Normally I'd say a sporting director should get a second chance at hiring a head coach. I think Onalfo lost that chance when he doubled down on Porter and got him a completely new roster. That was the equivalent of him getting (and wasting) his second chance. Combine this with him completely overhauling the team with over a dozen multi-year deals and still ending up with a roster that is so obviously flawed tells me clearly he is not the right person to lead this team.
I remember being at the home opener (FREEZING!). They kept passing the ball back and forth around the backline. There was zero urgency. It was so boring. I was compelled to yell out "COME ON, LET'S GO!!!". And then here I am, late in the season, still waiting for this urgency and attack to come but never materializing.
Very frustrating to watch other teams do the thing you know your team needs to do. Like having composure in the attacking 3rd and setting up chances. The players often look like they don't practice together. They're rarely on the same page.
Excellent column. There seem to be significant problems at the ownership level and in the front office, typified by clueless and truculent responses to proper journalism questions by TBM and other outlets. Onalfo's recent defensive rant is just one of many that started in earnest in the Friedel era. The team is in danger of losing its longtime fan support - maybe getting Curtin would reverse the trend.
I agree with you on most of this, but also I really do think that if you’re going to give a coach a chance you work with them to make the roster they want. I never would have hired Porter, but once he was hired I really wanted it to work out. Say what you want about Onalfo, but he did everything in his power to help Porter succeed.
Normally I'd say a sporting director should get a second chance at hiring a head coach. I think Onalfo lost that chance when he doubled down on Porter and got him a completely new roster. That was the equivalent of him getting (and wasting) his second chance. Combine this with him completely overhauling the team with over a dozen multi-year deals and still ending up with a roster that is so obviously flawed tells me clearly he is not the right person to lead this team.
I remember being at the home opener (FREEZING!). They kept passing the ball back and forth around the backline. There was zero urgency. It was so boring. I was compelled to yell out "COME ON, LET'S GO!!!". And then here I am, late in the season, still waiting for this urgency and attack to come but never materializing.
Very frustrating to watch other teams do the thing you know your team needs to do. Like having composure in the attacking 3rd and setting up chances. The players often look like they don't practice together. They're rarely on the same page.
Excellent column. There seem to be significant problems at the ownership level and in the front office, typified by clueless and truculent responses to proper journalism questions by TBM and other outlets. Onalfo's recent defensive rant is just one of many that started in earnest in the Friedel era. The team is in danger of losing its longtime fan support - maybe getting Curtin would reverse the trend.
I agree with you on most of this, but also I really do think that if you’re going to give a coach a chance you work with them to make the roster they want. I never would have hired Porter, but once he was hired I really wanted it to work out. Say what you want about Onalfo, but he did everything in his power to help Porter succeed.
Here’s to hoping the next coach has more success.
Agreed, but unfortunately, the next coach is saddled with this roster of people who don't seem to understand they are all on the same team.