The #GioOut Debate

Every year, the same debate emerges: is Giovanni Savarese the right man to lead the Portland Timbers? The genial Venezuelan is in the middle of his sixth season in charge of the Timbers, and he has built an impressive resume. But a growing faction of fans are in favor of letting him go and taking the team in a different direction. I’m going to take a look at each of his seasons in charge and see how much weight the #GioOut argument truly has.

2018

Giovanni Savarese came to Portland in 2018, and led the team to a MLS Cup appearance in his first season. This was not a sure thing for most of the season, however. Savarese’s tenure started off with a 5-match winless streak, picking up two points in that stretch. It was lowlighted by a 3-2 loss in Orlando, when they were up 2-0 in the 80th minute before completely blowing it. A noteworthy fact of that dreary month was the Timbers playing the entirety of it on the road. In a shocking turn of form, they immediately started a massive unbeaten streak, going 11 matches without a loss. Only four draws occurred in that span, and their goal difference during that stretch was +14. That goal difference meant a lot of close games, but they were still able to hold on, with them only dropping points in the second half once in that span. Often, they were able to find late winners and take the result for themselves in those critical late moments. Diego Valeri, Sebastian Blanco, and newcomer Samuel Armenteros were routinely clutch. That streak was broken by a 2-1 loss in Vancouver in August, and ended up dropping their next three matches as well. Their form evened out after that, and at the end of the regular season they found themselves in the playoffs with a 5th-place finish in the Western Conference. That was also good enough for 8th in the Supporter’s Shield standings, which measures their performance against the whole league rather than just in their conference. A magical playoff run ensued. On Halloween, they defeated Dallas away from home to book a spot in the Conference Semis against their biggest rivals, the Seattle Sounders. At home in Portland, they won 2-1 taking a crucial advantage into CenturyLink Field. In an instant-classic match, the Timbers found themselves with an aggregate lead before Raul Ruidiaz fired home an equalizer in second-half stoppage time to send the match into extra-time. Both teams scored in extra-time, and in a funny (in hindsight) turn of events, the Timbers thought they had avoided penalties by scoring an away goal in the extra period. But away goals were suspended, and they went to a penalty shootout, which they promptly won and ended their rival’s season on their home turf. They tied the first leg of the Conference Final at home to SKC, but won the away leg outright following a Blanco wonder-goal and a Valeri brace. Their magical run ended against a superior Atlanta team, but it still wasn’t a complete wash. You just had this feeling it was Atlanta’s day, and they still put up a great fight against a better team. 

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2018 was an absolute success for the Timbers. They turned a very good regular season into a deep playoff run, all with a brand new manager. Their goal difference was +6, once again indicative of a team that played very close games. But their success this season was due to that clutchness, coming up big in the biggest moments in both the regular season and the playoffs. It was Blanco’s second season in Portland, and he turned into a star to complement both Diegos. Liam Ridgewell and Larrys Mabiala formed a solid CB tandem. Club legend Fanendo Adi left in August, but the emergence of draft pick Jeremy Ebobisse was massive, especially down the stretch. There was also solid depth behind their stars, led by Lawrence Olum and Andy Polo. A lot of their success was dependent on their stars, but their stars performed at their level and the Timbers were able to start the Savarese Era off with a bang. 

2019

There were 2 things that defined 2019: the Providence Park expansion and Brian Fernandez. Due to the stadium not being fully finished until June, the Timbers would have a long and grueling road trip for the first two months of the season. Midway through that trip, Fernandez arrived from Liga MX side Necaxa and immediately stamped his face on the new team. He scored at a torrid pace, energized the team, and was a model of a Designated Player. However, his hot start slowly cooled off, but the team kept scoring. They still found themselves in the thick of the playoff race, but on September 29th, everything changed. Fernandez was sent off for violent conduct in the 36th minute. But he wouldn’t just miss the final match of the season, which the Timbers had to win to make the playoffs. The day after the playoff clinching victory over San Jose, Fernandez entered the MLS Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program after a long battle with cocaine addiction. A 6th place Western Conference finish was only good enough for 11th place in the Supporter’s Shield. Their MLS Cup follow-up ended with a heartbreaking exit in the first round of the playoffs in Salt Lake. Therefore the 2019 season can only be summarized by the effects of the substance that indirectly fueled the team throughout the campaign: an immediate burst of energy and fight, followed by a shockingly quick fall that seemed like a fever dream. 

