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Winter out as coach of Toronto FC

Winter (Getty Images)

The Aron Winter era at Toronto FC is over. 

Winter was let go as coach of TFC on Thursday after a tumultuous last few months during which the Reds endured the worst start in MLS history. Paul Mariner will take Winter's place, making him the seventh coach in the team's six-year history.

Even after the club seemed to turn things around after its 0-9-0 start by winning the Canadian championship and topping the Philadelphia Union to win their first league game prior to the international break, TFC brass saw fit to usher out Winter, who compiled a 7-22-15 record in MLS play but managed to guide TFC to the semifinals of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League.

"The results havent been there on the pitch or in the standings, and that's what matters most," Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment COO and executive vice president Tom Anselmi said at a Thursday press conference.

What do you think of this development? Do you find the timing odd? Think it was inevitable either way? Do you think it was the right move? Do you see TFC turning things around under Mariner?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I don’t think he flamed out I thought they were having financial issues and he was trying to help them stay up on a very shoestring budget.

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  2. Boring 442 Houston Tie-Namo, +3 GD last year, whooped SKC out of the playoffs last year in a shutout.

    Particularly as long as the consensus MLS approach is not 433 Eredivisie fastbreak soccer (defense optional), and is in fact structured, hustling, defensive teams, I think a 433 may be pretty and perhaps even somewhat effective during the regular season, but probably risky in terms of cup strategy. You have to beat too many organized sides to win in the playoffs.

    Also, I think a 433 places a premium on quality offensive talent, and particularly if you are small market, it may be hard under a cap and within a budget to truly amass a sufficiently strong attack to justify the formation; that’s my basic TFC critique, simply not enough quality producers to justify the attacking formation, and then they leak goals the other way. Worst of both worlds.

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  3. the curent Champions league winners are lucky to be so and are a disgraceful advert for the game (or a good advert for the anti-game) based on the way they played in the CL final. Also they’re racists (Terry) and they made fun of Americans on 9-11 (Terry and Lampard). They’re a disgrace to the game as a whole actually.

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  4. Judging by the tone of your comments I think you’d be the type of guy who complains about Canadian teams no matter what. Qualify though MLS and the spots would be ‘stolen’ from American teams, qualify through our own cup and it’s “too easy”.

    Take it easy and don’t cry too much into your cornflakes over TFC getting a spot they’ll most likely waste anyway. The USOC isn’t exactly flawless either, not sure if you noticed

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  5. 1. The critique of Mariner b/c NE didn’t win a championship is just…stupid. Very few coaches don’t win championships–that doesn’t make them unfit. OTOH, Steve Sampson did win an MLS Cup–so TFC should hire him? Mariner may or may not be a great choice. But he knows MLS and US/Canadian players so he’s not foreign to the challenges of MLS, he has contacts here, and he’s been a head coach. Plus he’s had close and regular contact with the players and management. That means he’s no worse than a reasonable choice. Time will tell if he’s a good choice or not.

    2. I love Dutch soccer and Ajax is a great youth development model. But bottom line, TFC has great fans, a lovely park, the club spent money on players, Winter was given time, and they got crap for results. At some point a coach has to be accountable for results. Additionally, it’s not like you can say the team lost b/c of injuries or bad breaks. Defensively they suck–just horrid defensively. If Winter wasn’t given any talent that would be one thing but he’s had time to work with this bunch, had a lot of say on who was brought in and the team is playing his system.

    Reply
  6. That’s not a hard thing to do when you can count the clubs involved in a competition on one hand with a finger to spare.

    Maybe that spare finger can count how many wins TFC has this year.

    Talk about “lower league team”.

    Reply

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