The new Crew is the old Celtic

Henrik Rydström, the ninth head coach in the 31-year history of the Columbus Crew, had the shortest tenure of any of his predecessors, and it is likely his term here will hold the brevity record in perpetuity.

Rydström, 50, was told that he was being relieved of his duties on Sunday night, sometime after the Crew managed a mere 1-1 draw against the bottom-dwelling Union in Philadelphia. The official announcement of Rydström firing came at 5:30 p.m. Monday.

Rydström, hired on New Year's Eve to much fanfare, lasted 136 days with the club. In MLS competition, his Crew team posted a 3-7-4 record with 19 goals for and 23 against.

In U.S. Open Cup competition, the Crew won their first two games of the tournament, and they will play a quarterfinal match against NYCFC at the new Crew Stadium Wednesday night. After that, the Crew have just one more league game – home against Atlanta United Saturday evening – before a two-month break for the World Cup.

Assistant Laurent Courtois moves up to the head job on an interim basis, although general manager Issa Tall indicated that Courtois is likely to still be around after the break (see Q&A below). Courtois won an MLS NextPro championship with Crew 2 in 2022, moved on to the head-coaching job at FC Montreal for a year-plus, and returned to Columbus prior to this season.

Tall said his decision to fire Rydström was based on three criteria – results, the eye test of the team's on-field play and a team culture that was "always one step forward and two steps back." (Again, see Q&A below.)

"We felt that there was no time to waste," Tall said. "We have two important games, and because we have someone like Laurent in-house, someone that has been with us, someone that we know very well ... There was no right timing to do it. We believe it will create an uplift inside the building."

Rydström could not be reached for comment.

There are fans who feel that Rydström deserved a pink slip for his team's poor performance (really, it was more streaky than poor). Was his Crew team properly prepared? Were his tactics well-executed? Although there were glimmers – streaks, even – the Crew's penchant for stupid breakdowns and second-half meltdowns was unsightly.

There are fans who feel that Tall is more culpable for the roster he has built, especially given the lack of depth at center back – something he has been talked about, but never addressed, for years. Daniel Gazdag has been a huge miss. Etc.

According to Disrespected Media sources, Rydström was liked by players – but his prolonged meetings were beginning to wear on the lads, and his practices were an adjustment. What is more, Rydström's top assistant, Theo Olsson, was not a player favorite (a gentle way to put it).

I hear all of this. I understand.

But I still don't like this move.

Cumbaya

The Crew rebuilt a winning culture since the club was reborn in the wake of #SaveTheCrew. They won an MLS Cup in 2020 and another in 2023. They won a Leagues Cup in 2024, when they were the top-ranked team on the continent.

Part of the culture was a One Club family atmosphere. With it came the promise of opportunity: The Crew stands in the way of no player who wants to go overseas to advance his career. It's the right way to operate, they say.

Through that lens, look at this move.

Prior to Columbus, Rydström won two league titles and one Swedish Cup in three years with Malmö, a giant of a club in his native country. He was lured to a new challenge in Columbus, "challenge" being the operative word.

Rydström took over for a club legend in Wilfried Nancy, who failed to get the Crew past the first round of the playoffs in each of the previous two seasons. Rydström was installing a new system – much like Nancy tried to do at Celtic before he was fired ealier this year, after 33 days on the job – and trying to assimilate in a new culture. He had very little say (yet) on roster decisions.

Results were expected right away.

A month into the season, Rydström's star striker, Wessam Abou Ali, blew out a knee. Rydström's system needs and effective No. 9. Big hole.

Results were still expected, and Rydström got shit-canned after five months and 16 games on the job.

Is Martin O'Neill available?

What's next?

One thing I learned a long time ago is that it's nigh impossible to know everything that goes on behind the scenes.

Maybe the change was needed, as Tall says, for reasons he won't go into publicly. Maybe Jimmy Haslam was leaning hard on his GM to draft Johnny Manziel, or trade for Deshaun Watson, or shit-can the Swedish guy. I don't know.

Maybe Tim Bezbatchenko is headed home; certainly, there have been enough rumors to suggest as much. Maybe Courtois is exactly the right coach at the right time. Or, maybe Nancy 2.0 is in the offing; he's still in Central Ohio as he awaits his next opportunity. Maybe Jimmy wants the man he calls "Wil" back under his thumb.

I don't know.

This is what I believe: Rydström is a good man – wonderful brain, great self-awareness, sneaky sense of humor – with an impressive resume. I admire him as a human being as much as I admire Tall.

Rydström got shit-canned 116 days after he landed in America.

That is not the right way to operate.

The press release (partial)

A short Q&A with Issa Tall

Disrespected Media: What is your reasoning?

Tall: "You've watched all of our games, so it's pretty obvious. The three reasons are: One, results. We've only won three of 14 MLS games, and the three games came against teams that, frankly, have not been great. Two, the way we've played. Yesterday was again a prime example of: yes, it's improved, we're playing great football, but we're not creating chances, and second halves are more of the same always. And, three, culturally, it has not been clicking with the players. It has been progressing a bit, but it's always one step forward, two steps back. The change was needed."