2020

Fernandez would not be with the team in 2020, so two new strikers arrived: Felipe Mora on loan and Jaroslaw Niezgoda on a permanent DP contract. This season was difficult, not just because of COVID-19. The Timbers only played two games (1-0-1) before the season was shut down.  After the season was suspended, MLS decided to host a closed-door bubble-style tournament in Orlando. Savarese, ever the tournament master, led the Timbers to victory in the one-and-only MLS is Back Tournament, a crown that can never be won by any other club. This run was possible due to two people: Savarese and Sebastian Blanco. It could have been incredibly easy for this team to phone it in for this tournament, heck, several clubs seemed to do just that. Savarese deserves a ton of credit for motivating the team during MLS is Back. Blanco, on the other hand, was the best player in the tournament. He had 3 goals and 5 assists in the 7 matches Portland played in the Orlando bubble. The boost the tournament win gave the Timbers carried over into the resumed season. It looked like the Timbers were headed towards another MLS Cup run, until the slippery turf at Lumen Field claimed Blanco as its latest victim. The Timbers were still able to get into the playoffs, but Blanco had taken Valeri’s spot as the best attacker on the team. Another Designated Player, the prolific striker Jaroslaw Niezgoda, tore his ACL in the regular season finale. This team limped into the playoffs with their best finish in the West so far under Savarese, finishing tied for 1st but finishing 3rd on dumb technicalities (playing more games). It was also good enough for an 8th place finish in the Shield. The Timbers once again suffered heartbreak in the playoffs, allowing a 90th minute equalizer to Dallas before losing 8-7 on penalties in the first round. Those two injuries would carry lasting effects into the next season. 

2021

2021, however, is Savarese’s defining season as Timbers manager. Another tumultuous early season seemed to doom Portland, lowlighted by an earth-shattering 6-2 defeat to Seattle at Providence Park. However, Savarese’s late-season magic returned in full force. Highlighted by Blanco rediscovering his pre-injury form, Portland ripped off 10 wins in their last 14 matches, with clean sheets in 6 of those victories. They entered the playoffs as the 4th seed in the West, took care of business at home against Minnesota, and saw top seeds around the league get eliminated. A win at Colorado on Thanksgiving and a late RSL winner in Kansas City saw the Western Conference Final return to Portland. With a win against RSL, the Timbers would host their first MLS Cup regardless of the result in the Eastern Conference Final. During that jewel of a match, Portland took control early with a Felipe Mora goal within 5 minutes and later saw the game sealed with an incredible first Timbers goal by Santiago Moreno. 2021 MLS Cup fell on December 11th, in a whipping wind and rain storm on a day that seemed like it wouldn’t go the hosts way. That was until the last kick of regulation, when Mora fired home a deflected shot into the south end net and sent the entire stadium into a frenzy. No words could describe the feeling that flooded my body in section 106, after tricking a NYCFC ticket rep into getting me a $75 ticket, after waiting in line outside Gate D praying my ticket would scan since 7 AM freezing my toes off standing off the sidewalk on Morrison, getting to my seat and not leaving it until the final kick knowing if I left I would not be able to get back in. The team of destiny was back. 30 minutes of delirium followed in extra time. And then the world stood still. Penalties will never be easy. MLS is Back required multiple penalty shootout wins. The 2018 Seattle epic ended with an unforgettable penalty shootout in front of ECS. Alexander Callens roofed a penalty into the North End net, right in front of my face. All I could do was stand in disbelief, chanting “When I root, I root for the Timbers,” in a trancelike state as the team that had their fingers on the Cup slowly walked back into the locker room, while the plucky underdog oil club lifted the trophy into the air to raucous cheering from their own traveling supporters. Later that night, after I had exited the stadium several hours earlier still in a trance, I returned. I traced the steps of the wristband line I had waited in several times before, wondering when I would be here next, and under what circumstances. I knew those circumstances wouldn’t contain Diego Valeri, the face of the club since his arrival in 2013. A man that influential to the history of the club went out with a penalty saved in front of his own fans with a title on the line. I wouldn’t wish the feeling he felt heading back to the halfway circle on anyone. My wistfulness and sadness that day is mostly directed at goalkeeper Steve Clark. It would be his last match in a Portland uniform on December 11th, and the Loris Karius-like ability he had displayed in 2015 came back on that stormy day on the turf of Providence. Blaming keepers is something I don’t like to do. But in the biggest moments, you cannot allow shots to go underneath you. The lasting effects of that Saturday in December will be felt from now until I am buried in green and gold. 

