Herdman’s attitude is just what TFC needs
It is part of the maturation of a country desperately trying to become a soccer nation, whatever that is.
Toronto FC head coach John Herdman’s words following his side’s 5-0 drubbing of the semi-pro Simcoe Rovers in the Canadian Championship on Wednesday ruffled a few feathers across social media: “I mean, we were looking at the record. I think the record was six goals for TFC, so the target was seven. We fell short. Disappointed.”
“Well, we came here to set records. We came here to be first in as many things as we can, and that’s the standard I’ve set for the club, the team. We missed that standard tonight. They missed a big opportunity. I told these men: we missed a big opportunity tonight to make history.”
Five goals was not good enough, apparently.
Most of the arrows fired Herdman’s way following the comments centred on respect. Apparently it is unbecoming of a coach to admit that he had tasked his team to annihilate an opponent that sits a couple of rungs down the Canadian football ladder.
I would suggest it is exactly this type of ruthless approach that is needed at Toronto FC — a completely new mindset for a club that has been dominated too often over the last few years.
We should certainly not be surprised by Herdman’s attitude. Beneath the great quotes and milliondollar smile lies an uber-competitive and, at times, ruthless football man. And yes, on occasion he let’s his emotions get the better of him. We all remember the now infamous remarks at the 2022 World Cup: “I told the players they belong here and we’re going to go and fCroatia,” he said before a 4-1 loss that flipped those words from a place in Canadian sporting lore into a bit of an embarrassment.
Wednesday’s words were obviously less emotional and more of a statement. Herdman has set the standards and will not accept anything less.
If we rewind to May 29, 2021, his Canadian team destroyed the Cayman Islands 11-0 in just the second match of qualification for the World Cup. A Canadian record was set that day, beating the previous mark of 8-0.
“They had a clear mindset of being ruthless, which will lead to the outcome of making history,” Herdman said at the time. “It’s easy to play down to the opponent’s level … But I’m really happy with the ruthlessness of that performance.” Ruthlessness. That word again. As this edition of Toronto FC begins its journey, it is going to have to play that way. It’s the only way the manager will have it. Canadian soccer fans should get used to it.
Canada’s coaching search
According to a report in England’s Standard, Canada Soccer has reached out to an array of big-name candidates in the search for a fulltime senior men’s coach to replace interim boss Mauro Biello. We are talking household names: José Mourinho, Frank Lampard, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
It is highly unlikely such coaches would fit within Canada’s salary structure, which while not insignificant operates in a different stratosphere. Such reports do not generally appear out of thin air, however, and it certainly benefits Canada Soccer to be associated with them regardless of their recent successes and failures.
One name that was not mentioned but is highly regarded by Canada Soccer is former TFC head coach Greg Vanney. His L.A. Galaxy are enjoying a great start to the MLS season, first in the Western Conference. Whether the 49-yearold Vanney would consider a move from club football, where he is still relatively early in his career, remains to be seen, not to mention the fact that the Galaxy could likely offer their former player more money.
Canada’s timeline
It does appear Canada Soccer is ready to move on from Biello. The question is when. The annual meeting is set for May 1 to 5, and no announcement will be made before then. However, with the search process well under way and if incumbent president Charmaine Crooks continues in that role, having a new coach in place by Copa America in June makes sense. If a new president is voted in, the process may be reset, which could mean Biello continues through the summer.