Reader mailbag: Will free agents want to sign with Toronto FC?
TFC needs to undergo a major culture change in order to be able to lure free agents who have many teams vying for their services.
TFC Republic will feature a regular reader mailbag column where I answer questions from subscribers about Toronto FC and Canadian soccer in general.
I'll respond to the best queries submitted to me by TFC Republic readers, so feel free to drop me an email at jmo1897@gmail.com. You can also reach out to me via Twitter and Facebook.
Here we go...
How will Toronto FC try to entice players to come sign here? It is fair to say that most players would not want to come here right now with the state we are in? What can TFC do to alter the culture and get free agents to sign here? I personally think we are not going to get any talented domestic MLS free agents unless we simply do what we do best: Overpay.
– Anthony Trentadue
I'm not sure it's fair to say that most players wouldn't want to come to Toronto FC right now, even in light of the state of the franchise. Money talks, after all, and it screams in pro sports. But I do think Anthony raises a valid point about TFC needing to change the culture of the team in order to be able to better lure free agents.
The club's reputation around the league has taken a beating over the last three years as it's failed to make the playoffs, gone through five different coaches and two GMs/sporting directors, seen massive roster turnover and experienced a great deal of drama off the pitch. All of that is going to give any prospective free agent pause for thought and make him think twice about coming to Toronto when he's considering his options.