In addition to the on-field drama, trouble began to brew in the front office. An article released by The Athletic in late September detailed ongoing harassment by former Thorns coach Paul Riley, and owner Merritt Paulson’s willingness to cover it up. The sins of the suits were now on full display, and there was a massive amount of backlash from the Timbers’ fanbase, as Paulson owned both teams. Timbers GM Gavin Wilkinson was also implicated in the article, and now the team was heading into an offseason with a stake in their heart from the tragic end to the season on the field and turmoil in the executive suite.

2022

2022 was shrouded in doubt from the opening whistle. A team that never fully clicked until it was too late missed the playoffs after a final day surrender in Salt Lake. Savarese tried to work his late-season magic once again, but it came up just short. However, it wasn’t a trophyless season in Portland. The Timbers went undefeated in the Cascadia Cup and claimed it in a season where I believed it mattered more than any other trophy the club could have won. It was a silver lining and a wonderful thank-you present to many fans who were having existential crises in how to draw the line between supporting the team or the suits who sat in the executive suites. The dysfunction from the Thorns crept into the Timbers’ side of the ownership, as this was the year of Andy Polo. Polo did not play a single minute for the club this year, but he had been released by the team after signing a new contract. It was revealed that his release was necessitated by domestic violence allegations from his wife. The team knew of the allegations, but that didn’t stop them from signing that contract. Given the club’s lack of moral compass, winning the trophy made by the fans for the fans was poetic. However, with Savarese’s sixth campaign already four matches old, I think it’s a fair time for a performance assessment. 

On-The-Field Analysis Part 1: A Player’s Manager

Savarese’s list of accomplishments with Portland is impressive. Besides both MLS Cup runs (both of which have earned trophies), he has MLS is Back and the 2022 Cascadia Cup to his name. That is the essence of Savarese’s term here. No matter what, we are always competitive at the end of the season. Last year’s playoff miss was the first in his tenure with the club. He also hasn’t had the easiest job off the field either. No one could have predicted Fernandez’s problems with cocaine (except maybe Gavin Wilkinson but his list of sins stretches all the way to Astoria) or the fallout from Andy Polo’s domestic violence case. He has also had to deal with a plague of injuries that never seems to end. His fully healthy teams always compete on the highest level. But coaches in MLS have a barrier that coaches in Europe don’t have to deal with: roster limits. MLS teams are always hard-pressed for depth especially if injuries are a major factor. Throughout the roster limits that Savarese has had he has managed to keep the Timbers competitive, even if it isn’t pretty. He is a man who knows how to win games, and the players love him for that. His consistent ability to grind out results is a quality of a good man manager. Look at Zinedine Zidane’s tenure in Madrid. He had great players who had very high soccer IQ and he managed them to perfection. Winning three Champions Leagues in a row is incredibly impressive. He was able to get the most out of his players without a clearly defined tactical system. Savarese is that style of coach. 

Now, that style comes with a weakness. Since Savarese arrived in Portland, he has presided over the primes of three club legends. Valeri had just won the MVP in 2017, Blanco was in his second season here, and Diego Chara had already established himself as the best DM in MLS. Because of that, the Timbers have become a team that will go as far as their best players take them. Valeri was nicknamed El Maestro for a reason. He coordinated the attack through the first couple years of Savarese’s tenure, and once his age began to show Blanco picked up the torch. Blanco, of course, got hurt in 2020, but once he returned in 2021 the team played inspired soccer all the way to a MLS Cup Final. That 2021 final is still Savarese’s defining match as Timbers manager. Blanco had tweaked his hamstring in the conference semifinal win in Colorado, and missed the following week’s victory over RSL. Dairon Asprilla was shown a red card in the dying moments of the Colorado match, and he also missed the RSL game serving his suspension. The three advanced midfielders who started against RSL (Yimmi Chara, Marvin Loria, Santiago Moreno) showed great chemistry together in that victory. However, both Blanco and Asprilla started the following week in the final. Both players were rusty for various reasons (Asprilla was not mentally in match shape and Blanco was still obviously hurt) and they were unable to create the same spark in attack that the RSL starters had created the week before. He decided to go with his big name players rather than sticking with the success from the previous week. Now, if the players look healthy in training, and they are also performing well in training, it is a perfectly fine job to play them in the biggest game of the season. MLS is a star’s league, and stars often carry teams to the highest honors in the league. Was starting Asprilla and Blanco the reason we lost MLS Cup? I think it is a factor, but there were so many other factors that day that led to our loss. It shouldn’t be understated how lifeless we looked in the first half though, and a lot of that was due to Asprilla and Blanco. 

