The harshest critics of Paul Mariner were disappointed.
“Paul Mariner is the coach of Toronto FC. I have a great deal of respect for him,” was how new TFC president and GM Kevin Payne answered the inevitable question about the possibility of another coaching change with the Reds.
He put the knife in further when he later made it clear that Earl Cochrane wasn’t going anywhere. In fact, he indicated that Cochrane would be the “point man” for all trades and signings of the club.
Still, for most, the appointment of Payne to the position was seen positively, if occasionally tempered by MLSE-induced cynicism. This is, after all, exactly what fans have been screaming for since, well, forever.
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At last TFC has a MLS experienced leader calling the shots. And, it was clear that he would be calling the shots. In later interviews, MLSE COO Tom Anselmi said that Payne would have “full autonomy” in running the club. In fact, he stressed that he would have even more power than the Toronto Maple Leafs' Brian Burke and Toronto Raptor’s Bryan Colangelo. Anselmi also was clear that he had no interest in interfering in soccer decisions.
As of today, BMO Field is now the house of Payne, both figuratively and literally.
Since the day wasn’t about Mariner or Cochrane there is little use speculating on their future at the club except to say that it lies in the hands of Payne. History tells us that he’s not a manager that favours rash firings (in fact, DC United fans once hired an airplane to fly a banner that read ‘it’s the coach, stupid’ to express their frustration with sticking with Thomas Rongen in 2001). With only a few exceptions, he’s given coaches at least two years to implement their vision.
It is highly, highly unlikely that he’s going to change his philosophy now. He is, however, going to evaluate their performance and, for the first time, most fans feel confident that he’ll make a decision on the current staff’s future that is based on their performance moving forward, and with the best interest of the club in mind.
Only those truly not please-able will have a problem with that.
The question then is did TFC hire the right man? It’s next to impossible to judge in the early afterglow of a feel good press conference. You can point to four MLS Cups and two Supporter’s Shields and say it’s evidence he can’t go wrong. Or, you can point to the record since 2008 and say that MLS 2.0 has passed him by – DC United went through its worst four-year period from ’08 to ’11.
He’s been widely praised by many as being pro-supporter and having good relationships with Supporter’s Groups. However, he also once referred to the supporters as “Internet nuts” and oversaw a 30 percent reduction in attendance during the recent lean years.
He’s also a hands on manager. A critic might suggest that’s meddling. A fan will say it’s passion.
Can Payne recapture the magic of DC United’s glory years? It’s no sure thing, but at least TFC fans now have a clear understanding of who is running the show.
After six rudderless years, it’s about time.