we had a visible very public owner, we knew who was calling the shots and he was passionate about winning. He then, mired in his own f-ups and pariah status went dark and ostensibly hired a CEO to play that role. Heather Davis has been in that position for almost a year and I don’t recall ever hearing anything from her - she is publicly silent, which is really strange for a CEO with a silent owner. Almost certainly MP is still involved behind the scenes and is setting the budget for a new coach and 2024 roster. Davis is an attorney so it seems she is out of her element unless the Timbers idea of a CEO role is just to keep them from doing embarrassing stupid stuff. It is that silence that makes fans nervous (as does the list of MLS “never have been successful” retreads as potential coaches) after years of vocal ownership. It feels like lack of ambition. Ned’s success is fully dependent on flexibility, budget and next coach’s ability to execute their vision. He can really only control the first piece, which is why I think he will not resign any player who isn’t an obvious starter on any MLS team who is out of contract.... which is none of the expiring contracts.
Paulson was never passionate about winning. Paulson was passionate about making Merritt Paulson the public face of PTFC, and making it his identity. When that led to the trash fire boys' club full of issues in the FO, and when he was forced to "step back", he in all likelihood has lost interest in investing in his toy any more, and will now just let it stagnate until he sells, probably in about two years when he can cash in on the World Cup and its probable resultant spike in MLS club valuations.
I just don’t quite buy this, for all his faults (of which there are too many to count), Paulson has always been an extremely passionate owner dedicated to the on-field performance of the team. The fact that he still (according to Ryan Clarke) shows up to Timbers training every week this year shows that. What is there to gain from doing that unless he’s passionate about the team?
"Paulson has always been an extremely passionate owner dedicated to the on-field performance of the team."
I mean, if that were true, he would have fired Gio in the middle of last season. He would have recognized that what he had wasn't working, and would have taken steps to make it work again.
"The fact that he still (according to Ryan Clarke) shows up to Timbers training every week this year shows that. What is there to gain from doing that unless he’s passionate about the team?"
Showing up at training every week tells me he's a fanboy who likes to hang out with athletes and local celebrities. He has no need to be there; he's not there to give coaching advice or training tips. He's there because it's cool to hang out with sports dudes. His ego gets massaged, and that's what's gained.
Yeah, again, I just don’t buy that. Over the years I think it’s been pretty clear that he loves the team to death -- probably to a fault, which is why he refuses to sell. And just because he had a difference of opinion about Gio (is that even in his full power to fire Gio, or does that decision fall to Gavin/Ned?) and how to best run the team doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. Not everyone, including myself, was as passionately against Gio for as long as you and some other people here. Obviously we all know how it turned out, but it was different a year and a half ago. And I’m sure having a personal relationship with Gio makes those decisions a lot more difficult than it would be for us, random internet people who have really no connection to anyone there as people
Just to be clear, I dislike MP as much as the next Timber fan, I just don’t subscribe to a lot of these assumptions about him that I, personally, don’t see any credible evidence for. Just because he’s passionate doesn’t mean he’s competent
Davis is a placeholder. Paulson is probably happy to keep her in the CEO role during the Thorns sale - supposing that goes through - so she can effectively double as legal counsel.
It was a strange hire to be sure. Another "global search" that ended with someone down the hall.
We will see. On the surface of it I tend to agree. Since the Thorns sale doesn't seem to be moving very quickly (many Thorns fans think it still might be a year or so out) I have to wonder what the end game is. If MP plans to sell the Timbers too in the next few years, she might stick around for that.
Well, they say success hides problems. I was honestly getting worried that the Timbers’ late-season run of form (mostly dodgy wins over dodgy teams) was going to convince people that Gio was the main/only issue and this team was otherwise capable of winning. Luckily, this awful team removed any doubt (with apologies to Paredes, Bravo, and Zup, who were the only guys I noticed who didn’t mail it in).
Mora was open a lot, but his teammates weren't good at getting him the ball. His recovery from two knee surgeries is among the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal season.
Not sure if this has been mentioned - we need a new thread - but I guess it is now a done deal with f*cking Neville?! Tone deaf right from the start:
"...The fans are the most important part of this football club with their intensity and support, and I think this journey is going to be something special...."
The largest soccer fan group in the country has already come out against you, you knob. Expect a LOT more resistance. Not support.
This feels like MP wanted to troll the fan base. "You're not going to dictate the club's approach to sexual abuse/harassment. And fuck you for making me sell the Thorns". I'm done with both clubs till they're sold.
Leaving out all the “things about Phil Neville that suggest he’d be a poor choice to take over the Timbers job”…what can you say about him that suggests the opposite?
Seriously. What in his c.v. would make you, fantasy football owner, want to hire him?
I can see one; his initial success with England women. He did well for a cycle, winning the SBC and qualifying Team GB for the Olympics.
Does that cancel out the slump after that? Or Miami? I don’t think so. But obviously Ned and Merritt disagree. Anyone here want to take their side and lay out the upsides of this signing..?