On-The-Field Analysis Part 2: Lack of Tactical Identity & Misidentification of Talent

That decision to start them is the nexus of Savarese’s biggest weakness: relying too much on top-tier talent rather than tactics. Last year, a tactical shift was incredibly necessary as the creativeness of the side was nonexistent. Goals needed to come from set pieces, penalties, and counter-attacks because there were so few quality chances being created in possession. Last year was also the first year the Timbers didn’t have a true healthy number ten for the entire season. Yimmi Chara was forced into that role, but it wasn’t his natural position and his performances suffered because of it. Blanco still had a good year, but the reaggravation of his hamstring limited him. Thus the Timbers were without their star for the first time in Savarese’s tenure. Switching to the back five at the end of the season was a move made to get results by emphasizing a stronger defense to make up for the weakened attack. This was the same story from 2020 as well. Even 2019 to an extent, with Fernandez being the focal point. And this misidentification of Fernandez’s talent was the first domino to fall that has led us to this exact moment in Timbers history. 

Fernandez primarily played on the right for Necaxa. He was a dangerous winger with a serious eye for goal. Savarese, however, saw him as a number 9. He has stuck with his prized 4-2-3-1 formation for the majority of his tenure, and that formation only has a single striker leading the line. This created a problem for Jeremy Ebobisse. A college standout at Duke, Ebobisse was drafted by Portland in the first round of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. He quickly earned a spot with the first team, showing good scoring instincts and even better skills off the ball and in hold-up play. He looked like a true number 9. That made it more confusing when Savarese began deploying him on the left wing after Fernandez arrived. Surely Gio could see that they had a fantastic attack, with Valeri at the ten, Blanco able to both pull the strings and arrive late in the box on the left, Fernandez free to make lethal late runs and finish with deadly accuracy, and Ebobisse able to hold-up play and score from deliveries from Blanco, Valeri, and attacking minded fullbacks Jorge Villafana and Jorge Moreira? But he decided to play Fernandez as a striker, and once teams could figure out how to stop him, the attack stalled. I remember attending the July 18, 2019 match at home against Orlando City. The Timbers dominated the game, but only came away with a 1-1 draw. They recorded 63% possession, outshot Orlando 26-2, and tied. Out of those 26 shots, 17 were inside the box, and only 4 were on target. They completed 488 passes that day, with 342 in the attacking half of the field. The defining stat of that match, however,  was accurate crosses. The Timbers fired 41 crosses into the opposing box, and only connected on 9 of them. That’s a rate of 22 percent. Ebobisse didn’t start that match, but he came on as a sub for Andy Polo on the left wing. He ended up scoring the equalizer when one of those 9 accurate crosses found the head of a diving Fernandez, who popped it back up right onto Ebobisse's head for a true striker’s finish. Why are 41 crosses being sent into the box to a short number 9, while the proper number 9 is playing on the left wing? I don’t have an issue with all the crossing as Orlando was very much parking the bus on the road. But there is something to be said about having the right players in the right positions for that situation, and Savarese did not. Further down the line, Fernandez was suspended by the league and eventually released by Portland. What did the Timbers do in response? What position did they end up strengthening? They brought in two new high-salary strikers. Now, front offices and coaching staffs are supposed to communicate. The coach’s job is to let the general manager know what positions he thinks need help, and the GM’s job is to bring qualified players to the coach’s attention so they can agree on a signing. Savarese still didn’t see Ebobisse as the number 9 that he was. So here come two new strikers, in a system that only uses one on the field at a time. Not that they were bad signings as players, mind you. Both of them when healthy were top players in the league (don’t judge Niezgoda as a bad signing, that injury was very unfortunate and he hasn’t been able to move the same since). But in 2021, with this increased depth and salary committed to the striker position, Ebobisse became expendable as he entered a contract year. Why sign two big-salary strikers when the number 9 you have been looking for has been here the whole time? Both signings reek of desperation following Fernandez’s $9 million move collapsing. But it wasn’t just desperation. It was the most significant misjudgement of talent in Timbers MLS history. Ebobisse was traded to San Jose for a million bucks worth of GAM. Since then, the Timbers have had a massive hole at the striker position, while Ebobisse has looked like the number 9 he was always meant to be in San Jose. 17 goals in 34 matches last year in his first full season with the Quakes. In 2022, all the strikers in Portland combined for 12 goals. You can still score without a healthy number ten if you have a competent striker who can create and score goals on his own. That player is now a Golden Boot contender, playing for a Western Conference rival.

