They actually were going to go with Earl?

One good thing to come out of the whole sorry Dwayne De Rosario at Celtic affair is that it helped the club move away from what would have been a depressingly underwhelming decision.  According to Canadian Soccer News, up until yesterday, the club were ready to go with Paul Mariner as coach/manager, with Earl Cochrane kept in place above him in a more administrative/president of soccer type role.  But now, there's a new name that is suddenly being considered, so the process is once again on hold, with a decision expected "by mid-January at the latest".

Now maybe it is actually the case that a new option has suddenly become available, and it's just a coincidence that the decision was changed after the De Ro fiasco, but the source quoted did say it suspected it was a reason for them to be looking elsewhere, though they still expected Cochrane to get the GM job when all is said and done.

My own impression is that TFC were hoping to quietly announce it while people weren't paying attention, or were hoping that supporters anger had dissipated after a relatively quiet period so would have been more ready to accept this lacklustre appointment from within.  But now supporters are back in angry mode, so management have gone back to the "big name to appease the supporters" plan, or are at least pretending to until the furore dies down in a couple of weeks.

Though nothing surprises me with TFC, and though over the last few months I've shifted from laughing at suggestions Cochrane would end up with the job, to actually worrying that he might, to feeling resigned to the fact that he'd get it, I still can't really believe that it's going to happen.

Let's once again remind ourselves of what was promised to all TFC fans in an email sent out after October's townhall meetings and posted on their website.

With change comes the opportunity to make important decisions about our future. We're working hard to assemble a management team that is second to none in Major League Soccer. We are looking for leadership that will establish the vision for this team and create a winning culture so that Toronto FC will consistently compete for a championship.

Second to none.  Is there anyone out there that thinks Earl Cochrane is second to none among MLS executives?  Is anyone impressed with his handling of the De Ro situation, allowing things to get to this stage, then being less than forthcoming with the media about what had actually happened?

Paul Mariner isn't a terrible option, given the limiting fact that TFC is probably the most dysfunctional club in what is still a minor league.  He has MLS experience from his time as an assistant at New England, and though his first head coaching job at Plymouth Argyle led to relegation from the Championship, that was a very poisoned chalice due to problems at Plymouth at the time, so it would be very harsh to judge him on that.  But again, second to none.  Is there anyone out there who'd rather have Mariner than Bruce Arena, or Sigi Schmid or other successful coaches currently in MLS?

The other big question is what happened to Jürgen Klinsmann.  Given all his experience and contacts in Europe, is Earl Cochrane really the best option he and SoccerSolutions could come up with?  Really?  The "second to none" guy was under our noses the whole time?  I really hope he's earned his consulting money elsewhere, perhaps with recommendations about the academy, because that is thoroughly disappointing.

Of course I should wait until it's official before getting too depressed about it, and who knows, maybe Earl Cochrane and Paul Mariner would do an excellent job.  I'll freely admit I would have been unimpressed with the coaching resumes of Jason kreis and Gary Smith before they won the last 2 MLS cups, so whoever is appointed should get some time to prove themselves.  However TFC is skating on some very thin ice, and a Cochrane/Mariner combo would make it thinner. 

If given a big name and sold a grand vision, supporters would be more forgiving of any early struggles while a foundation for future success was laid.  But with an unspectacular appointment, the results would need to come fast to avoid disappointment.  I'm sure MLSE doesn't really care too much what bloggers or the supporter's forums say, but anger and protests among the committed would translate to apathy among the casual, and that's what they need to be afraid of.  There were a lot of empty seats throughout last year, if that trend continues, well there are plenty of sports teams who can tell them how hard it is to get Toronto fans to come back once they've gone.