But - again putting aside anything about the guy’s personality - isn’t having “some success” pretty much a basic requirement for getting hired? For anything? And, conversely, taking a flaming dump in your last gig makes it kinda harder to land that dream job?
I’ll be honest; a former jock saying the sort of dumb shit jocks say falls under “I’ll take “Utterly Expected Shit” for 200, Alex” for me. If the dumb jock learns his lesson? Fine.
But you gotta work hard to pick the raisins outta the turd of Neville’s career to the point where you gotta show me why we should overlook Miami and the last year in England to make that early part into even as much as “some success”.
I literally can’t see what the attraction is in soccer terms. What has this guy shown that makes him even a decent hire?
"Merritt is going to swoop in to axe the deal, save the day, and win back our hearts"
You realize we're talking about Merritt Paulson here, right. And not, like, awesome actor Merritt Wever or 80's actor Merritt Buttrick? We're talking about the shitty Merritt here. Who's going to swoop in, make things worse to troll his online haters, and then...still cash in when he sells the team.
Just fking sell the team, MP. We are done with you.
I don't know. And to be honest, winning with the English National Team isn't exactly a challenging thing to do. Like the USWNT, there is so much talent there that winning should be a given. A good coach takes the talented team to the next level. From what I have seen on his resume, there isn't much. The guy must interview well, but that isn't a formula for long term success.
If this guy had shown some serious tactical chops his “saying dumb jock shit” that will predictively piss off a portion of the fanbase MIGHT be a risk worth taking.
But I’m not seeing that. Like you say; his only documented success was in an international gig - and one that he then fucked up enough to get canned.
Given that? Yeah, he must interview like a boss or something…
Of course starters might change. But this is where I would go.
This limits turnover risks up the gut. Puts players in their position of strength. Addresses areas of need. Doesn't require a major overhaul. And it honestly leaves a lot of cap space to work with for potential moves in the summer. It takes advantage of the roster we have now with minimal additions.
I just really really really like the idea of this formation, additions, and style. It utilizes the best of what we have and what we need and fits them together perfectly. Gk, dp 9, dp 6, Tam cb. Strengthens our back line. Strengthens our midfield. Succession plan for chara. Keeps Evander where he can be most dangerous 18 yard box.
I renewed because I love attending games in person, but this is getting harder and harder to justify, will pain me greatly to give up seats I had hoped to one day pass to my kids. Mediocre to bad coach with a history of sexist comments. Way to go PTFC.
Part of me wants to wait until the schedule drops. If for some reason, Miami plays here, at least I could basically pay for my season tickets by selling it.
It is hard to know when we will see Miami. The league tinkers with their scheduling format every time they add new teams and refuses to commit to a long term philosophy, essentially picks what feels good every time they add someone. We played them away last year so at least in theory we should play them at home next time ... but what season that will be is anyone's guess. No new teams next year, so will still be 15 teams in the East (and should stay that way when San Diego becomes the 15th team in the West in 2025).
But with only 3 home games a season against East opponents, 6 total games, it obviously takes 4 seasons to rotate through all of them, so I fully expect we won't play Miami again until 2025 or maybe 2026, possibly as late as 2028 if adding 2 matches against San Diego removes 2 games vs East teams (so we'd play every East team at home once every 7-8 years-- so, in other words, after Messi is gone. That assumes a rational rotating schedule though, which I started out by saying MLS will never do - so we may open the season with them too, LOL.
Oh and also, now that the season is over, thanks to Sam, Phuoc, Alex, Wilder, Melina, and everyone at STF who started this whole thing over essentially from scratch earlier this year. I'm really happy that STF didn't just disappear into the ether, and I appreciate that you've kept the momentum going without the backing of a network in what was, at least on the Timbers side, a hot mess of a dumpster fire of a season.
Y'all are the best. Thanks.
Well said! Thank you to everyone on STF for keeping this rolling - it’s been refreshing to see the discussions thrive here both during and after every match, especially because it means staying off that other app.
Relieved this hot mess of a season is behind us - hoping that this offseason will be the reboot on all levels the Timbers have needed for years.
The lineup may look very different and missing several fan favorite players, but if it means this team is consistently fun to watch again, so be it.
Let’s hope whoever the new coach is will implement a style of play that actually suits the strengths of the players on the field. Onwards!
Ditto!
That was certainly a game of soccer. It felt like the weaknesses that we've known about all season long (stupid mistakes leading to set piece goals, little attacking cohesion, etc.) were on clear display. You could see the first Houston goal coming from a mile away when Bingham decided to punch the ball instead of catching it. What a mind boggling decision.
This offseason is going to be one of the most important ever for the club. Ivacic, Niezgoda and Loria should all be gone. If they want to stay another season, Blanco and Yimmi (especially Yimmi) need to be on significantly reduced contracts that don't have much of an impact on our budget. It's probably time for Mabiala to retire. I'm interested in seeing if Boli will stay, but again, he should not eat up a significant chunk of our wages. I'm open to the idea of Bingham staying as a cheap backup, but there's no way in hell he should be our starter. I'm very concerned about the backline but I'm not sure where the real errors lie there; I think it's a combination of lapses in concentration and coaching.
