What is the problem here? Is it the ownership? The management? The coaches? The players?
In a word, Yes!
The Revs mailing list on ISFA and the message boards on BigSoccer.com have been abuzz with both culprits and proposed solutions. One of the most common set of comments revolves around getting the right mix of players.
But what kind of players should they be? Before one can answer that, it might be helpful to know what kind of philosophy of soccer does the GM and the coach have? Is there any consistency from year to year? Hell, is there any consistency from game to game?
To examine the Revolution's "philosophy" let's take a 4 year trip back in time, boys and girls.
1996 - The Stapleton Era. The Revs first coach was former Irish International, Frank Stapleton, an accomplished player in England, but without doubt a rookie coach. He knew nada about soccer in the US, and thus (with Rev management's "assistance") assembled the worst combination of allocated and "marquee" players possible. To refresh your memory, three of the allocated players were Alexi Lalas, Mike Burns, Jim St. Andre (of all people). With MLS' scouring the world for "marquee" soccer players, somehow the Revs wound up with three -- count 'em three -- CANADIAN internationals on the roster. Predictably the Revs style of play was an antiquated English style long ball, or Route 1 football. Perhaps Stapleton figured that since Foxboro Stadium is located on US Route 1, that this is what the Krafts wanted him to play? Among the highlights from the first season was Rob Ukrop scoring first 2 Revs goals in history, not an auspicious beginning. From there, the season went down in flames, the final indignity being Alexi Lalas whiffing on an easy clearance allowing Columbus to win the final game of the season in front of 38,000 in Foxboro and knock the Revs out of the playoffs. Stapo quit (or was fired, take your pick) in confusion and ignominy. So it was back to square 1 and hopefully not Route 1 for 1997.
1997 - Wrongen Era (year 1): A successful MLS coach the previous year with Tampa Bay, Thomas Rongen was seen as "Mr. Right" for the Revs. Clearly the "philosophy" of the Revs would change. This year it was the arrival of total futbol (but with Argentineans, not Dutchmen, no less). The year started promisingly, but then the annual losing streak arrived. This was followed by constant player shuffling, inexplicable coaching decisions, uncertainty about who was playing where, and the Revs were lucky to be playing partial futbol by the end of the season. They barely squeaked into playoffs with the semi-skilled Paul Keegan hoofing an ugly goal into the Dallas net in a nail biting final game. Of course, the Revs were bounced out of the playoffs after 2 games. Rongen promised a "wait 'til next year" scenario.
1998 - Wrongen Era (year 2): "Total futbol, MLS style" this time WITH Dutchmen! The season started promisingly, then talented midfielder Jair broke his ankle due to the Krafts' obsession with keeping the Foxboro stadium grass 3 inches long due to former Patriots' coach Bill Parcells' wish that his 350 lb rhinos (no, not the ones from Rochester) not challenge the upper end of the Richter scale when tumbling to the ground. Apparently the Krafts refused to admit to themselves that Parcells had left 2 years earlier. Then in a truly bizarre move for a club's coach, Wrongen then got the bright idea that he should pop off to France to "help" Steve Sampson and left the club for the World Cup. Shortly thereafter, the annual 9 game losing streak arrives, followed by inexplicable coaching decisions, player shuffling, locker room dissension, and chants of "Dead Man Walking" from the denizens of "The Fort" in the north goal stands at Foxboro as Wrongen strode mutely to the locker room after each poorly played loss. The Wrongen era also ended in shame and ignominy, but unlike Stapleton -- now a commentator for British TV -- Wrongen landed on his feet at DC United. Apparently Wrongen can coach well assembled teams, but can't assemble one for himself.. Walter Zenga, the Revs 1997 keeper and former Italian International arrived in August and restored a semblance of order.
