120 Fahrenheit: The Locker Room
May 18th, 2008 . 9:52 pm . By: Buzz Carrick
The question has been raised this week, even prior to the debacle against LA, that perhaps there are problems in the FC Dallas locker room. The question was first posed by Al Dia reporter Diego Aparicio shortly after assistant coach Jorge Alvial was fired when he, Aparicio, asked a question of Morrow about having lost the locker room and how did he, Morrow, plan to get it back. Morrow, not surprisingly, said, “That’s a ridiculous statement, I have no comment.” Prior to Sunday’s game, an Al Dia blog post appeared further detailing what Aparicio says are problems in the locker room. One person’s translation of said blog, since I don’t speak Spanish, says the post makes various points and I thought I might talk about a few of them and try and shed some light. Or perhaps muddle it even more.
The contract squabbles between Ricchetti and Morrow, with the unfulfilled promise of money versus the three year contract signed… or Cooper and the front office… or Mina and the front office… or whoever and the front office… have been documented in this space and other news outlets before. One party says they were promised money and didn’t get it, the other side says play the contract you signed. I imagine the truth is somewhere in the middle. It’s not important to rehash it now, but let’s just say that every team has contract problems. Welcome to professional sports. But for the most part in this case all the parties seemed to have moved on. Ricchetti and Cooper both play balls-out in training and in games. Both have gone about their business and embraced the team and played hard without saying anything to the media since the winter. It had seemed to be water under the bridge. Word around the team was that Alvial may have taken the players side about a month ago shortly after he was hired, although I can’t get that confirmed by anyone on the record. But should we be shocked that taking the players side against the staff didn’t go over well with Hitch and Morrow? I certainly wouldn’t recommend to anyone going against the new boss just after you get hired. But let me also say that some people I have talked to say that wasn’t the only reason Alvail was let go. Yet if Alvial felt strongly enough to go against Morrow that fast maybe he should have. As with the above contract squabbles, I imagine the truth was somewhere in the middle As for a party, I have no idea how anyone could stop someone from having party if they want to have a party. Bottom line the situation with Alvial fell apart rapidly after his hire and it only got worse. I can’t get anyone to give me the full dirt on what went down, it’s a lot of innuendo and speculation. Finally firing Alvial this week could have contributed to the emotional state of the team I’m sure, as there were some players that liked him. Just as I am sure there were some who did not.
I don’t know if this one is true. Certainly the FO was upset about Ricchetti using the media, notably with this site this winter, and then Roberto Mina ripping the team on the way out of town, again with quotes that appeared on this site. Yet I am not having any trouble getting players to talk to me without going through the PR office. This front office does have a tendency to want to control the flow of information. But since no players has refused to talk to me on grounds they don’t have permission, and I am the one who had the quotes they were most upset about, I’m not real convinced this is true. So at the very least I’m can’t confirm it. And you should try working with the Yankees or Cowboys if you think anything FCD does with the media is remotely bad.
Now this one I find odd because Morrow doesn’t have a starting 11. Morrow uses a couple of tactical shapes and interchangeable parts based on the opposition, players health, and current form. Morrow in effect uses a European style squad system. Players from over seas or south American would know this. It makes me think it was an American who said the, as only an American, I think, would claim there should be a set starting 11. While one might disagree with the idea of a squad and tactical flexibility, but not having a set 11 is certainly not grounds to think someone is an idiot. I even happen to agree that a more established shape and lineup is a good idea. But I certainly wouldn’t call Morrow clueless cause he does things a bit differently than I would. As for respect, I’m sure there is a player or two, heck even a half dozen, that don’t respect Morrow. No team ever 100% loves the coach. When a player isn’t playing or doesn’t like where they are playing, that kind of thing can happen. But believe me I’ve asked, and not one single player has complained to me about Morrow’s tactics or talked about thinking he’s an idiot, on or off the record. Which doesn’t mean there aren’t some who think so of course. But you can bet if it was a lost locker room someone would. Under Jeffries for example it became very clear by comments players would make to me that he lost the team that Southlake season. It was like shooting fish in a barrel, you never had to seek anyone out. They would just walk over and say something. Having a couple people not like or respect the coach is not losing the locker room. Having the captain change the formation in the team huddle before kickoff is losing the locker room. Which, by the way, has happened in FCD history.