Here's hoping we make the moves necessary to stay competitive, because the last two seasons have been nowhere near good enough.
I agree with significant parts of your post. I also think that Mabiala should retire and that Boli has played well enough to stay with the team as a back-up forward. I also agree that I’m not sure exactly which of the starting defenders to keep or release. However, the team has to change some personnel so the Timbers don’t give up two or more goals so often. Then there is Cristhian Paredes, who worked very hard this year with Williamson and Ayala injured. But Paredes doesn’t score enough to be the “more offensive” player next to Diego Chara. If Chara retired, perhaps Paredes could replace him. However, Paredes doesn’t have Chara’s former speed or exceptional ability to steal the ball.
Why would we expect Paredes to score much? He's a central midfielder. It's a bonus when he does but his role is transition. I loved the idea of Paredes transitioning into a 6, especially with Williamson briefly outclassing him at 8. However, Paredes has grown into that 8 role and now Evander has been playing better deeper too. It's hard to see room for everyone in midfield so flexibility might be a determining factor in who stays. I believe Williamson will be on an option year. It's hard to imagine keeping him right now. I love the dude but we did a terrible job constructing the roster and now we're borked. Williamson could get another crack at the 10 spot with Evander playing deeper but Moreno might be better there, or as an inverted winger.
It's hard to see a way to have Diego Chara, Williamson, Evander, Paredes, and Moreno on the pitch at the same time without someone out of position or sub par for their position. I guess, with our inclination to play the fullbacks high up the pitch, we could sit Paredes and Chara deeper to cover, with Williamson, Evander, and Moreno mixing it up in the middle between the central mids and a lone forward. That leaves Antony and Asprilla on the bench for sure (and Yimmi if he's back for some reason) and relies on the fullbacks for width. It seems more likely that Williamson goes and we make Moreno the de facto 10 or play Evander out of position.
Hell, maybe one or more players demand to be traded, or the new coach ships them, and we have new players to think about.
I don’t see Moreno staying. While things have been better between him and the FO, he made it clear that he thinks he will develop more somewhere else. Considering we have been trying to get a contract extension for him all year and an agreement hasn’t been reached, I think both sides will do their best to find the right spot for Moreno, and I think it’ll be away from Portland unfortunately. I think next year we’ll role with a midfield of Chara, Paredes, Williamson, Evander, and Ayala. Three will start and two will be on the bench. Unless Hubly leaves the Thorns (I know nothing about that so maybe that happens) then I don’t see Williamson leaving
I don't disagree that Loria should be gone on principle, but I believe he's under contract. So, unless we can trade or sell him, meaning another club sees more value in him than we do, I'm afraid we're stuck with him. I wouldn't waste the amnesty provision on him.
I think Blanco is out of contract.
I believe next year would be an option year for Yimmi. We should not pick up his option unless we can do so at a much lower price. I assume a contract with an option year would stipulate that the year be at the original salary but I really don't know. I don't see much point in keeping him unless the price is very low, if only to keep Diego Chara happy for his final year. But this is business.
Mabiala is also out of contract.
Bingham is too, and I wouldn't offer him a new one.
Niezgoda is out of contract.
Ivacic is still under contract, I'm pretty sure, so we'd need to sell, trade, or amnesty him.
I wouldn't pay Boli more to stay. I like his workrate but he's had the yips and has probably plateaued. I'd be fine with him and Mora as backups but I really want a striker that terrifies other teams. I can't imagine anyone outside the Timbers has Mora or Boli on their minds at all.
This is a pretty current list of whose contract is expiring at the end of the year (MLS contracts expire 12/31):
https://www.capology.com/club/portland-timbers/salaries/2023/
Loria's deal expires after next season.
"I don't see much point in keeping him unless the price is very low, if only to keep Diego Chara happy for his final year. "
Absolutely not. The Timbers should not be making roster decisions based on "will this keep a player happy". I don't care who the player is, or what the relationship is, or anything. YC isn't good enough, hasn't ever been good enough, and he needs to not be here next season.
Of the expiring 2023 contracts (YC, Blanco, Niezgoda, Williamson, Boli, Mabiala, Asprilla, Miller, Bingham of the first teamers), the only one I'd absolutely keep is Eryk Williamson. I would be OK with offering Boli another one-year deal at about what he's making now, he was unremarkable but fine this season, and is a serviceable bench guy now that Mora is healthy again - and being a stopgap until Mora's return was the reason he was brought in, so job done.
Other than that, say goodbye to the rest of that list and start rebuilding this team into being a good team.
Annoyingly, unlike the salary list, the MLSPA's free agency list isn't searchable or sortable, but:
https://mlsplayers.org/news/list-of-2024-free-agents
The one name that jumps out at me here is Kellyn Acosta. He'll have his choice of destinations I think, so I'd be surprised if he came here, but again with all that money coming off the books, maybe Ned takes a run at him and see what happens. I might also give Maxime Crepeau's agent a call and see whether he likes rainy springs, big bookstores, and touristy donut shops.