1999 - The Zenga Era. Frank Stapleton may have given Revs fans antiquated English style soccer, Zenga now gives the club's fans antiquated Italian style soccer! Hey, one more "philosophy" for the club. In one of his first moves, he insists on bringing back, as assistant coach, Beppe Galderisi who was one of the infamous 1996 allocations who was purged by Frank Stapleton and given away to Tampa Bay for nothing. Thus, the 1999 season began with the Revs having two rookie coaches committed to an antiquated style of Italian soccer. Sid Mazzola (Assistant Coach) and Joe Cummings (Assistant GM), two people who know a little something about soccer in the US depart in frustration as Calcio Cattenaccio settles in to Foxboro Stadium. The season started promisingly enough with predictably low scoring games and a mid table performance but soon was followed by several losses, questionable player moves, coaching decisions, increased player dissension, and the search for the right "soccer mentality" (whatever the hell that would be at this point). As the Revs passed the halfway point of the annual 9 game losing streak in mid August, the club saw intense player shuffling as if the people making player personnel decisions were playing fantasy soccer. Defender Joseph Addo is brought in for a trial to plug up a less than Cattenaccio-style defense, then discarded so the Revs could pick up Ecuadorian International Ariel Graziani, making him the club's 5th or 6th striker (depending on whether the semi-skilled Paul Keegan -- still on the club -- is considered a striker, winger or midfielder). He is then shipped off to Dallas for Leonel Alvarez, a defensive midfielder. The only saving grace to this move is that it means that Kris Kelderman (nicknamed "Stumpy" by the denizens of The Fort for his tree-like mobility) will likely see reduced playing time It may also mean that the talented Paolo Dos Santos -- inexplicably benched almost all season by Zenga for the immobile Kelderman -- will never get off the pine. This move is quickly followed by shipping the skilled midfielder Jair -- whom Zenga never gave a clear chance to find a slot -- off to San Jose for the journeyman Jeff Baicher. Zenga is now complaining that there is not enough money to bring in the 38 year old Guiseppe Bergomi, who played in the 1982 -- that's right 1982 -- World Cup to shore up the Revs defense. Yeah, that's gonna do the trick.
Do the Revs need better players? Sure they do, but looking at some of the high profile, skillful players that the Revs have discarded (Welton, Raul Diaz Arce, Alberto Naveda, Francis Okaroh, Alex Farias, Chiquindo Conde, Richard Goulooze, Edwin Gorter, and now Graziani and Jair) makes one ask whether the club would recognize and retain a skillful player when it saw one. Even some of the less skilled players dumped by the Revs (John DiBrito, Oscar Pareja, Darren Sawatsky, Zak Ibsen, Sam George, Marquis White, et al.) are at least getting meaningful minutes for clubs a lot higher up in the table than the Revs.
As WBZ-TV sportscaster Bob Lobel often intones as a former Boston pro sports team member comes back to stick it to one of the local pro clubs, "Hey, how come we can't get guys like that?"
INDEED!
Sure the Revolution need good players. But it's increasingly clear that there anybody in this organization who would have the faintest idea what they want to do with them when they arrive. Does anyone in the organization now have a clear idea about the precise skill set of the players the club currently has? With what kind of players might be needed to augment the the current roster? With the kind of players who might be available on this continent (and thus less expensively)? With what style of play might work best GIVEN the kind of players the Revs have here now?
In the Revs 4 year history, has anyone seen a recognizable pattern, style or philosophy that the Revolution would like to play? I sure as hell haven't.
Since all MLS clubs started at the same time, what is it that has allowed some clubs (DC United, Columbus, Los Angeles, Dallas, and now Chicago) to hit the ground running and offer quality soccer every year, while clubs like the Revs, San Jose, and the hapless Metro "stars" flounder year after year?
The short answer is that all of the successful ones knew the state of players in the US, and the unsuccessful ones didn't.
Only 5 of a club's players could be internationals in the first three years, dropping to 4 in 1999. Thus the bulk of any MLS club was and is stocked with American players. Those clueless owner-operators like the Krafts who believed that international coaches were the trick for instant MLS success should have surely seen the error of their ways. Why didn't they? Why haven't the Revs found soccer-experienced people who know an can unearth the kinds of American and CONCACAF players necessary for MLS success? And why haven't the Revs understood that the "system" that a team plays needs to flow from the type of players that the club has, not lurching from English, to Argentinian-Dutch, to Dutch, to Italian "style" soccer in the space of four years. The "system" must evolve from the players that the club has, but then get reinforced among the players as the system is implemented over time. Why is this so hard for Revs' management to understand?
Inquiring minds want to know....