Will Preki become TFC's fourth head coach in four years?

Preki (a.k.a. Predrag Radosavljević) was widely rumoured to be on Mo Johnston’s three-man short list (along with Houston assistant John Spencer and long-time New England head coach Steve Nicol), and was probably the most realistic choice of the three.

The Serbian-born former two-time MLS MVP is the only one of the three who has been the top on-field man at an MLS club and is currently available. While some have been pining for Liverpool and Scotland legend Nicol to take the reigns under his good buddy Mo, the reality is that Nicol is still under contract for two more MLS seasons, and New England would not allow its stellar coach to simply walk into the awaiting arms of an Eastern Conference rival.

Spencer would have been a good choice, if Toronto fans hadn’t already experienced two former assistant coaches working through growing pains as the head man. Johnston knows that this is likely his last shot to get the coaching gig right, and risking his job security on yet another unproven guy could have spelled disaster, despite the fact that Spencer has all of the tools (and MLS experience) to become a very good coach in this league.

So Preki it is (if Ives is to be believed, and why shouldn’t he?). The man who turned sad-sack Chivas USA around is now tasked with doing the same at an even bigger club. Preki’s task-master style of man-management will be a stark turn around from Chris Cummins’ “friends with everyone” approach, and perhaps that’s exactly what this team needs.

But there are some questions that need to be answered.

What happens with Amado Guevara now? Guevara and Preki famously fell out at Chivas, to the point that Guevara – after all of four games under Preki – swore he would never play in MLS again. Of course, when he realized that the pay in his native Honduras is just slightly below what he could demand in MLS, he changed his tune, but only after his rights were traded to Toronto.

Will Guevara and Preki be able to play nice? Or was that horrific 5-0 debace in the Jersey swamp the last we’ve seen of the fiery Honduran?

Much has been made of Mo Johnston’s allegedly meddling ways, especially in the aftermath of Cummins’ inglourious departure. Will Mo be able to keep his hands off and give his new hire the freedom to coach as he sees fit?

Also, while his regular season record over the years has been stellar, Preki hasn’t exactly proven himself as a coach in the MLS playoffs. Will TFC’s vast resources give Preki what he needs to finally lay claim to his first win as a coach in the postseason?

And finally, will an “In Radosavljević We Trust“ banner fit in the BMO Field south-east corner gap?

Only time will tell.

Posted by Rudi Schuller

Discuss the potential Preki hiring here.