On-The-Field Analysis Part 3: In-Game Management

The other massive knock on Savarese is his in-game management. He has a habit of dropping points in late-game situations. Some of those lost points are directly caused by his substitution habits. This primarily popped up in the past year, and I will use a match from last year to illustrate this. It was the first match following the June international break in Los Angeles (Carson, to be exact). The Timbers had grabbed the early lead following a Yimmi Chara goal. They weren’t creating a ton of quality chances, and seemed to be on the back foot in the second half. Center back Larrys Mabiala looked particularly vulnerable, and it looked like an equalizer could come at any moment for the host Galaxy. Savarese used four substitutions that day, and all four were attackers. Nathan Fogaca entered at the 60th, Marvin Loria and Dairon Asprilla at the 73rd, and Felipe Mora made his season debut in the 85th. All four of the Portland front line were subbed off. Now, I understand wanting to get the second and completely kill the game off, but the tide was not in the Timbers’ favor. There were defensive options on the bench, with Zac McGraw and David Ayala chief among them. But why swap out four attackers with a 1-0 lead? Especially when the defense is looking very vulnerable? Dejan Joveljic finally scored the equalizer in the 88th minute. But that wasn’t the whole story. The Timbers were lucky to escape with a point at all. A foul was called that wiped out a potential Galaxy winner, but the Timbers should never have been in that spot to begin with. Those dropped 2 points were the difference in the Timbers missing the playoffs, as they finished 1 point behind 7th-place Real Salt Lake. There were other instances of dropped points, like the Dallas home game (pain pain pain pain), but that particular match could be chalked up to dumb luck. There are more instances of his substitutions seemingly not making sense, but that Galaxy game is the most glaring example. Through the first four games of 2023, this seems to have improved a little bit. A tactical shift mid-match against LAFC led to the Timbers nearly capturing a point down 3-0. Even though the shift was positive, an argument could be made that Savarese took too long to implement it. 

This also plays into another weakness: waiting too long to make substitutions. I understand the importance of giving players proper minutes, but sometimes it just might not be their day. Savarese has a habit of making his first subs in the 65-70 minute window. By then, the majority of the game has passed, and now the subbed-on players don’t have a ton of time to grow into the game. This point doesn’t need a ton of expansion, because it’s rather simple. Those match-changing substitutions against LAFC came in the 60th, and the next one came in the 72nd, when Nathan Fogaca replaced a feckless Jaroslaw Niezgoda. That’s an example of Savarese properly using his substitutions. Subs-wise, St. Louis is only notable because Cristhian Paredes’ injury facilitated an early sub, which is something you can’t plan for. Savarese still only used 4 subs, with two of those coming in the 81st minute, 6 minutes after St. Louis took the lead. Urgency would’ve been welcome in that situation as well. This is something that I have seen improvement on so far this season, so I’m happy to acknowledge the progress he has made here with an emphasis on continued improvement.

Off-The-Field Analysis: The Locker Room Leader

Now, that was a lot of criticism, and all of it has to do with on the field performance, not results. Off the field, Savarese is a great person. He has full control of the locker room. That is evidenced by the seemingly annual turnaround this team does to find their best form in the latter months of the season. He is also a paragon of stability on the field amidst all the off-field turbulence in the club’s front office. There is a video that replays in my mind an awful lot. It is the Timbers celebrating their away win in Seattle last year, with Savarese leading a rendition of the Timbers Army trademark cheer, “Green and Gold.” The rest of the squad joins in, with the tune being correct but the words absolutely butchered. The response from Timbers fans? “Get him a chant sheet.” Possibly firing a manager that is beloved in the locker room is an objectively bad idea. Especially a team that still looks very similar to the team Savarese inherited  in 2018. Several key depth pieces and current starters have spent multiple years with this team. Between the continuity and the results, moving on from Savarese objectively doesn’t look like a good idea.

