Our first MLS manager has bitten the dust and, unsurprisingly, it is a foreign manager. Britain’s own Owen Coyle has parted ways with the Houston Dynamo so as to move back home to be with his family. It was by mutual consent.
So where do the Dynamo go from here? Well, there is only one way to go. Up. And by my calculations, that is exactly where they will go. Owen Coyle wasn’t what was holding the Dynamo back, but something was. A team with as much talent as Houston should not be chilling at the bottom of the West, no matter how congested the conference is.
Coyle hit the nail on the head with his prototypical farewell statement: “I’d like to thank the Dynamo supporters, who have been outstanding. We have a brilliant club, and I have no doubt success is just around the corner.”
Coyle is right though, success is just around the corner.
Sometimes a little shake up like this is all a team needs. Give them a reason to look around at their team mates and think ‘what’s happened?’ That is what Coyle’s departure does. The Dynamo had a rip-roaring start to the season, dismantling FC Dallas and shooting out to an insane goal lead, scoring 11 in their first three games. There is a reason why that happened, and that reason isn’t ‘it was a fluke’. The Dynamo offense is powered by some talented players, most of which are just finding it hard to string together some consistency.
For starters, Giles Barnes and Andrew Wenger have been superb. The only problem is that they aren’t getting involved as much as they should. The Dynamo do not play the ball wide with enough frequency and whoever the next coach is will hopefully realize that.
Will Bruin is another guy that is doing rather well, although he has stalled with the team lately. Still, we have seen what he can do and he can do it again.
The No. 10 role is the main thing that is causing the Dynamo fits, but Cristian Maidana is a proven commodity. He just has to find his footing.
The Dynamo should have no trouble filling the coaching void. They just need someone with a vision of what to do with the excellent pieces the team already has. No overhaul is needed, no drastic measures. Just get these players clicking, which may already be pre-established with the coaching shake up.
Some day the Dynamo are going to prove me right. They are going to sneak back into contention.