John Herdman unveiled as new Toronto FC head coach
- Herdman departs from the Canada national team to move to MLS
- Toronto dead-last in Eastern Conference standings with 22 points
- Herdman will hope to get the best out of Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi
Toronto FC have officially announced former Canada national team boss John Herdman as their newest head coach, succeeding Bob Bradley, who was dismisses earlier this summer.
The Reds are ushering in a new era with Herdman. They will have high hopes for the coach given their expensive front-line that boasts the likes of Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi.
Since Herdman was confirmed as the newest coach of TFC, the Eastern Conference team went on to win their first game in all competitions since late May, defeating Philadelphia Union 3-1 at BMO Field.
"This is a massive club with a huge heritage, and we all believe that it will get there pretty soon," said Herdman on Tuesday during his introductory press conference.
"So coming into this setting is almost perfect for the experiences that we have, working with the culture here to refocus, to reinvigorate, not only the staff but the players, to get to that next level. And that next level is there for Toronto FC. It's a club that we know can reach it."
It wasn't that long ago when Toronto lifted the domestic treble in 2017 by winning MLS Cup, Canadian Championship and Supporters' Shield all in the same season, and Herdman will be looking to bring the Reds back to that level in the near future.
"We're looking forward to [using] these next couple of weeks to really get a lay of the land on what needs to be done in the short term and the medium term to give us success.”#TFCLive
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) August 30, 2023
Insigne (four goals and three assists in 2023) and Bernardeschi (five goals and two assists in 2023) have shown flashes here and there, but it hasn't really worked out thus far at BMO Field for the Italian duo.
"Those players are a massive part of the TFC picture," Herdman said. "That's a process that I'll be evaluating through my tenure. I've got [newly promoted general manager] Jason Hernandez, who's had some deep experiences with these players as well, that’ll be helping guide what that roster will look like in the new season."
But Herdman was quick to explain that this new era is not just about the two Italians, and that Hernandez and he will have a long, hard look at the roster for the remainder of 2023 in preparation for the 2024 MLS season.
"But for me, it's a process, now really going towards understanding those, the antecedents behind the performances we've seen, and ultimately, the motivations of every player, and to find out how committed people are to taking this club to the next level, because that's the demand," he added. "That's the expectation."
Toronto, after snapping their 13 game winless-streak, will gear up to take on Canadian rivals Vancouver Whitecaps at BMO Field after the international break on September 16.
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