As I mentioned yesterday, I chose to write my weekly column on the US Men's Olympic team before the Galaxy news broke. So there was a wire story in the PE about the Galaxy moves.
Here are some of the stories that ran in other papers around SoCal on the bloodletting at HDC.
Nick Green at the Daily Breeze said that instead of sexy soccer we got celibate soccer. Can't argue with much of what Nick says here. Missing the playoffs again would be a major humiliation but not necessarily a surprise. The team after all has had major issues from Game One.
Here's more from the Daily Breeze as Scott Wolf chimes in.
Grahame Jones of the LA Times quoted Tim Leiweke as saying the players have no more excuses, that Tim "eliminated all excuses."
For Leiweke to blame the players for this fiasco -- and, thereby, absolve himself of all responsibility -- is despicable. Then again, it reflects the man's lack of character. He got his position by bullying and intimidating those under him.
ReplyDeleteI strongly suggest that the Galaxy tank the rest of the season as a protest -- and make it clear to Anschutz that Leiweke must go. He is the one who's ultimately responsible for this nonsense.
Besides, it's not like he's shown competence elsewhere in the organization (failing to get stadium deal done in Houston, failing to get stadium deal done w/Red Bull in New York, destroying the Kings, hiring Lalas, allowing Beckham's people to hire Gullit...)
What, does Leiweke have incriminating photos of Anschutz? Is that how he keeps his job?
BTW, you forgot this link from ESPN's Steve Davis:
ReplyDeletehttp://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=562022&sec=mls&root=mls&cc=5901
holden chose the US team instead of Scotland and has had a pretty solid showing so far, except the bad last-minute tackle vs. the orange. i think he will be great for the US team in upcoming years.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Leiweke - who groomed and hired Lalas? Who hired Ruud? Not the players, not even Beckham. It's chilling to see the lack of accountability and whining from the very top of AEG. Horrific leadership, to say the least.
ReplyDeleteMichael Parkhurst also chose the US over Ireland.
Laura
If AEG really wants to right this ship, it must fire Leiweke and tell Simon Fuller and 19 Entertainment that it has no business insinuating itself into soccer-oriented personnel decisions, Beckham or no Beckham. Otherwise, this miserable scenario will play itself out again and again and again...
ReplyDeleteI like how Tim says he got rid of all the excuses. Someone in AEG had to sign off on this team that Alexi built and if they had a half a brain they would have known that it would not work. The defense is a seive and that is directly the responsibility of front office. He can threaten the players all he wants but they can only deliver what they are capable of. All the salary is tied up in players who play virtually no defense. That is a recipe for failure.
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