Podcasts
Podcast: A Deep Dive on Peter Vermes’ Future with Sporting KC
We also talk about the losses this week to Minnesota United and the Vancouver Whitecaps, but Vermes takes center stage.
For the Glory KC is back with the 87th episode of the show! And it’s a controversial one.
Sporting Kansas City lost two more times this week. We start the conversation with the SKC media game which featured a few KC Soccer Journal standout performances (not mine!) before moving to the Sporting KC games. There were a couple things to like or at least learn from in the losses to the Vancouver Whitecaps and Minnesota United.
Sporting KC rolled out different lineups and heavily used rotations and subs. Some of it at least sort of worked and showed promised and obviously a lot didn’t. But when you ‘play the kids,’ there will be growing pains.
Then we move into the conversation that’s been building for years. Should Sporting KC fire Chief Soccer Officer and Manager, Peter Vermes? Sheena and I come to different answers. To get there, we discuss a limiting of his powers so he can focus on one job instead of who knows how many. We also talk about the results on the field, player signings, youth development, substitutions, player rotations, salary/contract management, the pros and cons of meticulous planning and a whole lot more.
Additionally, this podcast was recorded super late, so it’s a rare glimpse into For the Glory KC after dark. It was Sheena’s idea to press record at 11:10 PM on a Saturday night.
The Kansas City Current had the week off, but we did get sad news about Gabby Robinson which we address in the Crawl.
In the Digital Crawl, we hit a few other topics, including:
- Gabrielle Robinson tears her ACL
- Erik Thommy’s injury
- Lots of SKC Academy kids called up
- Gianluca Busio called up for the Olympics
- Antoinne Griezmann is available for a mere $16 million
Here is a rundown of topics (and approximate start times):
- Media Game – 3:46
- Sporting KC Lose Two More Games – 10:54
- Is it Time for Peter Vermes to Go? – 41:25
- Digital Crawl – 1:35:25
Upcoming Schedule:
- SKC II @ Minnesota United 2 – Sunday, June 2nd @ 6:00 PM CT
- USWNT vs. Korea Republic – Tuesday, June 4th @ 7:00 PM
- SKC II vs. Houston Dynamo 2 – Friday, June 7th @ 6:00 PM
- Sporting KC vs. Seattle Sounders – Saturday, June 8th @ 7:30 PM
- KC Current vs. Seattle Reign – Sunday, June 9th @ 5:00 PM
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Big thanks to Splitter Conspiracy (listen to them here) for our theme music made with the permission of the KC Cauldron.
You can find For the Glory KC wherever you get your podcasts. Search “For the Glory KC” and be sure to subscribe! Here are some helpful links:
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Transcript from Revoldiv available after about 24 hours. Click the link, then search “For the Glory KC” for a free transcription (or you can transcribe any podcast you’d like).
Current Sign All-American Suliafu
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Juice Boxes and Post Game Stats: Another Split Weekend for KC
Salloi Provides Peek Behind the Scenes in Sporting KC Offseason Vlog
For the Glory KC: Mailbag and News Roundup
Official: Sporting KC Trade for Goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland from Austin FC
The Insane Ticket Costs of the World Cup in Kansas City
What are Sporting KC’s Biggest Areas of Opportunity from Last Season?
No More Children’s Mercy Park, New Kit Release Date and Sporting KC Preseason
Tzionis > salloi
Vargas > Russell (as a starter)
Agada > pulido (he hasn’t made as many good runs as he used to. But he still makes me feel like something is going to happen, unlike pulido)
I kind of want to see davis and Memo together if we can’t have Walter or thommy back.
Felipe doesn’t have it as an 8. He is a reliable work horse that can handle simple assignments. Maybe more game time would help? Doubtful.
Bassong=leibold. Both have made mistakes, but also their midfield outlets have been substantially lacking.
The attack lacks support from midfield. We can’t play out of the back reliable due to lack of midfield movement.
Honestly, our formation and style mandates so much running and effort that it isnt sustainable with our roster age.
For me, he has no future.
Vermes is done.
Besides, does anyone really think he’d be willing to give up one job to stay? I mean, he had one job to start with. And he took over coaching because no one could do it right by him. Something…something…
What job would we trust him with anyway? This is his roster. These are the players he wanted. To fit his system. Which he’s tinkered with this season. But to little avail. Because the 4-2-3-1 has too many square pegs in round holes. Also because the backline is atrocious. We knew this. But he didn’t care and rolled it back anyway.
