FIRE: So if you have seen the last pair of articles by Brian Sandalow from the Chicago Sun-Times regarding the Fire–things are bad, have been for the most part in the last 12+ years and could possibly get worse off the field. First, let’s state the obvious: Chicago Fire FC are bottom of the MLS table and on a ten-match winless streak (plus an Open Cup embarrassment against Union Omaha at home). Their last match against Toronto FC–a 3-2 loss–left the club and its announcers at a loss for words (or at least those we have not heard in the last 12+ seasons) and others thinking the team is forsaken.
It’s hard to be an optimist about the Fire, but stranger things have happened in MLS and there is a chance that the Fire can actually turn things around in the 20 games left in this season. However, I also said that either the current players and technical staff solve the problems–both mental and tactical–this season, or owner Joe Mansueto needs to find people who can and who will. Sporting director Georg Heitz and technical director Sebastian Pelzer should take the fall should the Fire become the third team in MLS history to miss the playoffs five straight seasons.
While it’s not quite fair to label Mansueto as a continuation of Andrew Hauptman’s tenure as owner, Mansueto has made mistakes. The 2020-21 logo is self-explanatory. Losing was the biggest reason the team was not succeeding at SeatGeek Stadium, not location (though that had its faults). Granted, the pandemic made the move to Soldier Field difficult since no fans were able to attend in 2020. What made it more difficult was that the continuity that Heitz banked on to take the Fire forward did not result as such in 2021 and bringing in ‘winners’ in 2022 to a team that did lack some has not resulted in more winning as of yet.
Perhaps Mansueto was better off hiring a soccer operations staff with more MLS experience–especially staff who could deliver winning soccer (and I’ll stop there before Seattle, LAFC, and Atlanta fans get angry over whom I would suggest the Fire hire). It might not have resulted in an instant turnaround (because asking Fire fans to be patient is like trying to sell bicycles to fish), but it would more likely have been a step in the right direction. What made FC Basel relatively successful in the last decade was not instantly going to make the Fire successful as MLS is a different league than the Swiss Elite League.
Joe Mansueto did listen to the fans about the logo and had it changed for the better. He is trying to get a training facility built in the city and hopefully that will get done in due time. There have been improvements on the business side of things as well. Yet, all of that will not matter as much if the team on the pitch continues to perform lousy. If it does not turnaround, then Mansueto may have to take a more active role in reconstructing the soccer operations sooner rather than later. It doesn’t help if more unwanted headaches come the Fire’s way.
ARLO WHITE: NBC’s lead announcer for the English Premier League the last nine seasons and Summer voice for the Fire Arlo White was named play-by-play announcer for the LIV Golf Tour which begins play at Centurion Club in London this weekend. The renegade golf league is being led by Greg Norman and is funded by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. It’s that last part that is most controversial given Saudi Arabia’s objectionable human rights record and evidently orchestrating the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. The PIF bought Newcastle United last season in a move that only Newcastle fans approved since it meant they were rid of Mike Ashley whose ownership of the club was awful.
Why White, who is reportedly being replaces at NBC by Peter Drury as their voice of the EPL, wants to risk his reputation given what we know about the backers of the LIV Golf Tour, is curious to be kind and mind boggling to be honest. While the Fire were aware of this decision before it went public, it may lead to some uncomfortable moments for the club when White begins his summer job with the Fire and WGN-TV presumably on June 29th for the match against Philadelphia.
It’s been a bad season so far for the Fire, they really don’t need things to get worse on or off the pitch.
