TFC Notebook: Is Bob Bradley on the hot seat?

This week’s burning question regarding the future of Bob Bradley, plus Toronto FC’s injury crisis continues to worsen. It’s time for another TFC Notebook!

A new notebook will be released every weekend throughout the course of the 2023 Toronto FC season, featuring news and updates from training during the week, exclusive interviews, tidbits and more. It's supported by BET99 Sportsbook so if you're interested in responsible gaming, please check out their special welcome offer.  

Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Bob Bradley: “We’re not where we want to be … I take responsibility.”

50 matches in, Toronto FC Head Coach and Sporting Director Bob Bradley had the chance to reflect back on his tenure so far.

Speaking to reporters at the BMO Training Ground on Thursday, he jumped straight to the point.

“Plain and simple, we’re not where we want to be,” Bradley said.

Although there has been progress made behind the scenes – namely resetting the culture at the training environment – as ex-GM Ali Curtis once said after firing his good friend Chris Armas: “It’s a results-based business” and the results haven’t come yet for Bradley.

Since taking over, Toronto FC have a 14W-23L-13D record in all competitions. Only D.C. United have a worse record over that span.

Bradley’s mark of 1.10 points per match is the fifth worst in Toronto FC coaching history, behind Ryan Nelson (1.08), Paul Mariner (0.93), Mo Johnston (0.83), and Armas (0.60). None of those coaches had the talent that Bradley has at his disposal.

The results haven’t been good enough, but context is also important here.

65 per cent of the 2022 season, Bradley’s first in charge, was essentially a write-off. He fielded a side made up of mainly inexperienced youngsters as the team went through a dramatic overhaul of its roster. The club had begun to undo some of the mistakes made by Curtis during his regime, and for the majority of his first year, there was no realistic expectation to win matches.

By the time that Insigne and Bernardeschi actually made their debuts, Toronto FC had just five wins from 21 league matches (5W-12L-4D) – more than 40 per cent of Bradley’s overall tenure. That has to be taken into account.

After acquiring Kaye, Bernardeschi, Insigne, Laryea, and Domenico Criscito in the summer, there was some hope that the team would be able to go on a late run and qualify for the postseason, but the latter half of the year was instead marred by injuries, personal situations, and fractured relationships within the TFC dressing room.

Big picture, however, there still was progress made. Bradley and his staff started to establish an identity and a core, which was the team’s main objective at the beginning of last season.

But in other areas, things hadn’t gone to plan.

TFC were planning to sell some of their young players to raise funds, according to multiple sources, but that didn’t pan out the way they would’ve hoped. There’s a general sense that the club misjudged the value of some of their young pieces.

Add in the fact that not only were TFC the highest-spending team in the league despite missing the postseason last year, they were also on the hook for a few pre-existing contracts: Dom Dwyer’s, Kemar Lawrence’s, and Jozy Altidore’s (the club is still paying out the final year of Altidore’s DP deal.)

Ownership wasn’t thrilled with the excessive spending, poor results, and the inability to raise further funds through player sales, which led to a bit of a curveball this offseason when the club was informed by the MLSE board that they had to cut back on their spending, according to multiple sources.

That put a bit of a wrench into their overall vision, specifically their plan to acquire a third designated player (DP) to line up alongside Insigne and Bernardeschi.

So, Bradley and co. had to make do with what they had.

“We’ve tried to find ways to be creative to make moves with players based upon salary budgets and pre-existing contracts and that kind of thing. Some have worked out and others haven’t,” Bradley explained.

Instead of spending most of their internal budget on a third DP, Bradley opted to try and build a more well-rounded roster full of players that he believed would complement Insigne and Bernardeschi.

Johnson, Matt Hedges, Sigurd Rosted, Raoul Petretta, and Osorio (re-signed) were all signed to TAM deals, though Osorio has been classified as a DP for book-keeping purposes. My understanding is that Toronto couldn’t afford to sign all of those players if they signed a third DP.

The team also mortgaged some of their future by trading young pieces like Ralph Priso, Jacob Shaffelburg, Luca Petrasso and Lukas MacNaughton – the only expendable assets on their roster that held value in the trade market – to acquire players that would better help them compete now, like Richie Laryea, Mark-Anthony Kaye, and C.J. Sapong.

While it may not have been their ideal way of constructing their roster, when you add established, relatively high-profile players to a roster that already consists of Canadian internationals and Insigne and Bernardeschi, expectations in all ways are raised.

Bradley, himself, stated that he expected that his side would be a good team that competes with the best teams this season.

12 games in, that hasn’t been the case.

Toronto have just two wins from 11 league matches (2W-3L-6D) and were eliminated from the Canadian Championship in the quarter-final at the hands of rivals CF Montréal – their shortest-ever run at the tournament.

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The poor result, combined with some of the antics that went on in the crowd at BMO Field that evening, made for one of the worst nights in the club’s recent history.