Darlington Nagbe's a free agent too, but I don't really see a role for him on this team.
Otherwise, I think Ned's gonna have to improve through trades this winter, which will show us how good he's gotten at his job.
I'd love to keep Williamson too but don't see where / how he fits in now. What are your thoughts on how to manage the congested midfield? His HG eligibility will end, making him more expensive. I thought he'd be better than Paredes but that prediction hasn't played out so far. I think I'd rather experiment more with Moreno at the 10 than move Williamson up, even though he's been there before. That would leave us starting Asprilla on the right wing or on the left in place of Antony. Williamson isn't a winger, even inverted. We've got too many 8s, especially with Evander performing better there than at the 10. So, yeah, no need for Nagbe and that ship has sailed.
Kellyn Acosta could be a reasonable Diego Chara replacement. It amuses me to think of having two Acostas in midfield, assuming we pick up Bryan's option year. But the timing is bad. We can't afford both Chara and Acosta right now and the midfield is already pretty full.
I'd take Crepeau if we could get him.
I'll be impressed if Ned is able to sell or trade any of our contracted players for anything worthwhile. I don't know what another club would see in Loria, for example, that would net us enough to find a better replacement. We've only got so much salary cap space and specific roster slots. Maybe we've got a HG player who could step up?
My whole philosophy is no one is untouchable. That said, Chara isn't going anywhere, nor should he. Paredes also earned his spot this season. Evander's not going anywhere, and is a linchpin, not to mention a DP.
I want Eryk to stay and develop, but I would absolutely listen to offers if I were the Timbers - if not now, in the summer, for sure. Same with Ayala - I'm not as attached to him, so I'd definitely shop him this winter just to see if anyone's interested.
"We can't afford both Chara and Acosta right now "
Sure they can. Diego Chara is one of the biggest steals in MLS, he only makes 650K. And one of the salaries hopefully staying off the books now is his brother, who makes...the same as Kellyn Acosta. I'd be fine paying Acosta the same as he's making now, because the production is going to be so much more.
"I don't know what another club would see in Loria, for example, that would net us enough to find a better replacement. We've only got so much salary cap space and specific roster slots."
Don't forget, teams get a set amount of TAM every year in addition to being able to trade players for TAM/GAM. So while a Marvin Loria might not bring back like $800K in MLSbux, he might bring enough, when paired with the money they get every season anyway, to find a better replacement for roughly the same or slightly more.
"I'll be impressed if Ned is able to sell or trade any of our contracted players for anything worthwhile."
The great thing is that so many guys are just straight up out of contract that extensive trading might not be necessary, or Ned might trade some of the available money coming off the books for players. MLS is such a weird/dumb league when it comes to player acquisition that it's possible to "fix" a roster without doing a lot of player-for-player trades.
Great points. You’re swaying me.
If Gio is hired somewhere, he will take Loria.
Loria's not a terrible player - there should be a market for him. He won't command top dollar, but he's serviceable. Just not what the Timbers need.
I'd take calls for Williamson. I think people like the idea of him, more than the actual player. When not injured, he hasn't produced a lot. Sure, he's had a few moments. But I don't see why the house should bend for him. And he might be crocked, anyway. If a good deal presents itself, then do it... which would probably be next summer, because who would take a chance on him right now?
I felt like Williamson was on an upward trajectory when he was injured. I feel he was more creative in attack than Paredes but a liability on defense. He started improving enough on the defensive side to come out ahead on aggregate. But he’s injured all the time and Paredes has improved all around. We also played Eryk effectively out of position for a bit. I could ser a place for Paredes and Williamson in rotation depending on the circumstances. I mostly worry about salary/roster cap space. Evander moving to 8 complicates things too. If I felt more confident that Paredes could really step into the 6 role when Diego leaves I’d be even less conflicted. It’s a good problem to have, I suppose.
As noted below, Neville's only managerial success was the early part of his England stint. But here's a post-mortem of that tenure: https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2021/jan/19/phil-neville-tenure-england-women-coach-inter-miami that suggests that even that didn't suggest the guy's all that as a tactical and player-selection guru.
Here's what it DOES say:
"...outbursts and an arrogance not befitting a coach with such limited experience."
"Neville undoubtedly has an ability to build a rapport with players and to charm employers. He is, overall, not an unlikeable person. However, we will mainly remember the outbursts, the narrative twisting and an arrogance not befitting a man with such limited coaching credentials."
“"The performances over the last two games in my opinion have been outstanding"...(after a marginal performance)..."I’m pleased with the direction that we’re going.” It was a baffling assessment for anyone watching the game."
"In France (WWC 2019), six goals from an in-form White helped to paper over the cracks of an at times chaotic defence and frequent lapses in concentration."
"Phil Neville leaves England Women with their ranking lower than when he took charge in 2018."