Well of course. locker room happiness and morale is always driven by the players and winning is the cure all. Losing on the other hand breads discontent, anger, and frustration. The captain and the leaders among the players are always the major factor in driving morale. It’s part of what makes Bobby Rhine so valuable. The coach isn’t supposed to be everybody’s’ friend. That was part of Jeffries failure, he wanted to be everybody’s’ friend. So here’s my opinion on the matter. Has Morrow lost the locker room? No, I don’t think so. I think the team is just going through a bad patch. It happens. Quite frankly I expected a .500 team at the start of this year and this team is very young and immature. So what we are seeing is about what I expected to see. I am sure there are some unhappy players, there always are. Losing does that. I felt this year, and a few players have mentioned this to me also, that this is perhaps a team that gets along better than they have in a few years. As much as Clarke’s team was winning in his last season it wasn’t a very harmonious team. Losing just really gets to players and it’s contagious. Losing breads losing. Was there any discontent and lost locker room stories when the team was undefeated, scoring goals, and sitting atop the West? No. If the team starts winning again. then I bet the discontent will vanish. Continue to lose and it will get much worse. It’s then nature of sport. Lose games and players stop listening. With both Hitchcock and Morrow in the final year’s of their contracts, lose to much and something might have to be done by ownership. Yet given HSG’s nature of no firing anyone, I wouldn’t bet on it. So I wouldn’t worry about a lost locker room. At least not yet. I’ll leave you with a quote from the obviously gutted, and theoretically one of the players who would be upset and dislike Morrow, Pablo Ricchetti from the post game press conference when asked if the locker room situation effected the team’s performance. “No, we are good,” Ricchetti said. “The issue for us is that we are playing badly. We are calm but resolve everything internally. The main issue right now is that we’re not playing well and that isn’t a reflection of anything that’s going on inside (the locker room).” 29 Comments Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI Leave a comment |
Buzz, reality may be a tough pill to swallow, but you have explained it to the rest of us.
Thank you.
Thank you for explaining this. Above all others in the (media and fan) world of FCD, I trust your views. All of this makes sense.
Very nice post… given all the negativity coming from all corners right now, this is just the right sort of balanced opinion that needed to be stated. Most importantly, it ends on a nice positive tone. FCD PR should be paying you!
Sincerely..Nice job!
Good, level headed stuff as usual buzz. Much aprpeciated. I am sure there will be some people that will torch you soon though! LOL
You’re right, Buzz. The team is quite young, and we are seeing the glaring downside of that on the field. I still think these guys have above-average talent in MLS and will eventually put it together.
For now, let’s just hope that any damage done can be minimized with a confidence-boosting win this week before we have to deal with Houston.
It’s hard to keep in mind after a game like that that the team was without McCarty and Wagner (and Wagenfuhr). I’m not sure what is going on with Rocha and Toja as neither seem to be playing as well as you think they could be, but it can’t help that they don’t have the guys they are used to playing with on the outside working with them.
My question, on the other hand, is where is the pride that Serioux showed – why didn’t other players start playing harder after the first goal, and certainly after the second goal? Why is it Serioux – way too late – as the only one who was getting in the tackle?
jorge was pushed away from fcd because he actually had something to say about the way morrow was handling the team. jorge didn’t agree with a lot of training techniques used by morrow, they way morrow treated players old or young. there was another person that had the same problem with morrow…pareja. fcd lost a valuable person in oscar. he’s someone that is honest and passionate. everybody respects oscar playing or not, you want to die for him on the field. bet the players don’t feel that way about their coach now.
I question how much the FO understands about managing people. This was a big game – Alvial couldn’t have survived until today? He had to go just days before the LA game? Was firing Alvial supposed to motivate guys in a good way? I don’t understand that. Who are these people in the FO? They need to be saved from themselves.
Buzz,
A couple of comments lost in translations:
- It’s not the president that must approve contacting players prior to interviewing, it’s the press director.
- Off the record comments CANNOT be made public. The comment in the Spanish version of Al Dia clarifies the sources of information, “on background.” Then it says other info found “off the record” was later confirmed with other sources, which was then written on background, not from the “off the record” source but from the “background source.”
Important info lost in translation.
Good balance on your report, though.
word of the day: disarray
exhibited by: FCD
being the stepchild of HSG, we’re not gonna get attention until we start winning. it’s hard to do when you have DISARRAY w/n the organization. only thing to do now is damage control. steve, IMO, just isn’t doing it for me. from many blogs and posts, many fans are on this same boat.
buzz, how are you on coaching?