“Plain and simple, we’re not where we want to be, and so certainly on that end, I take responsibility in both areas (as coach and as sporting director),” said Bradley. “We have to continue to work, we have to continue to improve because this club, the fans, and the city deserves a team that’s competing at the top year-in and year-out.”

So does this mean Bradley is in the “hot seat?”

Well, Chicago Fire head coach Ezra Hendrickson, who was also appointed before the 2022 season, was sacked last week while Gerhard Struber and the New York Red Bulls decided to “mutually part ways” after just over two seasons (though there may have been more at play there). Those are the only two teams currently below Toronto FC in the Eastern Conference table.

Given that context alone, the seat has to be a lot hotter than it was at the start of the year.

But Bradley can also lay claim to a resume that neither of those managers have: a former USMNT head coach that has managed at a World Cup, the third-most wins in MLS history, the third-most playoff wins in MLS history, the first American coach to manage in the Premier League.

His pedigree alone automatically gives him a longer leash, not to mention the family ties at the club.

Plus, when Toronto FC reached out to Bradley when his time at LAFC was coming to an end, he was sold on a long-term project and there was an understanding that he would be given the necessary time to execute his plan. It’s why he was signed to a long-term contract.

He, nor the club, are happy with where they currently stand, but does he still have enough belief behind him to buy himself more time?  And are MLSE, who are already pinching the purse strings when it comes to Toronto FC, even willing to absorb the cost of paying Bradley out for the remainder of his contract — and pay the salary of a new head coach and sporting director? If so, what does that mean for TFC President Bill Manning?

TFC have yet to meet expectations under Bradley’s reign, but I’m not sure the board believes that it’s enough yet to warrant a firing and invest in new leadership. Just speculation, but I’m guessing that it’s going to take a longer run of poor results for his time in Toronto to come to an abrupt end.

One thing is for sure though: another derby loss on Saturday, and the seat heats up that much more.

What led to Michael Bradley’s hamstring surgery?

It’s been a month since Michael Bradley was mysteriously pulled from Toronto FC’s starting XI ahead of the Reds’ home matchup with Atlanta United on April 16.

The team was expecting the 35-year-old midfielder to only miss a match or two, but instead the 35-year-old Toronto FC captain will now undergo a procedure on his hamstring (the T-junction of the biceps femoris, if you want to be specific) on Saturday in London, England.

So, what happened?

According to Bob Bradley, one possibility is that the club’s initial read was wrong.

“The time frame (to return) initially was off because they didn’t think it was too much, so that’s one possibility. It’s not like anything happened in the meantime that set him back,” the TFC Head Coach and Sporting Director explained.

Bradley said that these things happen in all sports organizations, though admitted that it is frustrating. It would be more frustrating if it cost a player more time, but as of Monday, that didn’t appear to be the case.

With Michael Bradley not progressing, the team sent images to a number of different doctors and specialists. One of those was Dr. Ernest Schilders. According to the former USMNT manager, Dr. Schilders is “probably the foremost doctor,” who specializes in adductor and groin problems in athletes.

Michael Bradley’s injury is a common one that most doctors would recommend strengthening, rest, and then rehab as a recovery plan, but Dr. Schilders takes a more innovative approach.

“There were too many guys that thought they would be back in two weeks and then four weeks and then six weeks, but it's not. It's eight weeks and it's 10 weeks. So, I think ... they've (Dr. Schilders and others) looked at it completely different,” explained Bob Bradley.

Michael Bradley is expected to arrive back in Toronto on Monday, though there is no exact timeline for his return.

“I don't know, they might say eight to 10 weeks kind of thing. But you know, that depends. They're pretty progressive. … They look literally every other week to see how progress has been made,” said Bob Bradley.

While injuries are a concerning trend right now in Toronto (more on that later), Bob Bradley believes that his son’s injury was “in a way bad luck.”

“When you have somebody who has been able to be so durable and keep going and not have those kinds of injuries in his career, the idea that something popped up now, yeah, it’s hard to put a finger on it,” he said.

“It wasn’t one play. Is it that he had similar type injuries in the past, and because his routine is so good, he worked through them, but at a certain point there’s a spot that it’s weakened a little bit? So, you know, is it over training? No, no. It’s none of that.”

Toronto FC are 1W-3L-1D in all competitions since their skipper went down.

TFC Injury Updates

Michael Bradley’s hamstring is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the severity of Toronto FC’s injury crisis, with Bob Bradley stating that it’s the longest injury list that he’s seen in his 32-year coaching career.

“It’s a long list, and it’s frustrating because I think a number of those guys when they’re on the field, they make a big difference,” said the TFC head coach.

So where do things stand on the injury front? Here’s what we know.

Alonso Coello: Coello injured his ankle in Tuesday’s Canadian Championship loss to CF Montréal and will miss a “good amount of weeks.” An injury to the ankle could be extremely complicated and cause further damage to other areas around the foot, but it appears the Spaniard has avoided anything more serious. Still, my guess is he’ll be out for a few months and that’s a huge blow considering the promising start he’s had to his Toronto FC career.

