We've been holding off on doing this for probably longer than most people expected, but we wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt (foolishly) one last time. That time has now ended with the transfer window closing at 11:59 last night. Its time for Nicol to move on and Burns to be shown the door.
This team is lacking talent and they have been given every chance to fix this... for years. The downfall of this team is not sudden or even shocking, we have been watching it precipitously fall since 2008. We have signed many failures Domi, Dabo, Jankauskus, Assengue, Niouky, Castro, Badillia, Augustine and for no apparent reasonable reason we let go of last years MVP. The team seems to be relying on the Superdraft while other teams are going out and searching for successful players and having good luck in places like South and Central America and landing some major transfers. Whereas we take a trip to Africa every year and usually end up with a player that doesn't even make it a full season.
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| 'Baby come back...' |
Mike Burns is horrible at his job. He has done more to hurt the Revolution than he has ever done to help it... he is public enemy number 2 for Revs fans (#1 being Krafty Bob/Jonathan). There is a history of players not feeling as if they were treated well here, with 3 recent examples in Perovic and Castro and Larentowicz.
"Teams have decisions to make on players and players have decisions to make for themselves they have to feel comfortable with. Over time, [the Revolution] weren’t doing right by their players. I watched a lot of talented players and friends go and a lot seemed unhappy who were still there."-Jeff Larentowicz in the Boston Globe 11/2010
So Burnsie can't keep the good players here, cuts ones that should be here and apparently can't seal the deal. How many times have we heard that "we were close but it fell through" or "we have an offer out". This is almost as good as 'The Krafts are committed to the team and sport' or 'We are seriously looking to build an Soccer Specific Stadium in the urban core of Boston'. Burns always seems to come up with the same excuses and the same bullshit answers whenever anyone questions him and the teams scouting and player acquisition record/strategies.
I like Steve Nicol, no seriously I really do, it pains me to say that he should go but I honestly don't see any other option. Team sources have told us as well as others on multiple occasions that the scouting and signing of players is split between Burnsie and Nicol; Bilello even said this on the now defunct Defend The Fort site (man I wish I had saved some quotes from there). Nicol does the scouting and identifying targets, while Burns does the paperwork and negotiations. Burns' reasons for a pink slip should be obvious by now. Nicol as a selector of talent hasn't done that great a job, we've had far more busts than successes. The downfall of the team and the current record are also unsatisfactory, these things coupled together are our reasons for asking Nicol to leave. Nicol has done great things for this team and is a great coach but his time and methods have run their course in New England. I would truly hope that Nicol stays in MLS and finds success elsewhere but the Revs need an infusion of new blood to turn things around.
In the end hearing that they 'tried' to get players or land some big deals is not enough. If you try and try and do not succeed eventually it is time for you to try something else, somewhere else. Again in a normal job situation it doesn't matter if you try all the time and never get a positive result, or fail more than succeed...you lose your job. Steve, I thank you for all the work and time you have put in here, I hope to see you leave New England of your own free will, but either way we need a change of pace. Burnsie... don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out...