Speaking of Buzz’s coaching ability:
Actually, the team did everything you said they would do.
What do you think the chances are that Morrow will lock you out of practices from this point forward? Are you worried about it?
You run a great blog – I mean no disrespect by the question.
Good stuff Buzz. I agree that we’re simply going thru a bad patch…it happens in sports and life. Anyone notice how things are going with DC United lately!?
The difference is that DC has a history of winning and have built up the credibility with their fans that they will do what it takes to win. DC fans are probably not happy with the results, but there is no denying that the team made moves (lots of moves) to try and strengthen their squad. Did our club?
Our club traded a superstar for what appears to be nothing at this point, did not use all of the resources at their disposal to strengthen their squad (DP), and then ran the youngest team in the league out onto the pitch to start the season. I give full effort as a supporter and I expect the same from the players, coaches, and the front office.
From what I hear leaked out of the organization, the problem is not so much the players as it is the coaching and staffing. Stevie just doesn’t have the experience or skill to manage a team and coaching staff. A tried and tested professional coach would be a quaint idea.
So when did the players come up with a new formation in the huddle? I’m guessing it was during the Jeffrey years.
Buzz, interesting read, but i have to disagree with your Morrow defense. The team seems lost. Talented and lost will always = poor coaching. Remember Chan Gailey?
Denilson, who Morrow did not like, did not play, and did not sign, had an awesome season in Brazil. His team gave him a ton of the credit.
Weird. Maybe he could only play in the southern Hemisphere…maybe in Brazil the competition is not as tough as here…yeesh.
This season ticket holder is frustrated with the level of play. They should have gone with a coach with more seasoning. Euro playing experience is not the same as leading a club.
my nickels worth
What is going on with Toja? Does anyone know? How do you go from being really one of the best in the league if not the best at certain point to one of the worst. How does that happen? What is going on with him? Something cant be completely right with the team.
I agree with Kevin this coach ineptness is the only thing shining through because this team has a lot of talent that is just being misused and everyone is disorganized and every pass looks so haphazard ; it is awful to watch but I still am a fan I will be there Saturday but if this continues forget it.. gas is too expensive.
3nout, I have no coaching license if that’s what your asking.
Moose, no offense taken. Valid question. I don’t think FCD can afford to close practice. I’m not worried about it.
Kevin, it wasn’t my intent to defend Morrow as much as just lay out the current situation as I see it. Clearly there are some things wrong and the coach shares the blame for that with the players and front office.
Buzz – what will help right the ship? Obviously winning – but how does the team get to the point where the balance is in their favor so that they can win?
morrow’s job has to be on the line, right? maybe that job in england is starting to appeal to steve. if there is a move, would it be better to wait til the end of the season or ASAP (once a candidate has been made available)?
The truth regarding contracts is NOT somewhere in the middle. Certain players were, indeed, promised that if they (individually) produced after their first season then they would get a new deal. They were told this could not be put “in writing” as MLS would NOT approve this stipulation. They were told to “trust us” and they (the players) did. The club (Clarke/Hitchcock/Morrow) lied to these players. THE TRUTH DOES NOT LIE “SOMEWHERE IN THE F’IN MIDDLE !!!
That’s one side of the story. The other side of the story says that somewhere in there is a line about if you play well enough we will give you a new deal. There’s also a line about playing the deal one signed.
Which is why I say the truth is probably in the middle. I am not on either side of that argument. When two sides disagree about how something like that went down, then it seems likely that somewhere between what the two parties are claiming is the truth. Or at the very least the compromise.
Honestly, I don’t know how you could have watched the same game I did and say that all’s well with the locker room. You can’t make promises to key players in the club, decide you’re not going to fulfill those promises and expect those players to play lights out for you. It’s human nature. I expect that’s the problem with Toja and that was the problem with a majority of the team on Sunday. Too many of our players have other places they can go and play after their contracts are up regardless.
The problem is that Hitch was just as much part of the promises to players. So dropping just the coach doesn’t help solve the problem of players feeling betrayed.
Drum Circles. The boys need a drum circle. It’s the only thing that will help their play. No really! It will!
I have a simple answer for the next coach. PAY THE PLAYERS WHAT THE FRONT OFFICE COMMOTTED TOO. THEN WE WILL START TO WIN.
Sorry, I meant to say committed.