An Open Letter Regarding the 2011 Season

Dear Steve Nicol, Mike Burns, Brian Bilello, Jonathan Kraft, Robert Kraft, Kraft Sports Group, and most importantly the fans and supporters of this team,

Aw, S#!t not again...

It has been a interesting season to say the least up to this point, in both good ways and bad ways.  There was a prospect of interesting things happening, the signings of two players with a great pedigree, Didier Domi and Ousmane Dabo.  The signing of an exciting striker in the form of Rajko Lekic.  The Revs announced a shirt sponsor and were able to acquire Benny Feilhaber.  On the bad side our record is currently 3-6-4, 3 wins in 13 matches.  The team has not scored a goal in the run-of-play since April 23rd.

We've needed offensive help for a while (years?) and we finally got some however Lekic is struggling.  This lone striker formation is not getting him the ball and therefore he is not scoring. Lekic's confidence must be in the trash can at this point, we need to put someone up top to help him out. When the Revs took on LA  a few weeks ago the attack looked much better once Schilawski was brought into the game.  The current "4-3-3" formation, really a 4-5-1 is not working and it's time to try something new, the defense is surely improved and possession has gotten a little better but we are not scoring and we are not winning.

What happened to Dube? Dube went on a tear during the USOC play-in game vs. DC United, doesn't he deserve a chance? Why has a former starter (although purely because we didn't have anyone else) now been benched? Further on the attack front is what happened to Stolica, loaned to FC New York he's disappeared. He's still on our books, although per league rules we don't know if his salary still affects the cap space or not, and it might be worth bringing him back and pairing him with Lekic.  Stoli seems to have gotten a bad rap this season and we're not quite sure why. 

Benny Feilhaber was a gift from the soccer gods and yet it appears that he can't help right this ship and now he looks extremely frustrated in his new home.  Marko Perovic is now gone for the entire season with the outlook on our attack improving now looking grim.  This brings us to another issue, injuries.

Why is it that over the past few seasons that we seem to have multiple players out, key starters, with nagging injuries over long periods of time?  I have not looked into other teams and what their injury situations have been but ours just seems ridiculous.  They seem to be the same type, strains and sprains. Our trainers and medical staff must now be brought into question.  This track record is unacceptable and it's time to stop chalking it up to bad luck. Maybe it is the medical and training staff, they need to be evaluated and it needs to be determined if they are doing their jobs a) to the best of their ability and b) to the standards that these type of jobs require in professional sports and top flight soccer.  Also we must look at the fact that this team practices on grass yet plays on FieldTurf, these are not the same no matter what anyone says.  One only needs to see that sod was laid down on top of the FieldTurf for this weekends US vs. Spain friendly.  Are potential signings going to start to worry about coming here and playing on this surface?  Do they already?  We have heard offhand from current players that they do not like playing on it and that it doesn't feel right, Perovic being one of them.  As long as the Patriots don't want to have real grass this situation is not going to change, but maybe training and conditioning needs to be better suited to deal with the plastic grass.

You guys haven't learned from me...

We seriously need to look at the player acquisition strategy as well.  Domi and Dabo have been solid players in their time, but now they are being paid around $200k each and have spent more time on the trainers table than playing, they cannot even be considered starters.  The Revs desperately need to bring in a striker and a right midfelder/winger during this next transfer window, however given this teams track record of signing during windows and bringing in international talent we are worried. Perovic seems to be one of if not the only real success, and he's currently sitting with his leg elevated wth ice on it watching TV.  Can this team's staff really go out and get the type of players we need? Can they sign people who are not aging and on the down slope of their careers? Can they sign players that are not injury prone?

This team needs an strong influx of talent to improve, sorry guys but that's just the way it is and if it's not obvious you aren't looking hard enough.  This team had quite a bit of work done to it in the off season, an unprecedented amount of cap space, and we brought in defensive players and seemed to think our problems were solved.  This team is clearly not what we expected it to be and the disappointment is now coming to the surface.  What happened to our 1-2 DPs?  

"This team hasn't performed the way we wanted it this year, and in talking to ownership, their priority is not only getting better but they want to get better quickly. In talking about it, it was very clear they understand that there might be things that might take some time to do, and they wanted to think of ways that we could get better very quickly.  So frankly, what we decided on is we are going to be looking bring in a Designated Player this off season.''  -Brian Bilello

For 2 consecutive seasons we've needed a player that could finish in the attacking third and we have not seen that player come in, Lekic might be that guy but only if we can get the ball at his feet.  The team made major upgrades at 5 our of 11 positions and yet the performance has not improved all that much.

So where does this lead the 2011 New England Revolution?  Will we not make the playoffs for 2 years in a row?  It sad to think that we have to ask the question already at this point in the season, however by the end of this month we will have reached the halfway point.  The time is soon upon this team where peoples jobs will and must be seriously questioned.  Has Nicol lost the locker room? Does Burns have any idea what he's doing? Do both of them truly know how to go out and find difference makers? Nicol came to this team inheriting a great core of players but now all we have left is Shalrie and Reis, and Nicol/Burns have yet to prove that they can rebuild a core.

What is the team going to do to fix this current situation? Are the equipped to do so properly and if so do they know how to do it?  The past few years seem to point to no, they don't know how to or are not equipped to do so properly.  The team has to show it's fans that they realize that there is a problem and that they know changes are need, but at the same time actions speak louder than words.  We have heard a lot of words but not seen them supported by actions.  This team needs to figure out where it is going and how it is going to be able to compete in this league, the level of play is progressing rapidly but the team does not seem able to keep up.

Uhhh, it's supposed to be league "parity" not "parody"

The Revs have NYRB away this Friday, and then 2 struggling teams, Toronto and Chicago, next week.  If this team comes out of the next three games without 3 points we are indeed in very serious trouble. The season isn't over yet and a win streak can change the attitude of both the fans and the team, but that needs to happen and needs to happen soon.  The real question is will that be enough?  A band-aid is not going to fix what seem to be repeated problems over the course of the last few seasons.  The stewardship of this team and this sport by Jonathan and Robert Kraft in this region is questionable at best.  We realize the FO has it's finger on the pulse of the fans and supporters but do the Krafts? Do they truly understand what is going on and what has been going on with their team and their fans over the past few years?  There was almost a fan revolt last year that was put down by the team turning things around, albeit briefly, unfortunately there seems to be a similar problem simmering again.

This team needs changes to be made and if they are not and do not happen soon I fear what will happen to this team and it's fans.  Many of the most hopeful of this teams fans are seeing their optimism wane.  The team and current staff should be given until the end of the transfer window to make things happen.  If not the fans and supporters will have to stand up and demand changes from this team, although they may not even give them that long.  I for one propose that the leaders of the supporters groups and prominent fans demand a meeting with Jonathan and Robert Kraft, I do not think it is likely that they will be given an audience with Bob but it is worth a shot. I mean let's face it the NFL still might not play and that is where KSG's priorities are, not with the kickball team. This team is in danger and it's time that we get them back to the level and the position that the fans truly deserve, because without the fans the team is nothing, the fans are what makes the team possible and the fans need to hold the leadership of this organization responsible if the team stagnates or falls.


"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." -Albert Einstien


Sincerely ,
          The Drug Is Football