Well, the big news out of Toronto involved none other than Mo Johnston, who is stepping down from his position as Toronto FC head coach to move into the front office, clearing the way for former Leeds manager John Carver to replace him. A high-level source at Toronto just confirmed this for me.
Rumors about Johnston making this very move began circulating two months ago but Johnston steadfastly denied them. He was busy trying to secure the services of Carver.
Toronto FC nearly lost out on Carver when the Newcastle United manager’s job came open. According to sources in Toronto, Carver, a former assistant at Newcastle under Bobby Robson, would have been a prime candidate to join Alan Shearer’s staff if Newcastle had hired Shearer. Newcastle hired Kevin Keegan instead, clearing the way for Carver to take charge in Toronto.
Johnston has one of the best track records in the league at identifying and drafting young talent and will now handle player personnel decisions with the club. The move to the front office was Johnston’s decision, as was the appointment of Carver, according to sources in Toronto.
Toronto ends up with the best of both worlds in theory. It keeps a man who knows the league and the talent in the United States and adds a head coach with a good amount of coaching experience.
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