In Hamlett We Trust (In Defence of Denis Hamlett)

By: irish_steve | June 16th, 2009

After going unbeaten in their first 10 games of the season, a team record, the Chicago Fire have lost their last 3 league games in a row. In response, many Chicago Fire fans have started calling for coach Denis Hamlett to be fired. In response to those fans who want Denis to be fired I have 3 arguments in his defence:

1. Injuries/Suspensions/International Callups
Everyone knows that the Fire have the deepest and most talented squad in the MLS. Even though the Fire have the deepest squad, the step down in quality from the starters to the backups is considerable, especially in the defensive positions. Almost all Fire fans can agree that the Fire’s best starting back 4 is Ward, Conde, Bakay, and Sega. In the Fire’s 14 league games so far this season, that backline has only started together as a unit 7 times. This is a major reason why the Fire have not been as sound defensively as last season. The Fire have been without Blanco, Sega, and Bakay for a total of 7 games this season due to their international callups. Many people forget that Blanco and Rolfe both had very bad virus’s which kept them out for long stretches of the preseason. Both players had very limited minutes in the first 3 or so games of the season because they were not match fit. John Thorrington and Bakay have also missed 1 game apiece this season through suspension. Even with all of the injuries/suspensions/international call up’s DH managed the Fire to their best ever start to a season, the fans must recognize him and give him credit for that, especially when you look at the fact that we have been playing WITHOUT our first choice back 4 for half of the games so far.

2. Hamlett’s Subs
A lot of Fire fans have criticized DH’s subs so far this season. In my opinion, DH has used his subs very effectively and many of the subs have had a huge impact on the game. The Fire’s substitutes have tallied 3 goals and 3 assists so far this season. Earlier in the season, Blanco and especially Rolfe came on late in games and provided an offensive spark. The subs have been responsible for key points on the road such as Chivas, where Nyarko snatched a late equalizer and in Columbus where Rolfe assisted Sega’s tying goal. “Bad subs” cannot be blamed for the Fire’s 3 losses this season. Against Dallas, the Fire were already down 2-0 and soon after the subs came in, the game turned into a lost cause when Dallas scored its 3rd goal. At home to Houston, the Fire were missing 3 of their starting 4 defenders and the substitutes bench read, Stefan Dimitrov, Andrew Dykstra, Austin Washington, Daniel Woolard, Baggio Husidic, Mike Banner and Justin Mapp. Not even the most ardent Hamlett critic can argue that any of those substitutes besides Mapp and maybe Banner (who came in at the 63rd and 77th minute respectively) could have made an impact against a Houston team who have only given up 8 goals all season. And finally in the Fire’s loss to DC last weekend, the Fire’s bench was Andrew Dykstra, Baggio Husidic, Brandon Prideaux, Daniel Woolard, Mike Banner, Stefan Dimitrov, and Justin Mapp. Again, DH had little options with Mapp being the only “impact” player that could have changed the game.

3. The alternatives, a new coach at this point in the season?
My final argument is by far my most important. It is very easy to say that a coach should be fired but the repercussions of that can be extremely detrimental to the team. Let’s say hypothetically that the Fire decide tomorrow to sack DH. Unless the Fire have someone lined up to replace Hamlett, it will take anywhere from 2 weeks to a couple of months to bring in a new coach, thus effectively throwing in the towel on the Fire’s 2009 MLS season. With Blanco and possibly McBride leaving at the end of this season, the Fire cannot afford to do that. Even if the Fire bring a coach with MLS experience it usually takes clubs half a season or more to get adjusted to the new coaches style of play. One only needs to look at LA and their hiring of Bruce Arena to see what im talking about. Arena took over in August of last season with the Galaxy languishing at the bottom end of the table. Arena used the last 2 months of the season to assess his squad and used the offseason to make adjustments. So far, the adjustments have paid off, with the Galaxy sitting comfortably in midtable only losing twice so far this season, and going on a 9 game unbeaten streak. (Yes, LA have only won twice so far this season but a draw is better than a loss as Fire fans know!!). Columbus, the best team of 2008 and the defending champions lost their coach in the offseason. Even with all of their star power, it took them a long time to get adjusted to their new coach, with Columbus not winning their first game this season until their 8th match, 3 months into the season.

Firing Denis at this point in the season would be folly. The team are playing well and I see no need to change our tactics. Almost all of the goals we have given up this season have been down to individual defensive errors that a coach can’t prevent. Tom Soehn, the DC coach was full of praise, for DH’s tactics last match when he said, “I have to compliment Chicago. There are too many times I have said teams try to pack it in, and they did a great job, they came at us. As a fan, you watch the game and it had everything. We’re about making the league better and it was an exciting game to watch.” We have come a long way since the boring defensive 4-5-1 that JCO deployed while he was coach of the Fire. Can you imagine an opposing coach saying what Tom Soehn said about our team while Osorio was in charge? I didn’t think so. I feel disgusted and embarrassed that I have to write this but it needed to be said. It’s time for fans to stop bitching and get behind their team starting with the person who picks that team, the coach. He wants to win a championship more than any of the Fire fans and DH has been with the club well before many of you started watching and supporting them. I can only hope that Fire fans change their 4 word phrase from “Fire Denis Hamlett Now!” to “In Denis We Trust!”