Paul Mariner blasts his team; but does he have it right?

Sep 13, 2012, 12:25 PM EDT

I love the burning desire that Paul Mariner brings. Every. Single. Day.

Some people grab their car keys and pack a lunch before they leave the house; the Toronto FC manager grabs his backpack, stuffs it spilling-over full of passion and “want-to” and would not think of leaving home without it.

But that’s not all it takes to win. I respect Mariner and understand why he went off on his players after another loss last night – but I think he’s wrong in this case.

It’s about players. Repeat it and let it sink in: It’s always about players.

Toronto doesn’t have enough of them. Period. There’s too much “average” and “not good enough.”

The team was assembled poorly. Despite one of the highest payrolls in MLS, the roster was pieced together under two separate and mis-matched visions, the technically oriented ways of former manager Aron Winter and the spit-and-vinegar approach that Mariner fancies.

From Day 1 this year, the personnel choices just didn’t work. Take away a couple of difference makers (goalkeeper Stefan Frei, striker Danny Koevermans and midfield MVP-type Torsten Frings, all injured) and this is what you have: a last-place team.

It’s simple that way. And yet, here’s what he had to say following last night’s 2-1 loss to a Chicago team that’s hammering all the right nails these days: “It’s all about being a professional. We are at the bottom of the table. We haven’t won in two months. And that is the type of performance that you give as a group? There is absolutely no excuse for that first half.”

And Mariner was just getting started.

You can come up with all the excuses in the world – international call-ups and injuries to key players. But I was brought up in an environment where you were dying to get your opportunity to play at a great place like BMO Field or Old Trafford or Highbury. And when your chance came, you made sure that you stayed in the team and you made sure that the manager couldn’t drop you. You can draw your own conclusion from what you saw tonight.”

“When I came into this job, I said that I wanted to get some pride back into the shirt. We didn’t have a full strength side by any stretch of the imagination, but this is your opportunity to go and show what you can do. And if that is the lads showing what they can do, then we are going to have a serious issue.”

Again, I like and respect Mariner – but “desire” and opportunity factor isn’t enough.

If I look at Mariner’s starting lineup from last night, I see maybe four men who are solid, reliable MLS starters. And that’s stretching it just a little.

Milos Kocic has been mostly OK as Frei’s season-long replacement in goal. Eric Hassli can score, although it’s hard to be sold on a guy Vancouver saw as flawed and dispensable. Darren O’Dea’s early outings as center back at BMO have looked OK.

Luis Silva is a promising young playmaker – but surely not “there” yet. Between Silva and center back Richard Eckersley, I might count them as one solid MLS starter.

You look at last night’s roster and tell me …

It’s OK for Mariner to want more, to push players and ask more of them – especially at home, where the long-suffering fans of Ontario deserve better. But beating on players and not accepting some of the blame is a dangerous game. The roster isn’t good enough. I don’t exactly blame Mariner for not saying that; that would be demoralizing.

On the other hand, so is telling a bunch of guys who are stretched beyond their capacities that they aren’t trying hard enough.

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wesbadia - Sep 13, 2012 at 3:04 PM

Once everyone’s done looking at the list from the Starting XI last night, look at this list: http://www.mlssoccer.com/players?field_player_club_nid=9&tid_2=197&title=

The entire roster of TFC right now.

Show me a Starting XI that would fair better than the one last night. Nay… show me HALF a Starting XI that would be a good core of players to build a team around.

Not sure about anyone else, but I can’t do it.

You have three DP’s that would (when healthy) probably start on any team in the league. But therein lies the first problem: when they’re healthy. Say what you will about Koevermans’ injury. It’s just unfortunate to me, especially because he was one of the healthiest influential players TFC has ever had. Bur Frings is almost worthless to me. The amount of time he has spent on the IR over the last two seasons makes his DP salary almost amount to the money they forked over for Mista a couple years ago. He impacts games he’s in, and the games he’s out his lack of presence is horribly felt. But when the player consistently misses a third or a half of a season due to injury, meanwhile your team sinks more and more to the depths, it’s apparently you’re overly reliant on one players. That’s never good. As for Hassli, he’s Hassli. Hasn’t proven he’s consist at performance since joining the league.

From the DP’s, it’s all down hill. TFC has maybe four non-DP players on their whole roster that would be starters anywhere in the league: Eric Avila, Terry Dunfield, Darren O’Dea, and Ryan Johnson. You can add two potentials in Reggie Lambe and Luis Silva, but these two are built for the future, not now.

All the homegrown products TFC has created have proven that they’re not up to par with what’s needed in MLS. Morgan and Stinson have flashes of appeal, but are nowhere near the level they need to be at to be starters.

Then you have the likes of Adrian Cann and Richard Eckersley, both of whom are no doubt quality defenders, but are not designed to build a back four (much less a club) on. Eckersley has proven that he was a step up from the previous CB’s, but since O’Dea has been brought in, Eckersley’s true skills have looked lackluster. Cann, on the other hand, has always been over-ranked in my opinion.

The entirety of the rest of the roster is made up of *good* players that would be bench depth on any other roster in MLS. Weideman, Emory, Amarikwa, Jeremy Hall, Ty Harden, etc.

So I ask again: what’s the best line-up you can make from this pool of players that could’ve out-performed Chicago last night?

And a second question: how many of these players were either left-overs from the pre-Winter days, or were part of Winter’s grand plan of the Dutch-style in Toronto?

My perspective is that Mariner is doing what he can with the players he has. All he’s asking for is to show some heart and play like hell, because, really, what else can you ask? I believe they could lose every last game in 2012 and still please Mariner if ONLY they could play with dignity and wear that TFC badge with pride. They can’t even do that.

I pray TFC ownership/management allows Mariner to give this team a 100% remake for next season. No holds barred. Whatever it takes. Allow Mariner to be the coach as well as the “Technical Director” and “General Manager”. You can’t have the GM or ownership pull punches in times like these. You need the on-field manager making the personnel decisions, especially when you have someone like Mariner in that position. Respect the man and let him do his job. No doubt in my mind that if he’s given the opportunity, he’ll put together an especially quality side for 2013.

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footballer4ever - Sep 13, 2012 at 11:45 PM

Steve,

I find your article compelling, but at the same time confusing because it sounds you are playing the devil’s advicate in this situation.

You made great points about the lack of talent in the team to produce despite the coach demands and expectations based on the product at hand. Having said that, it’s troubling for any team whenever a coach goes the length to say this:
“When I came into this job, I said that I wanted to get some pride back into the shirt…….but this is your opportunity to go and show what you can do. And if that is the lads showing what they can do, then we are going to have a serious issue”

He’s not questioning the talent, he is questioning the heart, desire of the players. In any team, as weak as it might be, if your heart, pride and commitment is put into question like that, then it’s more than talent or quality that is at stake here and it does not do the club, league or sport any good.

Hopefully, by year 20th, the entire league and individual teams will be better and evenly solidified to get out of their league safety net or umbilical cord to venture out and bring outside worthy talent , if necessary, to make our league close or better than the EPL. Actually, on par to EPL will be better as it could easily create an intercontinental rivalry league much like the European Champions keague is now , but at a greater scale. Am i dreaming? Maybe i am, but wouldn’t it be great at some point for that to becoming true.

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