Less than 24 hours after making “the hardest decision” of his tenure by parting ways with head coach Giovanni Savarese, Portland Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy now must make the most important one: finding a replacement.
“It begins immediately,” Grabavoy said of the team’s managerial search while speaking to reporters Tuesday. “And we’ll have a clear identity as to what we need in the next leader of the club. This moment serves for us a chance to reset.”
Whoever ends up taking the reins permanently at Portland, who will be led on an interim basis by assistant Miles Joseph through the remainder of the 2023 campaign, the Timbers seem intent on finding someone cut from a different cloth than Savarese.
“It’s best for the club to have a new voice,” Grabavoy said of what’s to come after severing ties with the man who guided the club to two MLS Cup finals (2018, '21) and the MLS is Back Tournament title in 2020 in his nearly six seasons at Providence Park.
“There is a life cycle sometimes to what we do. At this point, I believe it’s important that there’s new leadership and the club moves in a new direction and we continue our next evolution.”
According to Grabavoy, a lack of evolvement in recent years is what ultimately cost Savarese his job as the Timbers failed to reach the Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs and are in danger of missing out on the postseason this year as well.
Currently 12th on the Western Conference table with a 6W-10L-8D record (26 points), the Timbers haven’t won consecutive games this season and are coming off their ugliest loss of 2023: a 5-0 drubbing at Houston Dynamo FC in Matchday 27.
“I think some of the individual talent that we have has to add up and equal something,” the GM stated. “And I think ultimately as well, over the last year-plus, we just haven’t seen that equal what it needs to.”
Even with key long-term injuries – most notably to midfielders Eryk Williamson and David Ayala – the Timbers still boast a formidable roster with the likes of club-record signing Evander, as well as highly-rated fullback Juan Mosquera and brothers Yimmi and Diego Chara.
The latter suggested as much Tuesday when asked to comment on Savarese’s departure.
“What I can say is that everyone has to do more,” the 37-year-old Colombian midfielder and captain said. “In defense, in attack, we need to figure out how to do better things on the field.”
Fellow South American veteran midfielder Sebastián Blanco went even further.
“We had to do more. Unfortunately, Gio paid for everything,” the Argentine said. “It’s something that happens in football, but we are responsible a lot for this moment.”
As tough as times are right now in Portland, Grabavoy strongly believes that Joseph and his squad can turn things around and make a late playoff push. The Timbers have 10 regular-season games remaining.
“This isn’t waving the white flag. There’s still something there for us to achieve this season,” Grabavoy said.
“… We do need to see a reaction out of the players.”
