Now I know that I'm not a crazy paranoid fan. Gio has lost this team and will never win it back. Safe to assume Moreno isn’t the only one disgruntled. This probably explains why he didn’t start yesterday.
As much as Gio should be fired, Ned also needs to go. Sure many of the roster issues are on GW, however one of Ned's first acts was to extend Gio's contract after failing to reach playoffs.
My feeling is we need to get some outside hires and clean house, there's way too many Timbers old boys in the club.
If it is Gio or Santi to leave. see ya Gio. Many on here have realized how poorly the team is mismanaged and a complete lack of team identity. Understand where Santi is coming from. Evander must be kicking himself right about now.
Rather than strictly see this as a Gio issue, although it's clear he has lost the locker room, this is an organizational issue.
The organization suffered from a poor GM in GW (even if he made some good deals) and a poor president of soccer operations. The cultural climate within the organization was by all reports BAD. Merrit basically sacrificed GW and Golub to save himself. A strong leader who wasn't culpable in any of their fireable offenses wouldn't step back, but would step forward and take a more active role to right and fix the culture. Instead he's retreated and distanced himself from the organization to protect the brand.
Then you look at what was left from the 6 months behind new FO. There's not a lot great that GW left this team with. You have several overpaid/underperforming players, but also who is the veteran leadership on this team. Mabs is on the bench. Chara is more of a long term club great player but personality wise he's not the locker room leader it seems. Zuparic is definitely honest, but I don't see him leading the team. In past years you'd see guys like Ridgewell, or Valeri, or even Blanco. Now I don't know who that is, and guys who would/should be aren't really playing.
Then you have a coach who's struggling with the locker room and getting performances from a fairly talent depleted team. Add to that a guy who's in negotiations with a team for a contract extension, but whose performance has been inconsistent and not bought in. He doesn't agree with the way he's played or rated. Not uncommon for someone to not get what they want contract wise and basically try to leave a probably bad situation. You can't keep underperforming players on contract and not bring guys who can by performance and experience lead the team. A young guy who's playing a lot, leading the team in assists, not liking how he is and has to play, is definitely going to want more $ and definitely going to want to leave after being benched a single game. I'd like to see Santi criticized as much for his performances as anyone else, as they've been under what he's capable of. However, if he's been in negotiations, isn't getting the $ and he's not getting on with Gio, then going public is a move to force the FOs hand.
However, the organization is likely not going to fire Gio (even if they should) and then hire a new coach who's going to be much better. I don't think most coaches would want to step into this organization right now. That said Gio can't stay around and have a winning organization without a roster clear out to get guys that want to buy in to his team. However, I think until Merrit steps out and the team is under new ownership you're not going to see the organization succeed like it should or could. Also it makes you wonder what exactly cause Porter to leave. He left on his own accord and you know it's a thing where he thought the organization was screwed.
This is the first time in Timbers recent history I can remember where a young player asked to be traded because he was under-appreciated. It's a bad precedent, and I agree, there are more players who are disaffected. It's clear Gio has lost the confidence of the team, and you can see it from the way they play, no heart, no fire. His problem is he can't get the players to develop the considerable talent many of them have. No wonder they are dissatisfied. Sorry to say this, but he needs to go now before more damage is done. But I fear the rot is a lot deeper. This will take a long time to work through. Meantime, I hope Moreno will give the situation some time.
There are very few things in this world that make me truly upset. I’m a very level headed guy and I always look to the positive side of things. But man, I am fucking IRATE. I don’t care how underwhelming he’s been this season, this guy is a damn star. Last season wasn’t a fluke. Moreno is extraordinarily talented, and we’d be foolish to let him go.
“Moreno also takes issue with how he is utilized in coach Giovanni Savarese’s system, sources said”
Has the system changed from last year? He was amazing last year, so why does he take issue with it now? I don’t know. It’s confusing. This gives me pause, I’m not gonna lie. But I trust Moreno more than I trust Gio, who’s proven to not be getting the best out of his players.
“If we don’t have everyone pushing and putting the effort the same way, it’s going to be always difficult,” Savarese said Saturday. “Particular players don’t join the other guys that are giving everything on the field.”
So it’s clear that several players are not buying into Gio’s game plan. This is not the first time this has happened. The players need a new voice, because if there’s no buy in, the team will never be very good.
I hope Gio can work his magic mending relationships in the past. He’s done it many times before. But hearing a player formally request a trade feels different. “The club has made multiple attempts this season to work towards contract improvements with no outcome.” It feels like this relationship has been cracked all season and it hasn’t been fixed, and I don’t see that changing. And the worst part is, it feels like the club is seeing this as more of a problem with Moreno than Gio. If we get rid of Moreno, and then the team gets worse and we fire Gio at the end of the season... what are we doing? We need to get rid of Gio NOW so the players can buy in again
Report: Santiago Moreno requests transfer from Timbers
#GIOOUT
can fans join the "season ending injury report"? Asking for a friend...
Now I know that I'm not a crazy paranoid fan. Gio has lost this team and will never win it back. Safe to assume Moreno isn’t the only one disgruntled. This probably explains why he didn’t start yesterday.
Gio at the Lost & Found counter: "Has any one turned in a locker room?"
As much as Gio should be fired, Ned also needs to go. Sure many of the roster issues are on GW, however one of Ned's first acts was to extend Gio's contract after failing to reach playoffs.
