Comments on: There Will Be Trades, And Rumors of Trades

By: mark k. lukas

mark k. lukas — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:21:18 +0000

All of the terrible blog crap about Kyle Martino is just that. he is a quality person and player. I won’t dignify any of you with further comment. You could not shine his boots.

By: jen

jen — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:10:40 +0000

Charles and Scott, I absolutely agree. My post is an observation of a possible cause, not an excuse for behavior. Every player needs to submit to their coach and play their best. Period. And I’m sure there are quite a few doing it. But in even the best teams the sourness of a few can start to leak and spread and taint the others. Add to that the threat of a pink slip and it’s a tough position to be in.

But yeah, they are professionals and they need to rise above it and get on with it. And I’m sure a little less attitude and a little more humility would help. As a player with an ego one has to remember, do I want to be right? Or do I want to win?

By: Scott

Scott — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:41:51 +0000

It’s simple from my perspective. Be you an employee at a Fortune 100 or slinging fries as a student, the terms of your employment can always be changed by you. Your attitude can change, your work ethic can change, or if you feel abused, you find another place to make money. Soccer is global, there is a league somewhere that will give even marginal over-the-hill talent opportunity at some level of play. Hit the door if you don’t like your coach and refuse to adapt.

I do have empathy when coaching is bad or tyrannical but if you want to move on do your current job as best you can NOW and look for better later.

Our latest signing for defensive help is riding pine today. Who picked this guy out? The defense needs to get better, not deeper with mediocre talent.

Then again, I could be wrong.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:06:00 +0000

Charles, if you want to thank me for things I didn’t do, feel free. As long as they’re good things like this.

By: charlesj27

charlesj27 — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:43:39 +0000

Oh snap – wait it’s Jen that put up this post… Ooohhh, suddenly I’m shirnking in my chair. Sorry Jen, for mistaking you for Laurie

By: charlesj27

charlesj27 — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:42:22 +0000

Laurie,
Thanks for teh link to the article in SB Sun. Here’s my view on the subject of power/authority and where it should lie on a soccer organization. To me, the ultimate highest authority should be the board of the organization and its eexecutive partners – where each get an equal weighted percentage (CEO, President, and Vice-President/Asst. Manager). However, the individuals that brings in, scouts, picks out players to a team… those resposnsibilities should solely lie with the Head Coach & Director of Soccer.
The issue for our team is: Ruud has to deal with the inconsistencies, the on & off personalities, and the work-rate of many of the players left-over from the “old-regime”… namely, Alexi’s and Paul’s regime. Players like Pete Vagenas, Abel Xavier, Carlos Ruiz, Landon Donovan, David Beckham – these are experienced, “around-many-different-blocks” type of players… not to mention elder players. Like with any of us, the older we get, the entitled we feel to our personalities, our opinions, and our choices. Same goes for these players.
Head Coach Ruud comes from the European system of soccer and coaching – in that system, the coach always has more say, more influence, more command over his players. In some ways, to us, Americans – it would seem fascist. But, if you want more expediency, less time wasted with consulting/arguing/arbitrating – then, the European mode of coaching works very well in that aspect.
There are a hanful of players on our LA Galaxy team that definitely should not feel secure and entitled. Why? Because they are marginal, moody, “do-more-with-their-mouths” type of players. Sorry, Laurie – I am not feeling very sympathetic to the “cry babies”!