Talking Preki, Toronto FC and addition by subtraction

Apr 6, 2010, 3:10 PM UTC

I’m going out on a limb these days for a guy who has harpooned my trade lately.

North of the border in Toronto, I’m putting a lot of faith in Preki, who definitely worships at the altar of "My Way or the Highway."

(If you didn’t see it, Preki took out the whuppin’ stick and beat on some local writers for not being "homers." Preki has forgotten more about soccer than I’ll ever know – but he’s wrong on this one. I’m declaring myself the winner in this particular argument and moving on.)

You may have seen where the bunch from BMO terminated the contract of forward Ali Gerba, a ballyhooed Canadian international – as much as a Canuck international can be ballyhooed.

I respect the move. The guy wasn’t anything special. He scored once last year. Hell, former New York goalie Jon Conway scored once.

Sometimes, cutting a guy like Gerba is tantamount to posting a big, bold notice on the locker room message board. "Hear ye, hear ye: I cut that dude, so I’ll sure as shootin’ cut you. Toe the damn line, or else."

See how that works? The manager gets to play good cop AND bad cop. He gets everyone’s attention, but can still approach each individual with a pleasant disposition. "Hey, buddy! You ready to go out and have a good practice today? Let’s go get ‘em, tiger!"

Now look at TFC’s roster. I count 14 guys who would look at the situation and decide to do just that: to shut up and go work at practice like his paycheck depends on it. Because it does.

(Note to self: check up on TFC roster. The team’s official site lists just 17 ball kickers. Is that right, or is this more MLS internet gremlins at work?)

(Note to self II: Hammer TFC and its media staff for not having a bio up on Preki. He's your freakin' coach, right?)

I think managers make mistakes when they keep trouble makers, malcontents or miscreants around. Is Gerba one of those? I truly don’t know. But all signs say "probably." He is, at least, to a no-nonsense guy like Preki. I think managers frequently underestimate what these guys do inside a locker room. They may not necessarily be destructive, but they erode or inhibit the tight locker room accord we see in truly successful teams.

So if you’re not going to score goals, and if you’re not going to stack a few bricks on the wall of team chemistry, well, why should you be around?

My soccer journo pal Bruce McGuire, he of DuNord fame, sees TFC differently. He believes the modest level or talent will nip the points away from

Exhibition Place

this year – and he may be correct. I told him that I’m placing a lot of faith in Preki, who formerly squeezed every last drip and drop from the middling collective talent at Chivas USA. I think he’ll do the same at BMO. I think he’ll find a way to get the most from Julian de Guzman, the classy midfield passer who was previously stuck in a system that continued to be "overly English."

It’s just a hunch, however. We’ll soon know more. As they say, that’s why they play the games.

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