Big Apple Soccer Article on Players Meeting

[Gotham Gator]

Don't shoot the messenger on this one. I have my doubts about the below, but certainly, this is worth some discussion.

According to a local soccer source, several City players left BMO Field Sunday night none too happy with head coach Patrick Vieira on what transpired in the game. Some players, the source said, were "livid." As many as nine players met Monday -- a day off from training -- to discuss "team matters."

It was not known exactly what players met and subjects were broached, although it would not be surprising it would be about Vieira switching from his usual tactics, a source said.

Vieira has espoused the forever-on-attack strategy and it worked damn well for 34 games and paid handsomely with a second-place finish in the East. On Sunday, he went more defensive and City paid for it dearly as the team finds its 2-0 behind the playoff eight ball.

Now, players meeting on their own during playoffs isn't exactly a Major League Soccer tradition.

Who knows how any player reaction will affect the team as it prepares for Sunday's confrontation? Player meetings have been known to pull teams together, others have pushed them apart.

Only time will tell how this affects the Blues or gives them the Blues.​

http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/columns/lewis.php?article_id=46354

 

[Gotham Gator]

The article goes on to cite some of Coach V's more questionable decisions from the weekend - stuff that's been well discussed here.

One thing to notice. The author's "source" says only that the players had a meeting. He states clearly that "it was not known exactly what players met and subjects were broached" - he does go on to speculate that they were discussing unhappiness with personnel and tactics on Sunday. They might have just been discussing the players having given only 70 or 80% in road games lately and trying to rally for Sunday.

 

[canchon]

The other thing mentioned in that article is a "rumor" (take that as it is) that Pirlo wasn't injured, he saw the lineup and revolted, which was why he was out of the 18 and "injured" last minute in training.

Can't blame him, if I was benched for Mikey Lopez I'd feel the same.

 

[Gotham Gator]

The other thing mentioned in that article is a "rumor" (take that as it is) that Pirlo wasn't injured, he saw the lineup and revolted, which was why he was out of the 18 and "injured" last minute in training.

Can't blame him, if I was benched for Mikey Lopez I'd feel the same.

Didn't see that in the article I linked, and I am about as sure as anything that it is BS.

 

[sbrylski]

Wow, if at all true, what a blow. Vieira has spent an entire season building trust and building success, only to completely blow it in the final 2-3 games of the season.

If this is true, I really hope Vieira gets out ahead of it with a heartfelt honest talk with the team, rather than taking the Mix approach (or Kreis approach?) and outright banning those who undermine his authority. That would only escalate issues.

EDIT: The article also doesn't mention the failure to start Lampard, who said he was 90' fit.

 

[Kjbert]

I call BS.

I'm sure Vieira didn't want to entrust his season to Mikey Lopez and Fede Bravo. When it was apparent that those two guys had to start, he HAD to change tactics and try and burn the game off. He got damn close too. He was 7 minutes and stoppage time from it working.

 

[Fantazma]

so we are going to start believing rumors now? from bigapplesoccer...who we have rarely even linked to for anything all season.....all of a sudden have a scoop? ( i know they cover them like they cover all other teams as well but it seems its all just news and thats it).

now with its own thread it will pick up steam and then will be asked and tweeted about for the rest of the week and then asking players and coach and will be something to bother the team with.

this would of made sense under Kreis....and we know he lost the locker room long before the end of the season....how come no team meeting there.

this should of happened after the 7-0 or 4-1 thrashing not after this, when we are still alive.

 

[Gotham Gator]

this should of happened after the 7-0 or 4-1 thrashing not after this, when we are still alive.

I doubt this is the first time the players have gotten together to address a difficult situation. Just because the players meet, it doesn't mean there is major tension.

 

[JGarrettLieb]

I'm going to file this rumors under the bs category. PV would not trust a season to Lopez and Bravo if Pirlo was available. It's more likely he played the best lineup he had available and used the tactics to match. This crazy conspiratoril stuff makes literally zero sense.

I think this unsourced "rumor" came from the depths of the the writers imagination.

 

[canchon]

For the record, I think the "rumor" is BS as well.

I do believe that the players did have that meeting though and it may be to discuss tactics.
No matter what, Villa/Pirlo/Lamps are going to be in the starting lineup and PV will try them to go 90 on Sunday. That is pretty much a given.

 

[Angela Miller]

The other thing mentioned in that article is a "rumor" (take that as it is) that Pirlo wasn't injured, he saw the lineup and revolted, which was why he was out of the 18 and "injured" last minute in training.

Can't blame him, if I was benched for Mikey Lopez I'd feel the same.

Holy Crap Batman !!

 

[Fantazma]

I doubt this is the first time the players have gotten together to address a difficult situation. Just because the players meet, it doesn't mean there is major tension.

true but the article made it seem...OMG its going to be worse because there is so much internal turmoil that team may fall apart.

im sure the players were disappointed and im sure they were mad at their performance and it was showing and seen by the "source" ..but that doesnt mean oh there is turmoil. only interpreted that way and assumed as potential fact by the writer.

 

[Seven]

Hopefully they were having a meeting about how they are going to kick butt on Sunday, not about issues with the lineup. The "source" has no idea what they talked about.

I will say, during the game, I was surprised how when Villa was subbed, it seemed to be expected. He didn't pout, and came right off the field. Remember when they accidentally put his number up at Orlando and Lampard had the look of confusion on his face about Villa being subbed and him getting the armband? None of that. Doesn't necessarily mean Villa was happy with it, but when Kries subbed him out last year, everyone knew how unhappy he was with the move as he came off the field.