Hmmm.
Combative and defensive about his work? Seeing "progress" no one else seems to see? "Chaotic defense"? "Lapses in concentration"?
That sounds pretty goddamn familiar.
I'm not asking that Paulson lure Sir Alex out of retirement. But something a little more ambitious than someone who sounds like GW in his managerial years, or Gio on one of his worse days, doesn't seem like a stretch. Yet this joker seems like as high as Peregrine is looking.
And that's just sad.
Beyond idiotic, Timbers. Nearly unbelievable.
As an exercise, assume Neville truly, demonstrably, regrets the things he said, changed his mind about them, and tried to make things right. Even then, where you’ll have to answer for his character in the very first questions from the press--YOU DON'T MAKE THE HIRE GIVEN YOUR DAMNABLE RECENT HISTORY.
But at least he's a terrible coach, and there are receipts.
This feels like a bad dream.
I guess I just pray the backlash is such that they change their mind?
"overpaid and underperformed for two seasons in a row." Seems like at least 3 seasons in a row...
BTW, whey did the Timbers part with Steve Clark? I fondly remember being the the TA screaming "Steve, Steve, Steve" after he made a great save. Now, the guy comes back to toy with the Timbers and taunt the fans. He looked like he was enjoying every minute of it.
His contract ran out and he wanted a big raise to $500k annually. Timbers balked but not Houston.
FWIW, I've heard second-hand that his personality made him unpopular with staff — arrogant and difficult to deal with. No idea whether some of this rubbed off on teammates. But keepers often are head cases, including the very good ones. Clark? He was in command last night and distributed the ball very well when not holding the ball to tick off the fans.
And, speaking of distributing the ball-I'm sick of Bingham's long "prayer" boots down the field that often end up going out of bounds.
Ah, thanks for the back story. I wonder what Ivacic did to piss the team off? I'd take him most any day over Bingham. He seems to anticipate where the shot is going to come from and is much quicker and more athletic than Bingham is.
Every time Ivacic was benched this year, he demanded a trade. Every time, the Timbers refused. Ivacic eventually filed a stupid grievance with the MLSPA about it.
I highly doubt we'll see Ivacic in MLS again. Not just for the Timbers - word gets around about these things.
Question is, why bench him? Maybe it was about off the pitch stuff, not his on the field performance. If so, I can understand that. As it stands, I don't think we have a high level starting keeper in the fold and we need one with our porous defense. Where is Nic Rumondo (sp?) when we need him?
It's unclear, but injury may have played a part.
https://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/2023/09/aljaz-ivacic-files-complaint-with-mls-players-association-against-portland-timbers.html
It's what happened after the benching that is problematic, and is what's getting in his way now.
Thanks for the link. It's not my impression that teams routinely switch out their keepers. Everything else about Ivacic aside, I think he should have been the starter all season long. I get it that employees who are a pain in the ass are no fun to be around, but if benching said employee in order to show them who's boss ends up costing the team, that's a bad decision IMO.
There was also the "threatening language towards Portland Timbers staff" that got him suspended for the last three games of the season. I haven't heard any details about that particular incident...
Several stories on O-live. Bottom line is he is a bad teammate, employee and he and his agent chose to file BS grievances against PTFC and demand a trade. He alienated his teammates and the club.
Pay now or pay later. Timbers are now paying hand-over-fist for letting him go. How many points dropped this year because of poor goal keeping? And they'll have to pay again, to fix this. Ivacic was a Gavin player, with mostly Gavin's ego invested.
Adding insult to injury is that Ivacic's guaranteed salary is $460k, close to what Clark demanded. And Ivacic, with lesser skills and on-the-pitch leadership, crashed and burned in spectacular fashion.
Yeah, after the season Clark had in 2021, it was absolutely baffling that the Timbers didn't give him the salary he was looking for, and instead gave that money to a much lesser keeper.
"UP NEXT: The 2024 MLS season"
That feels like a threat.
Missing the playoffs two seasons in a row, in a league where 64% of its teams make the playoffs, is inexcusable from a team and an org that presents itself as "Soccer City USA". The Timbers haven't been that for several years now, and they need to get back to that designation actually meaning something.
Get to work, Ned.
They couldn't manage to finish seventh last year to squeak into the playoffs and now couldn't find a way to finish ninth in the expanded playoff format. I'm skeptical that the FO has the vision, expertise, and resources to make the team a strong contender. Hard not to be pessimistic.
They absolutely have the resources. They may have some of the expertise, but I highly doubt they have the vision.
I know MP is a dick, but stupid?
But how do you explain looking at the smoking fucking crater Neville left in Miami and screaming “YES! I want me that!!” otherwise?
This gomer is literally the worst of the retreads and mediocrities on the list they announced earlier…
He is trolling us. At this point it feels like he is intentionally trying to sabotage the team
Well, Neville’s former squads bagged silverware after they canned him. So perhaps Merritt’s cunning plan is to bring him in, tank, then fire him and win the league.