I agree with a lot of this.
Do you think the 4-2-3-1 would work if we just had a legitimate 10? Thommy and Walter aren’t the answer, but Walter could slot in at one of the 6’s decently next to Radoja. Tommy could play one of the wide midfield spots with Memo or Tzionis, with Agada as the poaching 9. If only we had Gadi to play off/behind Agada this season.
This may give our weak back 4 more cover.
It’s only a bad formation with Pulido’s and Johnny’s lazy work rate at the 10 and 11and the lack of a real playmaking 10. Has Memo played at the 10 before coming to SKC? He seems to not be afraid of attacking the top center of the penalty box so far.
Yes, I didn’t mention Salloi because in my mind he is really a weak link. He doesn’t do anything particularly well.
Fun podcast, but I wonder if there was even deeper to go!
It’s hard for media members to tackle the #vermesout topic in any opinionated way, nor should they, maybe, but all the equivocating is exhausting. (I’m referring to a different podcast with that comment.)
In several episodes of different podcasts, I hear beneath the host(s) frustrated fans wanting to be let out! Instead, hosts draw the line in the sand longer and longer. Sometimes they add a squiggle.
But it’s refreshing to hear y’all tackle the topic more head on. Some episodes were too oblique.
Was it Home&Away — love their podcast — where a host said he’d never call for a person’s job? Okay, good for you, but then what? It puts a cap on the conversation, and you can hear it in that episode. (though it’s a fun question whether it’s in the purview of fans, or is their prerogative, to be #vermesout.)
One small trick to get a real conversation going: A hypothetical: If Vermes’ contract expired this year, would you renew it? Why or why not.
Anyways–love all the podcasts. I continuously look forward to it/them. I imagine it’s not easy and not as fun during a losing season, and am grateful for y’alls time and work. If you knew how many road trips you’ve improved…
p.s. I do wish the podcasts referred to comments on this site more. I don’t mean mine! But many comments are insightful, like Shawn and Mister Murse’s posts below, and I think they are good fodder for a kind of mailbag section. Maybe I missed those episodes(!)
Thanks! I appreciate the comment. I won’t lie, I’ve stayed out of the match threads and SKC recap comments. Probably good stuff in there, I just don’t have the energy for it.
All the bad seasons are draining for a “job” that doesn’t pay money and is more of a hobby. That said, I still spend far too much time on this stuff and I hope it’s fun again soon.
Oomph, good point. Sounds like y’all are good jugglers, which isn’t easy, even during good SKC runs. I still hear you two having fun in the episode(s), which makes them worth listening to.
But, shoutout to a hobby being work. Listeners have it easy–we just wait around for a new episode notification.
I haven’t gotten a chance to listen to home and away lately since they typically upload later in the week, but I think you might be referring to a previous episode of shades of blue where Thad said he would never call for a firing as a reporter. Obviously don’t agree with that sentiment at all, but I guess if you want whatever perks you get from being on Peter’s “good side” than I guess you go out of your way to never be overly critical. Which is exactly why Peter enjoys, up to this point at least, enviable job security.
Drew, of Home and Away, basically said word for word what SKCFanIPromise said.
I know he doesn’t get any perks since he doesn’t use his pod as press access.
I’m not sure Thad really gets any perks either, but I know he said something similar about not wanting to call for anyone’s job. If anything, Thad gets headaches dealing with PR reaching out to him over stuff I or others have written. We dance along the fan/media line too much for PR and I get it. We got into this because we were fans and we try to be professional when we are in the press box or locker room, but we’re in a definite gray area.
I guess my frustration should be directed more that mls, since other teams have actually yanked press passes from people for being too critical, than people having to be mindful of what they should or shouldn’t say. Just crappy to focus so much on news stories and pieces about the team than focus on performing and the issue resolving itself but what do I know
Some of those that had credentials yanked crossed a line and some did not. I think it was the guy in Chicago that called for people to boycott the team. That is not journalism and I am not surprised they yanked his.
Last thing I want anyone to have, host or not, is another headache after the headache that is this / last season, and I understand the dance.
