Every week, Sportsnet.ca will chat with Sportsnet 650 radio commentator Dan Riccio about the big stories and issues surrounding the Vancouver Whitecaps.
SN: The Whitecaps’ playoff hopes were dashed last week. What’s the mood like in Vancouver among the Whitecaps faithful?
RICCIO: It’s not great, but at the same time, many fans aren’t surprised by this outcome, and that’s the biggest worry for Vancouver moving forward. The honeymoon period for the Whitecaps is long over, and this city isn’t happy to just have a team in MLS anymore. It has to be more than that, and it isn’t just about the money. This team might not be able to attract big European stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Wayne Rooney, but quite frankly, you don’t need to in MLS to succeed.
The biggest question I think most fans have right now is, “What am I buying into?” This team needs an identity. It needs to re-strategize how it is going to compete in an evolving league. This will be a new-look Whitecaps squad next season – Alphonso Davies will be gone, and captain Kendall Waston is already planning his exit strategy. So, if you are a fan, what is giving you hope for 2019? Management has been selling the same package to the city for years, and people are no longer buying it. The time has come for a change in direction.
You and your Sportsnet 650 co-host Randip Janda read a letter to the Whitecaps on air this week in which you spell out your grievances. What was the motivation behind that and what kind of feedback did you receive?
The feedback was mostly positive. It was an idea we had after speaking with some season ticket holders and upset fans. I heard a lot of the same complaints, and thought it would be a good way to give those voices a platform. The Whitecaps fan base is passionate. They care deeply about the club, but at this time, they feel the club isn’t giving much back to them.
There is a lot of curiosity around the Alphonso Davies transfer fee and how much of it will be invested into some new players for the squad moving forward. This is a very uncertain time around the Whitecaps, and until fans start to see the makings of what the 2019 team will be, that uncertainty will remain. This city wants a side that they can be proud of, and with whom it can identify. It’s now up to the Whitecaps to find a way to deliver that.
What’s been your impression of manager Craig Dalrymple since he took over on an interim basis from Carl Robinson?
Dalrymple hasn’t had much time to put his stamp on the club, but they have played well at points under his watch. There is more of a desire to break teams down with possession under Dalrymple, and that’s something I’d like to see the Whitecaps carry on moving forward. It was a lot to ask of him to pick this team up after moving on from Robinson. We know for certain that it didn’t sit well with some of the players, first and foremost Waston. It didn’t help matters when Waston made it public that he wasn’t happy with the entire situation. That is a tough place to put Dalrymple in, but he has handled it with class.
All that said, it’s unlikely that Dalrymple is long for this position. J.J. Adams of The Province reported on our Sportsnet 650 show that current LAFC assistant and Montreal native Marc Dos Santos will be named the new Whitecaps manager once LAFC is done for the year. It’s a strong hiring if that is the case, and it should go a long way to start building some trust back with the fan base.
Jordon Mutch scored a fabulous goal in the 2-2 draw with LAFC last weekend. What have you made of the Englishman during his season-long loan?
Unfortunately for him he spent most of the year on the injured list, and it played a big factor in hampering his ability to make an impact with Vancouver. You can see the quality and the reason why he’s played in the Premier League with that one goal against LAFC, but this season just never went the way anyone had hoped. That being said, Mutch had not been getting any minutes with Crystal Palace and Reading before making the jump to MLS so there had to be some expectation that fitness would be an issue.
I’m not a big fan of these loan deals that sees players join just as the season begins. It is a lot to ask of someone to come in and get settled with their new club, and hit the ground running. The Whitecaps took a chance and it didn’t work out. That happens. I just wonder if you couldn’t have received the same production from an option within the Whitecaps youth academy.
What will you be looking for from the Whitecaps in Sunday’s regular season finale at home against the Portland Timbers?
It’s a chance to say goodbye to Alphonso Davies. A Canadian talent such as Davies deserves a big stage and I think everyone is hopeful that he’ll make the best of his move to Bayern Munich. This is Vancouver’s last chance to see Davies as a Whitecaps player, and I’ll be looking to see him deliver as he did on so many other occasions this season.
The Whitecaps havn’t had a game-breaking talent such as Davies since Camilo left town, and the search is now on for another to fill the boots of the 17-year-old star. Until then, those at BC Place on Sunday will get to see one of the most talented young players MLS has ever seen for the final time. He will be missed.
Be sure to listen to Dan Riccio on a daily basis on Sportsnet 650. You can also follow Dan Riccio on Twitter
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