As Blackadder would say; more cunning than a cunning Fox appointed Dean of Cunning at Cunning University.
Or maybe - just maybe - Paulson really is that stupid.
Absolutely.
"The Athletic reports that Portland is in talks to bring on Jason Kreis as an assistant under Neville, along with Miles Joseph, who coached the Timbers for the final stretch of the season following Savarese’s firing."
Okay, so best case Neville shows up, is his usual shit coaching self for 6 months, then gets fired and Kreis takes over? Maybe?
I just can't for the life of me figure out why Phil Neville would get preference over either of those two, even if I wasn't all aboard the "Miles for permanent head coach" train.
Because Paulson hopes to bring someone in the fanbase will hate more than him..?
Is Paulson having money problems? Seriously, WTH?
Merritt "Son Of Hank" Paulson will never have money problems. He does, however, have a problem being a mature adult who wants to maximize the value of his asset by making it as high-performing as possible. Instead he's going to, as mr. c says, turn the Timbers - well, keep the Timbers, if the last few years are any indication - into one of the teams in MLS nobody ever thinks about one way or the other.
I'm RCTID, but goddamn, Merritt, you need to sell and GTFO. It's clear you don't give a shit about your toy any more, so please sell it to someone who does.
Doubt Neville is actually cheap, tho. Should be, but I dunno…
Kreis and Neville have done nothing but fail. This is the least ambitious signing I have ever seen. Complete shit show. At this point it seems like mp long term plan is to make Portland the next Denver, rsl, DC, fire, sj. Just hire a bunch of coaching failures and pack the team with garbage budget players with "mls experience"
At this point we need to do a massive #mpout campaign. Get a petition going with as many signatures as possible. Then stop going to the games and don't sign up for season tickets. Time to show him how bad we want him out. This is inexcusable at this point.
Kreis won a Cup with RSL. So he has a star on his c.v.
But he got canned back in 2013 and in the ensuing decade you’re right and he’s done nothing of any real value.
It’s kinda like Neville; to make a case FOR him you’ve got to spotlight his first couple of years for England Women and squint hard at everything since then…
I’d so much rather have Miles than Neville or Kreis. Glad he’s supposedly staying there at the very least
Neville signing official. Sigh.
I honestly didn't expect that news.
What the actual f*ck. Until today I held onto some hope that there might be a fundamental rebuild this off season - - this is not a good sign.
Go glad the response has been emphatic and immediate.
It is nice to have my decision at not renewing 4 season tickets so quickly reinforced. What a joke.
Makes me want to go to games even more tbh.
I sure hope STH continues through the off-season.
Honestly, it just feels like the fix is going to require a top-down, “burn it hull-and-sticks” grade overhaul, starting with a HC with genuinely thought-out tactics and a roster to make them work, a GM to assemble that roster, and an owner to pay for all that. And - starting with the top - I don’t get the feeling that Paulson is that owner.
He seems to be a small-thinking, insular, MLS 1.0-kind of guy (plus thin-skinned rich kid, which may play into that) who likes familiar faces around him. It’s nice to be loyal to your people…but where’s the pressure to perform? Where’s the reach to think big?
I was off the #selltheteam train just because there’s so many worse people in the prospective owner market. But now I’m boarding just because I can see more lost years as Paulson’s limitations prevent the organization from doing the amount of work needed to fix this mess.
Paulson could be the right owner. He was for the majority of the time he’s owned the team, in my opinion. However, it seems to me he enjoyed being much more visible and involved with the team. Since he’s been banished, I’m guessing some of the thrill is gone. I think the observation that a new owner could be worse than Paulson has merit, pun intended. If there could be a truce between ownership and fans, it might result in more interest in fielding a competitive team.
I haven’t been #MPOut for that very reason; there’s some worse options out there. “Rich guy looking for secondhand glory” seems like a job description likely to attract some sketchy applicants.
I just think that the league has passed him by. The last four or five years have been full of pretty poor roster management, failing to deal with obvious coaching and roster issues, picking up bodies seemingly almost at random…if it’s moneyball it’s been underwhelming. But I don’t think it is. I think MP, Ned, the whole organization, is just out of energy and ideas.
So maybe it’s time for new blood…
Was going to make a similar comment. When we had a visible very public owner, we knew who was calling the shots and he was passionate about winning. He then, mired in his own f-ups and pariah status went dark and ostensibly hired a CEO to play that role. Heather Davis has been in that position for almost a year and I don’t recall ever hearing anything from her - she is publicly silent, which is really strange for a CEO with a silent owner. Almost certainly MP is still involved behind the scenes and is setting the budget for a new coach and 2024 roster. Davis is an attorney so it seems she is out of her element unless the Timbers idea of a CEO role is just to keep them from doing embarrassing stupid stuff. It is that silence that makes fans nervous (as does the list of MLS “never have been successful” retreads as potential coaches) after years of vocal ownership. It feels like lack of ambition. Ned’s success is fully dependent on flexibility, budget and next coach’s ability to execute their vision. He can really only control the first piece, which is why I think he will not resign any player who isn’t an obvious starter on any MLS team who is out of contract.... which is none of the expiring contracts.
