It was a busy week for Toronto FC head coaches, past and present. Mo Johnston oversaw the Reds' MLS SuperDraft in Philadelphia, Preki was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame, and John Carver made headlines in England by invoking a little-used word in soccer these days: loyalty.
After abruptly leaving Toronto FC back in April 2009, Carver spent most of last summer back home in Newcastle awaiting a call from his old friend Alan Shearer asking him to join the Geordie legend on the St. James Park coaching staff. But dysfunction reigned at Newcastle United throughout much of 2009 and the anticipated appointment of Shearer as the Magpies manager didn't materialize.
But while Carver's much hoped for return to St. James Park didn't happen, it was a Newcastle connection that led to his eventual return to English football at the end of December. Carver was the late Sir Bobby Robson's right-hand man during much of the legendary manager's tenure at Newcastle, and had a very short stint as the team's caretaker boss after Robson's dismissal in 2004. Robson always stated that one of his greatest transfer deals was the signing of the young Paul Mariner for Ipswich Town from Plymouth Argyle back in 1976.
The former New England Revolution assistant coach knew of his old gaffer's high regard for Carver and the pair crossed paths a few times during Carver's tenure in Toronto. When Mariner took over the reins as Plymouth Argyle manager in December, one of his first calls was to Carver.
Having had coaching stints with Leeds United and Luton Town between his gigs with Newcastle and Toronto FC, Carver was well versed in life outside the Premiership and especially the lot of English teams struggling under financial pressure. Seemingly like most teams in England, Plymouth have ongoing financial issues, but the new ownership at Home Park has big ambitions, and Carver jumped at the opportunity to join Mariner in his new venture.
Back in 1620 a different John Carver set sail from Plymouth on the Mayflower, and last week it looked like the Pilgrim namesake was going to jump the modern-day Plymouth ship. With his surprise appointment as Burnley manager, Brian Laws quickly contacted Carver with an offer to join him at Turf Moor and a return to coaching in the EPL.
While Burnley's EPL status is precarious, so is Plymouth's in the Championship. Carver was on a short-term contract (reportedly 3-1/2 months) with Argyle and not too many folks would blame the former Toronto boss for heading to Lancashire. As fate would have it, at the time the Burnley offer became breaking news in England, Plymouth was getting set for an FA Cup replay against Newcastle at St. James Park. Carver's beloved Magpies dumped his new team out of the cup 3-0, but rather than dump his new managerial partner and players and head to the EPL, Carver announced he was staying at Plymouth.
In deciding to stay at Plymouth, Carver talked about his belief in the owner's plans for the team and the good vibe he sensed around the club, but most of all the sense of loyalty he felt to Mariner. His fellow MLS alumnus was quick to reciprocate, telling The Western Morning News, "You have to appreciate the magnitude of John staying at this club. You have to understand just where he stands in the coaching ranks in the world, not just in England. This guy could work wherever he wants to, but he has been loyal to this club."
That loyalty was quickly rewarded: Carver receiving a new 2 1/2-year contract this week. Contracts, of course, are made to be broken, and in soccer no one ever knows what the future holds, but at least in this case, the coach has carved out a new niche at Plymouth and displayed a loyalty that is rare in football these days. He also made himself a hero to long suffering fans not used to anyone passing up potential EPL glory to keep Home Park as home.
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On the face of it Chris Sutton is attempting to build a squad to beat the drop with the future also in mind by begging steeling and borrowing aided by Ian Pearce and contacts at clubs like Aston Villa, Fulham, and Norwich. He has notable and respected advisers like Roy Hodgson, Martin O`Neill, Steve Bruce, John Deehan and Tony Pulis offering advise and contacts not to mention doing Sutton and the Imps the sort of favours we are not used to. And judging by the events of the last couple of days and the hints on the official site at yesterday`s pre Bradford press conference, our manager needs all the help he can get. All should unite in song behind our manager and the team on Saturday. The three points it will get are for him, his team and our relegation battle.
Doubtless it was not rocket science to Janos Kovacs that he would not be part of Chris Sutton`s plans and that given the squad size the pressure was growing perhaps from both sides for a parting of the waves. That he was not told prior to the press however was unforgivable.
There have been rumours for some time that things at the Imps, to put it mildly, are tight financially. It`s not rocket science; the cast of thousands at the club is rightly blamed with at least 5 players out in the cold costing the club the best part of a quarter of a million a year. However Chris Sutton has spent very little money since arriving with clever freebie loans and the signing of two bargains from Fulham hardly breaking the bank. Premiership youngsters are not on the money you might think in all honesty and even Sutton hinted a week ago that he had only spent some of the money from a cup run that saw 3,107 Imps travel to Bolton more in love than hope.
Peter Jackson did not exactly push the boat out budget wise this season when he signed Butcher, Fagan, Clarke and essentially a squad that requires a razor as often as a bearded lady at a travelling circus. Certainly he was not our greatest manager tactically but then he is also not the financial 'Hades` many are suggesting. Indeed the board should take some of the responsibility in allowing the budget to arguably be blown both in the summer on youngsters or has-beens and Sergio Torres, a particularly high profile addition, prior to Chris arriving.
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