Garth Lagerwey GM Vote- Begins September 19, 2018
Sept 27, 2018 11:00:21 GMT
Zafiro, airkeeper, and 2 more like this
Post by carella211 on Sept 27, 2018 11:00:21 GMT
Let's assume that we all agree that the MLS Cup is the most important trophy to everyone and the primary measure of GM success. Since Garth's arrival, we've won 1 MLS Cup in 2 appearances. Not bad. What is an appropriate level of MLS Cup success to retain the GM? How big of a gap in MLS Cups warrants the "no" vote?
It's not about MLS Cups. That post season money grab is nice for casual fans and adds ammo for those of us who like to banter with opposing fans, but if that's all we aim for, that Cup, then no thanks. I want consistency. I value the SS much much much higher than MLS Cup. I want international glory. The CCL should be prioritized over an MLS season where the games don't matter until August hits, and Garth proved this year that he's ALL TALK when it comes to the CCL.
Aside from trophies, i want a roster where if one guy goes down, our whole team doesn't shit the bed. I want a roster where you can look at it and say "Oh okay, they play in such and such formation and their philosophy is probably this and that." Not a roster that looks like a random collection of no names from the bargain bin or a roster filled with 35 guys who all play the exact same position. I want a GM who doesn't pass the buck on his failures to sign people as "Well we're a small city so no one wants to play here" or "Well you can't really sign good players in the offseason because there are none available".
I don't give a F U C K what he's doing with the Academy, because the days of building a competitive 1st team roster with mostly Academy guys is over and has been for years. How many MLS Cups has FC Dallas or RBNY won with all their Academy kids? Exactly. Trying to build a roster in 2018 with the mentality it's 2006 is shooting yourself in the foot before the season even starts. Academy signings are nice to fill out a roster, but your core, your spine, needs to be experienced players who have already cut their teeth in professional football, be it elsewhere in the league or in the world.
I want a GM who cares about this team, it's place in this city, and the fans. From our marketing to our community outreach to our game day scheduling, it's all become either completely non-existent or vastly lacks behind every other team in this city because our GM is a small club mentality GM who thinks cowering and conceding to more "traditional" American sports team is what you do as a soccer club.
The Sounders stopped growing when Lagerwey came here. Both on and off the field. We stopped winning silverware. We stopped chasing game changing players. Our attendance no only stagnated, but butts in seats attendance has gone down. The interest from casual Seattle sports fans has dried up because we stopped putting our selves out in the sports community and in the city.
Honestly, to vote Garth In, is to vote the Sounders into the grave. Into irrelevancy. In the league, in the sport, and in the city.
