There's no doubt about it: We're entering one of the most exciting periods of the MLS season.
The summer transfer/trade window opened this week and I'll be joining MLSsoccer.com to share a GM/TD point of view on all the key transactions that MLS clubs will be making over the next month. In the process, I hope to help fans gain greater insight into the mind of a General Manager / Technical Director and all the factors they are constantly processing when it comes to trades, international player signings and any of a number of transactions they can make through the August 7 deadline.
The life of a GM/TD is filled with pressure and I experienced it first hand over four seasons in Montreal. You face it every way you turn -- from the owner, the coach, the fans and the media. The pressure to succeed is amplified during the summer window because the expectation is that you can make a move that will help propel your team to the playoffs and ultimately to a championship.
And the job is all-encompassing, including scouting, roster building, salary cap management, contract negotiations with agents and trade discussions with other GMs or TDs. But the key to a successful transfer window is to be well-prepared going in and to have formulated a plan months prior, so you are not left scrambling or panicking. This can only be accomplished when you have a proper structure within the club that is aligned and working together with the same vision.
Another key to making it all work: relationships. The fact that I was fortunate enough to play at different levels during my career as a player -- NCAA, USL, MLS and Scandinavia -- helped me at different moments during my tenure as Technical Director in Montreal, especially when it came to forging relationships in the game. The better relationships you have with different stakeholders in the soccer world, the better off you are as a GM/TD.
With all that, the summer window activity is obviously more limited compared to the primary winter window. Since clubs are in midseason, their rosters are nearly complete and therefore typically more limited when it comes to salary cap space. And every summer move has to be evaluated for the impact on the roster and salary cap for the following season, as well.
The role of GM/TD is a careful balancing act: We make sure we put our teams in a position to succeed in the present, while always keeping an eye on the future composition of the team. The size and length of any new contract has to be weighed against other aspects: the club's expiring contracts at season's end, the salary cap heading into the next season and the age of the majority of players in the squad.
It's a lot to process, which makes it all the more interesting. And with more than 24 MLS clubs in the mix (the expansion teams are already making moves), there promises to be plenty of moves to break down and analyze.