 The Great Debate: Results vs. Performance

This is the crux of the debate: do we want to win or do we want to win and look incredible doing it? Savarese’s career record in charge of Portland is 86-42-63 across all competitions, with an average of 1.57 points per match. There is no doubting his ability to get results, but there is a common nickname for him besides El Profe: xGio. This is a pun based on the Expected Goals metric, which rates the quality of chances a team has and gives a number value on how many goals they should score based on those chances. The Timbers often dominate possession and chances, but still lose. The inverse of that is also true: with the Timbers not creating a ton of quality chances but still outperforming their xG. I have already covered Savarese’s approach focusing on his stars to be match-winners on a weekly basis. Time for a case study of a team in another league that is also dealing with this current debate topic.

West Bromwich Albion is my English club. You can imagine my excitement when former Baggie Liam Ridgewell joined the Timbers in 2014. They were in the Premier League for a long stretch of time, but were relegated in 2018. They have only played one top-flight season since (2020-21), which ended in expected relegation. They should be in the Premier League every season, and the club’s ownership group is massively to blame for that. The group of owners routinely use the team as their own bank, and now this season could decide how much longer this team exists. This crucial season started off with a possible relegation to League One before human cabbage Steve Bruce was sacked and Carlos Corberan was hired as the new manager. He has facilitated a massive turnaround to where the Baggies are now 5 points out of a playoff spot with a game in hand. However, some fans are not happy with him. A few 1-0 victories over lesser competition in the league has drawn fans’ ire due to a perceived “boring” style of play. The team does have a tactical identity, done by building out through the back. Lots of chances have been created, with finishing often being incredibly unlucky or just lacking inside the box. That miniscule faction of unhappy fans are not necessarily begging for Corberan to leave, but they are whining about tactics even after each crucial set of 3 points have been earned. The audacity to complain after a win given the current state of the club breaks my brain. But once again, they don’t just want to win. They want to win in style.

The Timbers are not West Bromwich Albion (although they currently have the same OPTA Global Power Rankings score, which I find extremely funny). The Baggies do have a manager who has implemented a tactical identity that the whole team has bought into. That’s what the Timbers lack. Evander is not Diego Valeri. Valeri was able to come right in and immediately elevate the team to his level. On the other side of the coin, Evander is more gifted right now than Valeri was when he showed up in the Rose City. This means that he has a higher understanding of the game than the current squad does. I’m not calling the squad bad and stupid, Evander is just a different caliber of player. He is also playing as a true 10 rather than at the 8, where he played in Denmark. This is going to require a learning curve, and it is exposing Savarese’s lack of a tactical identity. I do have faith the results will follow, but how long will it take before those results come? Timbers games have been marked by stress for Savarese’s entire tenure, with usually a few matches a year being a dominant, stress-free viewing experience. Last year’s examples are the 7-2 SKC match, the Colorado home match, and the Seattle away match, coincidentally the only matches last year the Timbers won by multiple goals. The tactics of this team do not lend well to dominant victories, but they do win a lot more often than they lose.

My Verdict

There is no concrete reason to fire Savarese. But another playoff miss will definitely open the doors to a ton of speculation. The Timbers fanbase is now used to consistent winning and trophy contention. I am going to provide my own trophy priority rankings for this season. The first trophy the Timbers should be gunning for is MLS Cup, obviously. Second should be the U.S. Open Cup, which provides the easiest (in terms of matches played) path to CONCACAF Champions League. Third should be Leagues Cup, as the Timbers have already won a cup trophy in an interrupted season. Fourth is the Shield, and given the injury list this shouldn’t be heavily prioritized in this particular season. Playoff qualification is the bare minimum expectation for this squad. Cascadia Cup is second on this list in my heart, but Savarese usually wakes up for rivalry games, and those matches aren’t a truly separate competition aside from fights for playoff seeding. It’s pure rivalry bragging rights, and of course those matches will already be prioritized. Bottomline, there is a lot of reason for on-field concern. There is no evidence at this point that he has lost the locker room, and if he does at any point, I would emphatically call for him to be fired. But although there are great options possibly available (Pa Modou Kah, maybe Liam Ridgewell? Hugo Perez if I really think outside the box?), the pressure to find another manager who can deliver consistent results will be massive. I will definitely revisit this topic after this season ends, but at this point, Savarese is in the middle of the most difficult season he has had in Portland. We will see how he responds, because we are all rooting for him to turn it around. It will not be easy, by any means. 

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