My feeling is we need to get some outside hires and clean house, there's way too many Timbers old boys in the club.
If it is Gio or Santi to leave. see ya Gio. Many on here have realized how poorly the team is mismanaged and a complete lack of team identity. Understand where Santi is coming from. Evander must be kicking himself right about now.
Just great. As if this season couldn't POSSIBLY get any worse, it has.
Rather than strictly see this as a Gio issue, although it's clear he has lost the locker room, this is an organizational issue.
The organization suffered from a poor GM in GW (even if he made some good deals) and a poor president of soccer operations. The cultural climate within the organization was by all reports BAD. Merrit basically sacrificed GW and Golub to save himself. A strong leader who wasn't culpable in any of their fireable offenses wouldn't step back, but would step forward and take a more active role to right and fix the culture. Instead he's retreated and distanced himself from the organization to protect the brand.
Then you look at what was left from the 6 months behind new FO. There's not a lot great that GW left this team with. You have several overpaid/underperforming players, but also who is the veteran leadership on this team. Mabs is on the bench. Chara is more of a long term club great player but personality wise he's not the locker room leader it seems. Zuparic is definitely honest, but I don't see him leading the team. In past years you'd see guys like Ridgewell, or Valeri, or even Blanco. Now I don't know who that is, and guys who would/should be aren't really playing.
Then you have a coach who's struggling with the locker room and getting performances from a fairly talent depleted team. Add to that a guy who's in negotiations with a team for a contract extension, but whose performance has been inconsistent and not bought in. He doesn't agree with the way he's played or rated. Not uncommon for someone to not get what they want contract wise and basically try to leave a probably bad situation. You can't keep underperforming players on contract and not bring guys who can by performance and experience lead the team. A young guy who's playing a lot, leading the team in assists, not liking how he is and has to play, is definitely going to want more $ and definitely going to want to leave after being benched a single game. I'd like to see Santi criticized as much for his performances as anyone else, as they've been under what he's capable of. However, if he's been in negotiations, isn't getting the $ and he's not getting on with Gio, then going public is a move to force the FOs hand.
However, the organization is likely not going to fire Gio (even if they should) and then hire a new coach who's going to be much better. I don't think most coaches would want to step into this organization right now. That said Gio can't stay around and have a winning organization without a roster clear out to get guys that want to buy in to his team. However, I think until Merrit steps out and the team is under new ownership you're not going to see the organization succeed like it should or could. Also it makes you wonder what exactly cause Porter to leave. He left on his own accord and you know it's a thing where he thought the organization was screwed.
Moreno, like Ebobisse, will flowers somewhere else. I love the guy, but Gio is not the coach for him...or for the team for that matter.
This is the first time in Timbers recent history I can remember where a young player asked to be traded because he was under-appreciated. It's a bad precedent, and I agree, there are more players who are disaffected. It's clear Gio has lost the confidence of the team, and you can see it from the way they play, no heart, no fire. His problem is he can't get the players to develop the considerable talent many of them have. No wonder they are dissatisfied. Sorry to say this, but he needs to go now before more damage is done. But I fear the rot is a lot deeper. This will take a long time to work through. Meantime, I hope Moreno will give the situation some time.
This miserable season continues to just suck the life out of me.
Gio Out!!!
Moreno surely must be just the tip of the discontent iceberg.
Farfan and Cascante wanted out, and both have improved significantly with other clubs. Now, respectively, with Dallas and Austin.
There are very few things in this world that make me truly upset. I’m a very level headed guy and I always look to the positive side of things. But man, I am fucking IRATE. I don’t care how underwhelming he’s been this season, this guy is a damn star. Last season wasn’t a fluke. Moreno is extraordinarily talented, and we’d be foolish to let him go.
“Moreno also takes issue with how he is utilized in coach Giovanni Savarese’s system, sources said”
Has the system changed from last year? He was amazing last year, so why does he take issue with it now? I don’t know. It’s confusing. This gives me pause, I’m not gonna lie. But I trust Moreno more than I trust Gio, who’s proven to not be getting the best out of his players.
“If we don’t have everyone pushing and putting the effort the same way, it’s going to be always difficult,” Savarese said Saturday. “Particular players don’t join the other guys that are giving everything on the field.”
So it’s clear that several players are not buying into Gio’s game plan. This is not the first time this has happened. The players need a new voice, because if there’s no buy in, the team will never be very good.
I hope Gio can work his magic mending relationships in the past. He’s done it many times before. But hearing a player formally request a trade feels different. “The club has made multiple attempts this season to work towards contract improvements with no outcome.” It feels like this relationship has been cracked all season and it hasn’t been fixed, and I don’t see that changing. And the worst part is, it feels like the club is seeing this as more of a problem with Moreno than Gio. If we get rid of Moreno, and then the team gets worse and we fire Gio at the end of the season... what are we doing? We need to get rid of Gio NOW so the players can buy in again
I recommend an emergency episode of "Soccer Made in Portland" podcast, focused on the Moreno story, its many potential implications and what's led up to all this turmoil. It's available on many podcast apps as well as via The Oregonian: https://www.oregonlive.com/podcasts/2023/07/soccer-made-in-portland-podcast-reaction-to-santiago-morenos-transfer-request.html