PORTLAND, OR – JANUARY 8, 2018: The Portland Timbers new coach Giovanni Savarese (R) with Timbers owner Merritt Paulson at the press conference (Photo by Diego Diaz/Prost Amerika).
Whoever said that this was going to be an easy endeavor for manager Giovanni Savarese? So far, in his first season as Portland Timbers head coach the squad has posted a negative record in their first two outings. Still yours truly does not put the blame on the new man who is helming the Timbers. As Gio never made any promises of delivering shields but hard work. The unfortunate side is that the Timbers are a squad playing without any conviction, ambition and hunger in its first two matches. As well, their hard work in the Adidas Training center in Beaverton is going in vain.
To say that this league is too big for Gio seems to be a stretch. After his successful years in the Big Apple with the New York Cosmos where the man made this squad a contender and delivered. After all, he was already exposed to professional ball and not collegiate like his predecessor. The Portland Timbers next match isn’t until March 24 against FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas. The positive is that Portland has a week three bye which will give Savarese more time to prepare his squad and analyze more deeply the problems his squad is facing.
For one, the veterans need to apply more solid leadership to the new players as this campaign is not looking like a walk in the park. As this crisis has an ending with both players and coaches discussing and analyzing their faults we may have a total solution for the better and not putting on embarrassing afternoons where some players shown indifference in their performances. To comment on or point fingers at players not performing will not end well for anyone. Players are only human and can have bad afternoons in the field.
That there are those who are making a call to see Gio Savarese, Jake Gleeson and Gavin Wilkinson out is not fair. As the Portland Timbers General Manager it is his challenge to build a contender in this squad and if results have not happened immediately it is not his fault. New players despite coming from other leagues do not assure instant success. In Major League Soccer success and failure early in the season can be difficult to predict due to the high level of games.
Wilkinson has the difficult task of attempting to build three teams into contenders at one time all of which are in the preseason at the same time : the Thorns, T2 and Portland Timbers. Jake Gleeson is a goalkeeper battling a minor injury but still is not an excuse but the man did some notable saves. For Giovanni Savarese I believe in the man and his work should continue, because getting a new man in these stages will be a bad idea and the work done will be going down the drains. Let us give the man a chance and with patience, he can develop this squad into a total winner.
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