My comments say more about my frustrations as a fan than the podcasts, their structure, or their hosts. I hope that’s clear. Love them all, esp the casual perspective contrast.
I can confirm I am not on Peter’s or anyone’s good side at the moment. Sorry, you disagree but in my understanding, reporters should not advocate, they should report. Columnists are free to state opinions. I will say more on a pod but I will do my best to not cross certain lines.
Thanks so much for listening and for the sweet comment! Glad we’re improving your road trips!
As a casual fan, I don’t read up on SKC or KC Soccer Journal like I probably should but I did see your comment and thought I should reply! You’re right there are some great comments, so I’m going to take my job as a podcaster more seriously and read the comments because there are lots of interesting perspectives and questions we aren’t addressing or purposely ignoring.
As an SKC fan with no interest in being in the media, I think/hope I can bring the fan perspective. I have nothing to lose. Ultimately, anyone covering a team for free or for little money has a vested interest in the team and is probably a fan.
I think we’ll do a mailbag episode soon and we will answer the hypothetical question about PV in the next episode. I think it’s a fun question worth exploring.
Thanks again for listening!!
Hm, I don’t mean to imply a hobby should become a job. I think my ‘mailbag / comments’ idea might be a fun way to talk about the same stuff in a new way. Maybe make it easier on the hosts I hear navigating the same issue again and again.
Maybe not. I don’t make podcasts, I just listen to them, and will keep listening.
Haven’t made it through the pod yet. However, sure looked like Ike was coaching the 2s. Any chance Benny stayed behind to prepare for a Monday press conference?
Benny was suspended for yellow card accumulation
Of course, he had a yellow card accumulation. Love his passion. Remember when PV used to be that way? He’s missing the fire. Maybe it’s fatigue but he’s not the same PV this season.
My point I made on the pod about PV yelling at refs… Benny YELLS at refs. I do like that passion. I imagine I’d be the same as either of them if I had an ounce of talent to be able to coach. And you think you see things on the sideline that, it turns out later you saw wrong because it all happens so fast. Or you angle sucked. Etc.
Atlanta releaseed Pineda. Sporting is now the only team from the bottom 10 in PPG since the start of 2022 who still has the same coach….
We need new owners, or a new manager. If we get new owners, then I’m sure we’ll get a new manager. In keeping Vermes, all the owners are doing a picking our pockets by giving us a garbage product for a premium price.
Watch and listen to Vermes’ postgame interview. It is stunning how defeated and clueless he looks and sounds. He has no solutions for fixing what he broke. “We just need to win a game” and “You have to score more goals than your opponent” are not fixes. They are weak truisms and excuses for real change.
I don’t see how ownership can watch his interview and not change the lock on Vermes’ office door TODAY.
Well, this is a “top down” problem. It starts with our crappy ownership group who sets the tone for the organization. For all the PV criticism, and much of it is valid, the real problem is the ownership group. They’re getting what they’re willing to pay for when it comes to this roster.
I don’t mean to disrespect or disparage your content. After all it’s your job and you have to work with what you have available. But there is little to nothing to report on until Vermes either steps down as a man who cares about this club or is let go and put in the front office hopefully away from football operations wouldn’t it be grand if this could take place after the US Open Cup results. The first step to progress is making a change after all. With the KC current success and their support rightfully so. With the Royals in second place! And the Chiefs soon to be preparing to defend their Super Bowl. Well that kind of puts Sporting Kansas City in last place. Literally figuratively and in more ways than one. And surely the crowds aren’t so large and vendors and sponsors are taking a hit. But most importantly then the bottom line is those players in US fans we don’t deserve this product!
So, stop recording pods until he’s gone? (this is where I’d insert the sweating/smiling emoji if I could…)
Perhaps a discussion amongst media…concerning who might be a nice fit as a new manager?
More discussions on who the club needs to acquire over the summer window?
Give us a Top 5 of possibilities lol
Since ownership made it clear they aren’t firing him AND I probably don’t know enough to make you a good list, I’m gonna pass (for now).
If he did get fired, I feel certain Benny Feilhaber would be the interim coach. Beyond that, who knows? Someone that understands MLS roster rules (or at least a Sporting Director who’s really good at them) is a must. DPs, U-22s, TAM, Discovery Lists, GAM, Senior and Supplemental rosters, etc. It’s madness!