Colorado Rapids: Anthony Hudson only half the problem

The Colorado Rapids sacked Antony Hudson this week. It is a step in the right direction, but it is only half the problem rid. For progress, more changes must still be made.

The 2019 Colorado Rapids are one of the worst teams in MLS history. After nine games, they are yet to win a game, have amassed just two points, and are set to absolutely smash the goals-conceded record, with 24 conceded already. Change was inevitable.

That change was even more necessary after a 2018 season that largely underwhelmed. Although undergoing a squad overhaul the previous offseason and protestations for patience with a long-term plan in order, the ineptitude of some of the performances suggested that whatever plan they were trying to implement was not a smart one.

And so, this week, the Rapids made the sensible choice: they relieved head coach Anthony Hudson of his duties. After going 8-26-9 with a goal difference of -29, I am not sure you will hear too many complaints at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

The final nail in the already established coffin came last week when Hudson laid into his players and squad, and heavily incriminated those building the squad in the process. After Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Atlanta United, Hudson argued:

"“We come to a place where a team full of superstars and big money players and massive, massive gap in class, and we’ve set up a different way <…> We are fighting at the bottom with a bottom group of players <…> There are teams with a lot more quality than us. And that’s what we’re competing against. And no one talks about it.”"

His point is very simple: the squad is not good enough. Hudson puts that down to the lack of spending, specifically the lack of smart spending, highlighting the presence of only one Designated Player in the whole squad, and that DP being a goalkeeper no less.

I do have some sympathy with Hudson’s viewpoint — he most certainly should not have voiced in the way that he did and on such a public stage, but his overarching argument is a true one. The Rapids cannot compete with the level and intelligence of their current recruitment.

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And that is why the Rapids are only part way to ridding the problem. Hudson needed to be replaced. There was more talent in the squad than the performances were suggesting, especially in midfield and attack. But do not forget the role that General Manager Padraig Smith has played in assembling one of the most inefficient rosters in the league — it may not necessarily be the worst, but it is extremely wasteful of resources in certain areas.

When it came to transfers and the assembly of the squad, Smith is and always was the main decision-maker at the Colorado Rapids. Hudson was also a part of that recruitment process, which is why his comments are self-damning, but it was Smith who was the head honcho.

According to Charles Boehm of mlssoccer.com, these are some of the top earners and their respective costs at Colorado:

Tim Howard: $2,475,000 (all figures annual guaranteed compensation)
Yannick Boli: $907,500
Tommy Smith: $640,000
Danny Wilson: $540,000
Jack Price: $407,500
Bismark Adjei-Boateng: $361,250
Sam Nicholson: $311,456

That is not a well-built roster, not by any stretch of the imagination.

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This does not absolve Hudson of blame. There was enough talent to do more than what he did with it. But it also points to a bigger problem that must be addressed if the Colorado Rapids are to find success again. They must start spending wisely, and if Smith cannot change his ways, perhaps the Rapids need to change him.

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