Vancouver Whitecaps Head Coach Carl Robinson Signs Contract Extension

The Vancouver Whitecaps have signed head coach Carl Robinson to a four-year contract extension. Assistant coaches Martyn Pert and Gordon Forrest also signed extensions.

With their 2016 MLS season over, the Whitecaps can turn their attention to 2017. Planning for the next season needs to start quickly if all the pieces are to be in place in time for February’s CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal in New York. The Whitecaps have already announced a pre-season tour of Europe next year. On Wednesday, the club announced that another piece of the puzzle has been locked down: the coaching staff. Head coach Carl Robinson has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2020. Assistants Martyn Pert and Gordon Forrest have also re-signed.

Of course, multi-year coaching contracts are fairly meaningless in a sport as results-driven as soccer. But the announcement will provide a confidence boost for Robinson on the back of a disappointing season for the Whitecaps. President Bobby Lenarduzzi certainly sounded confident in Robinson’s coaching abilities:

"“Today’s announcement is a statement that everyone is committed to the vision of our club. Carl’s body of work over the course of his five years at the club has shown that he is one of the top up-and-coming head coaches in North America. While this past season was certainly a learning experience for everyone involved within the club, we have complete faith in Carl’s continued vision in acquiring the necessary players to build a team that will compete with the best in MLS.”Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson reacts to the ref after being told to leave the pitch during the first half against the New York Red Bulls at BC Place. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports"

As for acquiring the necessary players, Robinson heads off on a scouting trip to South America on Thursday.

Personnel vs Coaching

So is this the right decision? Often when a team struggles, the instinct is to blame (and fire) the coach. The Whitecaps management has made it clear that they see the issue as one of personnel, rather than coaching. Lenarduzzi has spoken about the team lacking leaders, and co-owner Jeff Mallett’s post-mortem on the season had a similar conclusion. But whose responsibility is it to ensure that the right players are signed? It’s never been entirely clear who signs off on transfers for the Whitecaps. Decisions are supposedly made by committee, but given his involvement in scouting, Robinson must have a role in identifying targets.

More from MLS Multiplex

• Javier Milei Elected in Argentina: Potential Impacts on MLS and Signings of Argentine Players
• Orlando City and New York City FC in the Battle for Matías Arezo; Grêmio Enters Negotiations! Who Will Come Out on Top?
• USA, Honduras, Panama, and Canada Close in on a Spot in the 2024 Copa America
• De Gea Turns Down Al-Nassr’s Lucrative Offer: Speculation Points to Possible Reunion with Messi at Inter Miami
• Messi’s Magnetic Impact in the United States

On-field leadership has been lacking this season, but there were plenty of other issues too. Some Robinson couldn’t have foreseen, like major injuries to Kekuta Manneh and Masato Kudo. Nor could he have anticipated the loss of form suffered by some of last season’s best players. Cristian Techera, Kendall Waston, Matías Laba…the list goes on. Even the likes of Tim Parker and David Ousted looked human this season compared to last year.

Discipline, however, was another issue, as was the lack of defensive cohesion. These are both areas where coaching can make a difference. Team selection was also often baffling. Robinson could not seem to decide on his first team or his best formation. Jordan Smith repeatedly got the chance to start ahead of Fraser Aird at right back. Erik Hurtado started game after game as the lone striker, a position for which he was woefully unsuitable given his poor finishing skills. While it’s difficult to fault Robinson for many of the team’s issues, it is his responsibility as the coach to find solutions, and it was clear for much of the season that he was struggling to find those solutions.

Looking Ahead

To his credit, Robinson has not shied away from criticism. Before the final game of the season, he addressed the crowd at BC Place and apologized for how the season had gone, with the same frankness he usually shows in interviews. And then set up his team in a way that played to everyone’s strengths. The end result was a 4-1 win and one of the Whitecaps’ best performances of the season. His commitment to promoting young players like Alphonso Davies and Brett Levis, and not overspending on Designated Players is admirable.

Related Story: Whitecaps Crowned Kings of Cascadia with 4-1 win over Timbers

Carl Robinson has the support of most fans, as indicated by a recent poll, and this contract extension seems to show he has the backing of the ownership. Now it is down to him and his team to deliver.