DM: I see that Laurent is the interim. How long will he keep that tag?

Tall: Obviously, we have the next two games (before the break). It's something we need to talk about in more detail; this thing happened just last night. He has the next two games, but the plan is for him to stay longer. Even after the summer break. I think he is deserving of the chance. It's not a guy we just picked up on the side of the road. He was a candidate every time we had a vacancy, and he did well. And he has shown signs of clicking with the players, able to run a staff, and he has a clarity of how he wants to play. So, he will be more than those two games."

DM: One could argue that you could've and maybe should've been more patient with Henrik. Obviously, one can't argue the results, is the way you put it. But was there anything that has happened aside from that – was there something he said, something he said publicly, something that happened with the players, players that approached you – that contributed to this decision?

Tall: No. Again, I have respect for Henrik. There was nothing toxic or malicious or any comment that he said that triggered this thing. It's more the ... And it's not just one player. It's the overall feel of the locker room. We are pretty involved in being around in those everyday meetings, we are by the field at training and we are in the locker room on game days, and these are things that we can just feel. And they were not feeling right.

DM: The argument has also been made that Henrik has been hamstrung by lack of depth at center back, and now injuries to the front line, and that some of this is on the GM. Do you accept that?

Tall: All of us have to accept their responsibility. I think, yes, it's on Henrik, on the head coach. It's also on me and it's also on the players. I can argue against. I can say, look, those injuries are what they are, but there are things that we cannot necessarily hide behind always. Saying that we have no striker is somewhat not true. Some teams have played without strikers and they have been successful. Anyway, I can go on and on and on.

Look, I take responsibility. I'm not going to hide. I know we need to strengthen the roster. It's something we work hard every day. I do not doubt that this group is more than capable, but also that we need to bring fresh blood. And that's what we intend on doing."

DM: Anthing else you want to add?

Tall: "One may argue, 'Why didn't we wait another week?' We felt that there was no time to waste. We have two important games, and because we have someone like Laurent in-house, someone that has been with us, someone that we know very well ... There was no right timing to do it. We believe it will create an uplift inside the building."

DM: Was this difficult for you?

Tall: "Yes, but it would have been difficult for anyone. ... I've spent a lot of time with Henrik – here in this building, over the phone – over the last five months. So, no, it's not easy. It is difficult. But, ultimately, I have to think of the club, first and foremost. And I think that was the right thing for the club."

Rydström's last press conference

A Zoom with two reporters after 1-1 draw in Philly Saturday night.

Rydström is honest to a fault, with the fault here being he sounds like he's making excuses. I never took it that way because there's nothing he would say that he wouldn't own himself.

"I said it after Red Bull (Wednesday night), we need to understand where we are," Rydström said on Saturday night's Zoom. "That doesn't mean that we don't fight for every victory and every point, but we lack some players. We had some hits. I see the progress we do with the ball. I see the progress we do in how we defend, also, against this kind of team (Philly). We have taken four points from them, and we know how tough they are. I try to divide the feelings, sort the feelings out and see the steps we take. Then of course, we need to defend better in some other situations, and we will.”

Lori Schmidt from the Dispatch then said, "This is the second game in a row where you mentioned your situation at striker after the game. I imagine if you've been making these statements publicly ... when Issa Tall sees you coming, he says, 'I know. I know. I know.'"

Rydström appeared to be a bit confused with the American idiom – the premise of which was that Tall must be tired of hearing that the Crew need a striker, but put so very nicely, like only Lori Schmidt, a very nice person, can put it. A PR person clarified for Rydström, who responded:

“Yeah, we talk. We sold (former Crew and Toulouse Forward Jacen) Russell-Rowe before a couple of weeks before the MLS started. We brought (Forward) Jamal (Thiaré) in from Atlanta. We were very happy with our attacking line. We had (Forward) Diego (Rossi), (midfielder Daniel) Gazdag), (midfielder) Max (Arfsten) and (midfielder) Hugo (Picard), and then (forward) Wess (Abou Ali) got a serious injury and is out the rest of the season. Jamal, he had some trouble before with his calf and that came back. Of course, you can't have that depth in the squad – you have two strikers of like high level (out due to injury). We have a lot of midfielders.

That's why I say if you look at it, we are still one of the best teams in the league to score in open play. Again, I'm quite happy with the way we create scoring opportunities and how we can have the ball without two strikers. It's nothing the Club can do anything about. It's just unlucky, and we will sort it out this summer. I have no problems with it. Maybe it was not what you meant neither, but I have no problems with it. I like the way we play. I like the way we found other solutions. Gazdag has played more now. Hugo has scored, and scored an amazing goal now. Max has scored. I think we find other ways to compensate. Due to like tactical (factors and) to not have a threat in behind more than we have right now, of course, an opponent they know it so we need to be really good with the ball to be able to solve it. I think overall we have done it.”

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The Disrespected

Michael Arace covers pro sports in flyover country. Welcome to Columbus, the Blue Jackets and the Crew.

The DisrespectedMichael Arace