Paulson was never passionate about winning. Paulson was passionate about making Merritt Paulson the public face of PTFC, and making it his identity. When that led to the trash fire boys' club full of issues in the FO, and when he was forced to "step back", he in all likelihood has lost interest in investing in his toy any more, and will now just let it stagnate until he sells, probably in about two years when he can cash in on the World Cup and its probable resultant spike in MLS club valuations.
I just don’t quite buy this, for all his faults (of which there are too many to count), Paulson has always been an extremely passionate owner dedicated to the on-field performance of the team. The fact that he still (according to Ryan Clarke) shows up to Timbers training every week this year shows that. What is there to gain from doing that unless he’s passionate about the team?
"Paulson has always been an extremely passionate owner dedicated to the on-field performance of the team."
I mean, if that were true, he would have fired Gio in the middle of last season. He would have recognized that what he had wasn't working, and would have taken steps to make it work again.
"The fact that he still (according to Ryan Clarke) shows up to Timbers training every week this year shows that. What is there to gain from doing that unless he’s passionate about the team?"
Showing up at training every week tells me he's a fanboy who likes to hang out with athletes and local celebrities. He has no need to be there; he's not there to give coaching advice or training tips. He's there because it's cool to hang out with sports dudes. His ego gets massaged, and that's what's gained.
Yeah, again, I just don’t buy that. Over the years I think it’s been pretty clear that he loves the team to death -- probably to a fault, which is why he refuses to sell. And just because he had a difference of opinion about Gio (is that even in his full power to fire Gio, or does that decision fall to Gavin/Ned?) and how to best run the team doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. Not everyone, including myself, was as passionately against Gio for as long as you and some other people here. Obviously we all know how it turned out, but it was different a year and a half ago. And I’m sure having a personal relationship with Gio makes those decisions a lot more difficult than it would be for us, random internet people who have really no connection to anyone there as people
Just to be clear, I dislike MP as much as the next Timber fan, I just don’t subscribe to a lot of these assumptions about him that I, personally, don’t see any credible evidence for. Just because he’s passionate doesn’t mean he’s competent
Davis is a placeholder. Paulson is probably happy to keep her in the CEO role during the Thorns sale - supposing that goes through - so she can effectively double as legal counsel.
It was a strange hire to be sure. Another "global search" that ended with someone down the hall.
We will see. On the surface of it I tend to agree. Since the Thorns sale doesn't seem to be moving very quickly (many Thorns fans think it still might be a year or so out) I have to wonder what the end game is. If MP plans to sell the Timbers too in the next few years, she might stick around for that.
Could be a long term placeholder.
Well, they say success hides problems. I was honestly getting worried that the Timbers’ late-season run of form (mostly dodgy wins over dodgy teams) was going to convince people that Gio was the main/only issue and this team was otherwise capable of winning. Luckily, this awful team removed any doubt (with apologies to Paredes, Bravo, and Zup, who were the only guys I noticed who didn’t mail it in).
Add Mora to that list, please.
Mora was open a lot, but his teammates weren't good at getting him the ball. His recovery from two knee surgeries is among the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal season.
Yes-he seems to be moving very well and definitely wants to score the ball. Sets him apart from every other Timber except maybe Asprilla.
And McGraw, who rarely put a foot wrong all season and saved our ass on many occasions
Match highlight: the season is over.
Not sure if this has been mentioned - we need a new thread - but I guess it is now a done deal with f*cking Neville?! Tone deaf right from the start:
"...The fans are the most important part of this football club with their intensity and support, and I think this journey is going to be something special...."
The largest soccer fan group in the country has already come out against you, you knob. Expect a LOT more resistance. Not support.
This feels like MP wanted to troll the fan base. "You're not going to dictate the club's approach to sexual abuse/harassment. And fuck you for making me sell the Thorns". I'm done with both clubs till they're sold.
Apparently he has money to burn, or the fans are not where money comes from (in other major sports it is TV money) so doesn't GAF.
What a really, really poor hire. I am just sad and disappointed in the club I love.
He's Hank Paulson's kid. He has money to burn for decades. He's a fucking nightmare.
There are plenty of financially secure people who don’t intentionally sabotage their business value and feel a fiduciary responsibility to its health.
For sure, and MP is clearly not one of them. Because he knows that dad will bail him out when he inevitably fails at this.
You know what's even more tone deaf is the tweet/IG post:
https://x.com/timbersfc/status/1721654332817658038?s=46&t=a6qycQLLTMTaBtdtQ_ZYmQ
He's bigger than the club! Apparently! Because he's, um, English I guess?
I am both angry and disappointed, and also disgusted, by this unambitious, spiteful hire.
OMG that's bad.
So I guess here’s what I keep coming back to.
Leaving out all the “things about Phil Neville that suggest he’d be a poor choice to take over the Timbers job”…what can you say about him that suggests the opposite?
