The article we ran to open AFTN's <i>Canadian Soccer News</i> era, took a look at <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?2533-How-Deep-Rooted-Are-The-Whitecaps-Problems" target="_blank">how deeply rooted the Whitecaps problems are</a> and whether there are even any underlying problems at all.
The piece was well received and generated some healthy debate, both here and elsewhere, producing differing opinions. Always fantastic to have and is what football is all about.
I described the Caps as a team in turmoil, rather than a club in crisis. Some readers may see no difference between those two statements. There is a fine line, but coming from my footballing background, I always associate the latter term with financial peril and clubs fighting for their very existence.
Tumultuous is definitely the one word I would use to sum up Vancouver Whitecaps' 2011.
Whitecaps fans certainly shouldn't be hitting the panic button just yet, but the concerns are there and should most definitely be brought to the forefront. Everything in Vancouver's garden is certainly not rosy, but I am still very optimistic about what lies in store next year, on the pitch at least.
When I wrote the article, little did I know what was going to be coming out on Monday on <a href="http://blogs.thescore.com/footyblog/2011/12/12/the-footy-show-podcast-dec-12th/" target="_blank"><b><i>The Score's Footy Show podcast</i></b></a>.
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There has already been much discussion surrounding the podcast, which featured a very interesting interview with ex-Whitecap defender Chris Williams. He was very scathing about his time in Vancouver and what was going on behind the scenes with the Club.
Now some Whitecaps fans will be asking "who?". Many of us who actually watched the Caps in our last D2 year may also ask the same question.
I have to be honest and say I hardly even remembered him being there at first! That might just be because that season was simply woeful on an entertainment level and I've tried to block it from my memory. It all came flooding back in the end.
Williams didn't feature much during the 2010 NASL campaign, making 15 appearances over the course of the season. Despite what Williams clearly thinks of his own talents, as far as AFTN was concerned he was never going to make the jump to MLS with the Caps. We didn’t see him as anywhere near the calibre needed and would have struggled to be on our squad this year if we remained at D2 level. He's a journeyman.
Before we look at what he said during the interview, we would be wrong not to point out that a scorned player, seemingly with an axe still to grind, isn't the most legitimate source for taking what is said as gospel.
When we ran our feature on <a href="http://aftncanada.blogspot.com/2011/12/paul-barber-he-came-he-saw-he-failed.html" target="_blank">Paul Barber's resignation</a> on Friday, we featured some comments from an ex Front Office employee. Comments were made regarding the same legitimacy of our source, but as we pointed out, this was a long term employee, who I personally knew and trusted, and who also left of his own accord for bigger and brighter things and was certainly not bitter.
Again, fine line.
<i>The Score</i> are fully aware of this and know that some listeners will take what Williams had to say with a pinch of salt.
I’m really not sure what to make of the interview.
Any player that describes himself as a <i>“character guy”</i> immediately makes me rolls my eyes. One manager’s character guy is another manager’s problem player.
From the off, Williams calls out the Caps and seems to clearly have little time for those movers and shakers at the Club. When a player has that many gripes, is there any wonder as to why he’s still not in Vancouver?!
Williams felt that Thordarson's days were numbered very early on when he saw that it was Tommy Soehn who was bringing in the players. We've always been led to believe that Teitur had the final say in personnel matters, but this would appear to indicate otherwise.
Did Thordarson have no real say, and just went along with decisions to make his life easier, or did he challenge any outside interference and died on his sword as a result?
It was clear when Soehn took over as Head Coach at the end of May this year that he wanted his own players on the pitch and to stamp his own design on to the team. One by one, all of Teitur's guys have been sent packing, with just the Residency products remaining.
Williams’ comments give the impression that Soehn was Head Coach in all but name.
The interesting question that now arises is what is the current lie of the land?
Does Martin Rennie have the final say on players, is it a joint decision, or will he be steamrollered in taking on guys that Soehn, or somebody else, thinks is the right player for the Caps?
It's been mentioned various times that collective consensus is likely to be the order of the day.
From what I know of Rennie, and from what I can gauge from our few chats so far, he certainly strikes me as a man with a firm direction and plan, and not someone that is going to be dictated to.
Where does all of this leave Tommy Soehn? Williams thinks he should be worried. So some positive news from the podcast anyway!
The interview moves on to Paul Barber’s resignation and the front office, somewhat echoing what we said on Friday.
All the spin in the world that Barber’s job is done here, doesn’t make us forget the fanfare that greeted his arrival and the thoughts that he was here for the long term.
<i>”Strong personalities”</i> is the phrase used to describe the Caps FO, as Barber’s autonomy is questioned. From other sources, the lack of autonomy was the opposite of the problem.
We might question the credence of Williams’ comments when it comes to his take on playing matters, but his views around off the pitch problems are what we’ve been hearing from a lot of people now.
Was it simply a case of too many chiefs? Who was really calling the shots and what really were the roots of the problems?
We’ll soon find out. If 2012 is another year of internal turmoil, with numerous personnel changes at all levels and a string of Front Office clusterfucks, then things clearly haven’t been fixed by Paul Barber moving on and issues still exist.
I think if we find Martin Rennie still as Head Coach this time next year, then that’s a positive indication that the problems are ironed out and the Whitecaps are back on the right path.
Just imagine it. A whole year with the same man in charge of the team. And they said it couldn’t be done.
So there we have it. Interesting stuff from Williams if you’re a Vancouver fan.
Have a listen to the podcast, if you haven’t done so already, and let us know what you think.
A player with a grudge stirring the shit or an honest assessment of what the last two years have been like behind the scenes at Vancouver Whitecaps FC?
Unless you're in there, you'll never know for sure, but the alarm bells can't help but go off when you listen to Williams. Unhappy ex-player or not, he isn’t going to come out with such stuff without some truth to back it up.
The concerns we had before certainly haven't gone anywhere and if anything, seem vindicated.
Onwards and upwards though. In Bobby we trust, and all that.
Like a bald man who has just lost all his hair, it's going to be a new Barberless era soon. We can only hope that lessons have been learned, attitudes have changed and a brighter future lies ahead.
We're still optimistic!
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