 

[Ulrich]

I have no idea how much truth there is to this but I would be surprised if there wasn't some truth to it:

1. It was reported after the game that the team was in a completely foul and withdrawn mood - that's different from the other losses we have suffered this year. Obviously tempers were flaring and they wanted nothing to do with reporters or the media.
2. Tuesday has zero training scheduled. That never happens. That could be PV proactively wanting everybody to think about the game and to refocus before training starts. Or, that could be to let everybody cool off after a possibly heated discussion behind closed doors. <speculation on an abnormality with the team's training>
3. This isn't the first time the team was hung out to dry with suspect tactics/lineup - the US Open Cup. The rumor had been that the captain at the time had vented afterwards and hasn't been seen since except south of the border. Sunday's game impacted the DPs and other starters, and while they wouldn't have felt the Open Cup to be the place to voice their displeasure, there is a real possibility that a crippling loss like this was. We still don't know what happened with Mix, but he's on the team and I'd be surprised if the DPs weren't all universally pissed that Mikey was the designated hitter over Mix if Pirlo really was injured - PV is cutting off his nose to spite his face - and we as fans can't be the only ones to see it. <All rationalized speculation>
4. Team only meetings are nothing new. I'm glad they had one if used to galvanize the players before Sunday - they need to be on the same page and willing to not just empty the tank but play themselves into the ground exhausted.
5. Three of the players have engaged in enough home/away matches to know bunkering away is a foolhardy tactic especially when it goes against preferred tactics. I cannot imagine they were happy with the tactics; less so IF they objected beforehand and still had to play that way. <again, rationalized speculation>

Rumors like these don't get started without smoke....

 

[ZYanksRule]

I think this unsourced "rumor" came from the depths of the the writers imagination.

That's not how journalism works. The writer might be exaggerating, or he might be guessing based off limited information, but there's something there. There is at least a part of this that is true. Reporters don't just make stuff up.

 

[joe]

Nine players in a room together isn't a discussion of team matters; it's a FIFA tournament.

 

[Fantazma]

I have no idea how much truth there is to this but I would be surprised if there wasn't some truth to it:

1. It was reported after the game that the team was in a completely foul and withdrawn mood - that's different from the other losses we have suffered this year. Obviously tempers were flaring and they wanted nothing to do with reporters or the media.
2. Tuesday has zero training scheduled. That never happens. That could be PV proactively wanting everybody to think about the game and to refocus before training starts. Or, that could be to let everybody cool off after a possibly heated discussion behind closed doors. <speculation on an abnormality with the team's training>
3. This isn't the first time the team was hung out to dry with suspect tactics/lineup - the US Open Cup. The rumor had been that the captain at the time had vented afterwards and hasn't been seen since except south of the border. Sunday's game impacted the DPs and other starters, and while they wouldn't have felt the Open Cup to be the place to voice their displeasure, there is a real possibility that a crippling loss like this was. We still don't know what happened with Mix, but he's on the team and I'd be surprised if the DPs weren't all universally pissed that Mikey was the designated hitter over Mix if Pirlo really was injured - PV is cutting off his nose to spite his face - and we as fans can't be the only ones to see it. <All rationalized speculation>
4. Team only meetings are nothing new. I'm glad they had one if used to galvanize the players before Sunday - they need to be on the same page and willing to not just empty the tank but play themselves into the ground exhausted.
5. Three of the players have engaged in enough home/away matches to know bunkering away is a foolhardy tactic especially when it goes against preferred tactics. I cannot imagine they were happy with the tactics; less so IF they objected beforehand and still had to play that way. <again, rationalized speculation>

Rumors like these don't get started without smoke....

mix had his chance and failed....his rant was his undoing ( assuming its true). i mean khiry was in a similar boat but still made it back to lineup. I do think its an attitude problem with mix. and PV aint having none of that. its his style.

and no going all out against toronto first game away was probably not the best idea. could of been 4-1 heading into sunday...and that is a tall order.

and this is what i mean about these rumors....we all want to speculate on speculation and getting the snowball effect.

i must be the only one here on positive vibes and still being ready and pumped and ready to go on Sunday. past game is over and done with....still alive with a 2 goals against that there are still chances to go thru.

i seriously doubt its that bad....again they sure could of been mad at their performance ( hell i dont want to talk to no one at all after a bad day at work myself) but no means is the ship sinking

 

[LionNYC]

It's the Kreisening all over again. Subbing Villa off early in a heated match. Villa is going to get Vieira fired. (Sarcasm)

The other thing related to this piece is that if you listened to the newest edition of Extra Time Radio, I believe it was David Gass, that said he spoke to some former MLS players after the NYCFC-Toronto match and said they would be livid with their head coach with the lineup and tactics that were put out. Vieira is steadfast on playing out of the back, through the midfield, possession football. When we were blown out of the water 7-0 against our biggest rival in a massive game, he didn't waiver from changing his strategy the rest of the season. To just change your style, your identity, because it's a playoff game or because it's Toronto is a shame and insult to the players and the club.

It's an amateur coaching mistake and one made by a coach in his first professional year coaching.

Maybe this team meeting was a lunch with some of the players and Villa being the guy that is he wanted to pay for everyone's meal. Maybe 9 of them went golfing.

Sure, we're not the most transparent club in the world but I'll believe it when Grant Wahl talks about it.

 

[NYCFCfan]

The other thing mentioned in that article is a "rumor" (take that as it is) that Pirlo wasn't injured, he saw the lineup and revolted, which was why he was out of the 18 and "injured" last minute in training.

Can't blame him, if I was benched for Mikey Lopez I'd feel the same.

Did they edit the article? I could have sworn it speculated Pirlo faked the injury before the match and now it's gone.

 

[canchon]

Did they edit the article? I could have sworn it speculated Pirlo faked the injury before the match and now it's gone.

I read the Pirlo thing from that article and now just re-read it and it's not mentioned there, you are right.