Adama Diomande: Diomande did not train on Thursday and is listed as questionable for Saturday’s match with a lower-body injury. We didn’t get an exact update on his status, but the 33-year-old forward has been dealing with a number of different little things early on this season. It looked like he was starting to ramp up and put his early-season injury woes behind him, but seeing him on the injury report signals that he’s not quite ready to turn the corner. They’ll likely have to enact load management on Diomande throughout the course of this season.

Sigurd Rosted: Rosted suffered a rib injury in Tuesday's Canadian Championship loss to CF Montréal. The initial fear was that the Norwegian centre-back might’ve suffered a fractured rib, but it looks like it’s more of a bruise. He’s been ruled out of Saturday’s match, but shouldn’t be sidelined for too long.

Matt Hedges: It’s been a frustrating stretch for Hedges since he suffered a concussion on April 9 vs. Nashville SC, which forced him out of the next two matches. He made his return vs NYCFC on April 30, but was pulled out of warmups last weekend with a lower-leg injury. It’s considered to be minor, but he’ll miss his third-straight match on Saturday.

Shane O’Neill: O’Neill, who was drawn into Toronto’s XI in place of Hedges, was injured in that game against New England when he felt something in the lower-leg. He was sent for an MRI earlier this week and has been ruled out of Saturday’s match. The severity of his injury is unknown.

Jonathan Osorio: There is no timetable for Osorio’s return from an MCL strain suffered in training, but he’s likely still a few weeks away. The Canadian international is expected to return to running soon, but still needs to build up strength in his knee to be able to strike a ball and absorb tackles. His status for Canada’s Nations League semifinal vs. Panama next month is up in the air.

Jordan Perruzza: Perruzza has been dealing with a little something for quite some time, though it finally forced him out of training the past two weeks. He’s been rehabbing on his own and isn’t far from a return.

Victor Vázquez: Vázquez travelled to Spain to undergo a procedure on his foot/heel that will see him sidelined for several months. He wasn’t an expensive signing or expected to play a big role with TFC this season, but losing his quality and presence around the team is still a blow.

Cristian Gutierrez: Gutierrez was hit big time with a non-covid illness that has seen him sidelined for two months. He’s yet to make his debut for TFC since being claimed off waivers on March 13, though he is inching closer. Bob Bradley said this week that Gutierrez needs playing time to help ramp up his fitness, but would only be able to go for a short period of time. He shouldn’t be too far away from making his debut.

Given the way that Bob Bradley had to construct his roster as a result of the financial restraints caused by signing Insigne and Bernardeschi, fielding a quality starting XI and adding depth was always going to be tricky.

And now, an already thin roster has been hit big time by the injury bug, making this next stretch of games – arguably the most important stretch of games in the TFC coach’s tenure – seem like a seismic task.

“There’s no doubt if you look at the second half of last season and then now what’s happened this year that we’ve just struggled to have a consistent group on the field and go from one game to the next, to the next, to the next and just feel like things are going in the right direction,” said Bradley.

“So, yeah, that part makes it harder. There’s no two ways about it.”

Added Time: News and Notes

– Despite TFC’s injury woes, Montréal are only modest +128 favourites at home tonight. Hernan Losada’s side have won five straight games in all competitions.

– Toronto FC had north of 27,000 fans last weekend for its match against the New England Revolution. The Reds now average the sixth best attendance in the league (24,413) through six home match days. Atlanta United (47,490) leads the league.

– Bob Bradley’s side is one of the most disciplined in the league this season, committing just 99 fouls through 11 matches (tied for 26^th least in MLS). Their 21 cards, however, have them ranked in the middle of the pack.

– Sean Johnson is one save shy of 1,100 for his MLS career. He’s 16 saves shy of surpassing former New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis for seventh all-time.

– Toronto FC permanently banned four fans from all MLSE venues without the ability to apply for reinstatement in the future as a result of “separate incidents” that occurred at BMO Field on Tuesday night during TFC’s 2-1 loss to CF Montréal. There was a brawl in the stands between TFC and Montréal supporters, and then of course, a megaphone hurled in the direction of Mark-Anthony Kaye after the match.

– Toronto FC II defenders Adam Pearlman and Antony Curic trained with the senior team this week. TFC are extremely shorthanded at CB with injuries to O’Neill, Hedges, and Rosted, so there’s a good chance one or both of those guys will get a run with the team via a short-term loan agreement.

– Speaking of TFC II, they’re off the mark. The Young Reds picked up their first win of the season last weekend, defeating FC Cincinnati II 3-0 at York Lions Stadium. TFC II are back home on Sunday when they host New England Revolution II. Hugo Mbongue leads the team with three goals in four appearances this season.

– Former Toronto FC midfielder Tsubasa Endoh’s fight against Acute Leukemia is still ongoing. H/T to the Toronto FC content team for putting this together for Endoh. If you’d like to support his battle, you can do so here.

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