Seriously. What in his c.v. would make you, fantasy football owner, want to hire him?
I can see one; his initial success with England women. He did well for a cycle, winning the SBC and qualifying Team GB for the Olympics.
Does that cancel out the slump after that? Or Miami? I don’t think so. But obviously Ned and Merritt disagree. Anyone here want to take their side and lay out the upsides of this signing..?
Even if there was some success in his past this would be a stupid move. It's just so hopelessly ignorant.
Like "McDonald's introduces McSurface of the Sun Coffee" in 1994.
I'm just as bewildered as I am upset.
But - again putting aside anything about the guy’s personality - isn’t having “some success” pretty much a basic requirement for getting hired? For anything? And, conversely, taking a flaming dump in your last gig makes it kinda harder to land that dream job?
I’ll be honest; a former jock saying the sort of dumb shit jocks say falls under “I’ll take “Utterly Expected Shit” for 200, Alex” for me. If the dumb jock learns his lesson? Fine.
But you gotta work hard to pick the raisins outta the turd of Neville’s career to the point where you gotta show me why we should overlook Miami and the last year in England to make that early part into even as much as “some success”.
I literally can’t see what the attraction is in soccer terms. What has this guy shown that makes him even a decent hire?
I’ve figured it out. Merritt is going to swoop in to axe the deal, save the day, and win back our hearts.
All by design.
"Merritt is going to swoop in to axe the deal, save the day, and win back our hearts"
You realize we're talking about Merritt Paulson here, right. And not, like, awesome actor Merritt Wever or 80's actor Merritt Buttrick? We're talking about the shitty Merritt here. Who's going to swoop in, make things worse to troll his online haters, and then...still cash in when he sells the team.
Just fking sell the team, MP. We are done with you.
I don't know. And to be honest, winning with the English National Team isn't exactly a challenging thing to do. Like the USWNT, there is so much talent there that winning should be a given. A good coach takes the talented team to the next level. From what I have seen on his resume, there isn't much. The guy must interview well, but that isn't a formula for long term success.
That’s my point.
If this guy had shown some serious tactical chops his “saying dumb jock shit” that will predictively piss off a portion of the fanbase MIGHT be a risk worth taking.
But I’m not seeing that. Like you say; his only documented success was in an international gig - and one that he then fucked up enough to get canned.
Given that? Yeah, he must interview like a boss or something…
3-4-1-2 (offense) press/ possession
3-5-2 (defense) mid block / counter press
5-3-2 (defense) low block / counter attack
Dp 9 - Evander
moreno
Bravo - dp - chara - masquera
Mcgraw - zuparic - Tam cb
Tam Gk
Subs
mora for dp 9
Boli for Evander
Paredes for moreno
Asprilla for masquera
Acosta for chara
Ayala for dp 6
Of course starters might change. But this is where I would go.
This limits turnover risks up the gut. Puts players in their position of strength. Addresses areas of need. Doesn't require a major overhaul. And it honestly leaves a lot of cap space to work with for potential moves in the summer. It takes advantage of the roster we have now with minimal additions.
I just really really really like the idea of this formation, additions, and style. It utilizes the best of what we have and what we need and fits them together perfectly. Gk, dp 9, dp 6, Tam cb. Strengthens our back line. Strengthens our midfield. Succession plan for chara. Keeps Evander where he can be most dangerous 18 yard box.
Re-sign asprilla, boli and bingham.
Cap hits
Dp 9 replaces nieazgoda
Dp 6 replaces blanco
Tam cb replaces mabiala.
Gk replaces ivacic
Holy F'in moly PTFC!!
SMH.
I renewed because I love attending games in person, but this is getting harder and harder to justify, will pain me greatly to give up seats I had hoped to one day pass to my kids. Mediocre to bad coach with a history of sexist comments. Way to go PTFC.
I'm waiting to see if this happens. If it does, I'll probably call my rep and ask for my money back
Just got the email. Done deal.
The sad part will be that ticket reps will laugh at us.
Part of me wants to wait until the schedule drops. If for some reason, Miami plays here, at least I could basically pay for my season tickets by selling it.
It is hard to know when we will see Miami. The league tinkers with their scheduling format every time they add new teams and refuses to commit to a long term philosophy, essentially picks what feels good every time they add someone. We played them away last year so at least in theory we should play them at home next time ... but what season that will be is anyone's guess. No new teams next year, so will still be 15 teams in the East (and should stay that way when San Diego becomes the 15th team in the West in 2025).
But with only 3 home games a season against East opponents, 6 total games, it obviously takes 4 seasons to rotate through all of them, so I fully expect we won't play Miami again until 2025 or maybe 2026, possibly as late as 2028 if adding 2 matches against San Diego removes 2 games vs East teams (so we'd play every East team at home once every 7-8 years-- so, in other words, after Messi is gone. That assumes a rational rotating schedule though, which I started out by saying MLS will never do - so we may open the season with them too, LOL.
This can still be sabotaged, right?