The honeymoon is finally over for Toronto FC’s general manager and former coach Mo Johnston, reports Gareth Wheeler. “TFC has only two wins since the end of May and Johnston’s resources to bring in new players seemingly start and end with one man,” he writes.
Fan banners have started to appear proclaiming that ‘Mo Must Go,’ while “even the untrained soccer eye can tell the product on the field is not up to par.” It’s behind expansion franchise San Jose in the overall standings and was knocked out of Concacaf Champions league qualifying by “a so-called lesser side, the Montreal Impact.”
It’s easy to scapegoat the coach, says Wheeler, but the true problem is in the building of the team, which is Johnston’s job. The owners have “provided enough financial backing and has entrusted the charming Johnston with the keys to the bus. Unfortunately, the bus has been stuck in neutral.”
It’s not just Johnston’s inability to sign a designated player or the loss of potential new players because of TFC’s field turf. It’s also the fact that no TFC player is deemed good enough to start for the Canadian national team. After Jim Brennan and Greg Sutton, all Johnston’s Canadian signings were deemed expendable after just one “miserable” season. Wheeler also points to a pattern that may or may not be significant — so many of TFC’s signings come through agent Barry MacLean. “Interestingly,” notes Wheeler, “Johnston also is represented by MacLean.”
“What of Johnston’s three-week off-season mission to Brazil?” he asks. Answer: Nothing. What of Johnston’s recruitment of players in places not known as Scotland or the English Championship Division?” Answer: not much. If Johnston is to stay at TFC for a third year, “a winning team will be mandatory. If not, it won’t just be the honeymoon that’s over, but so will the marriage.”