MINNESOTA UNITED | ANALYSIS
Here are two quotes. One's from Eric Ramsay, Minnesota United manager; one is from Ted Lasso, fictional ex-manager of fictional Premier League side AFC Richmond. Can you guess which is which?
Quote one: "I'm genuinely not a coach that's going to talk about winning all that often. I don't think it's necessary to talk about winning."
Quote two: "I'm gonna say this again, just so you didn't think it was a mistake the first time I said it. For me, success is not about the wins and losses."
Those who watched the eponymous Emmy-winning TV series probably remember the second quote, offered in actor Jason Sudeikis' best Kansas drawl. But the first, even in Ramsay's British accent, does bear more than a passing similarity to a Lasso-ism.
The difference is that while the fictional coach was talking about "helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves, on and off the field," Ramsay's quote has more to do with something he's harped on ever since his arrival: process over results.
The Loons are 6-2-3, good for second in the Western Conference, with struggling Portland coming to town this weekend. Just don't expect to hear Ramsay talking about Minnesota's record, or spot in the standings.
"I always talk to our staff about everything at a football club boiling down to the moments between half past ten and twelve o'clock every day, when you're training," said Ramsay. "If you get those moments right four or five times a week when you're on the pitch, then that will put you in a good position on Saturday. If you perform on Saturday, that will naturally transform into results."
It's not that winning isn't important, or that Ramsay doesn't care about winning; he just doesn't feel the need to mention it to the players and staff, since it's the default goal for any team.
Rather than focus on the outcomes, he'd much rather talk about the way the team plays. Minnesota's position in the standings hardly gets mentioned. "I don't think I've made reference to the table once over the course of this year," he said.
It's part of a larger cultural shift within the club. Former manager Adrian Heath was always quick to know where his team was at in the standings, and often spoke about how players changed games, and how new players might make a difference for the squad. Ramsay and chief soccer officer Khaled El-Ahmad have consistently emphasized the way the team plays over any individual or result.
Said Ramsay, "The big thing for us is the focus, and seeing the process through from minute one to minute 90. We want to make sure that if we're going to be a relatively low-spending team in the league, we are an almost perfectly prepared team that really buys into the process, and that element of process contributing to performance — performance will ultimately get you wins."
The paydays aren't as big in MLS
The MLS Players Association released its biannual salary guide this week. Minnesota United ranks 23rd of 29 teams in guaranteed compensation — though with the caveat that the payroll gaps are much smaller in MLS than other sports, and the Loons are less than $4 million away from being in the league's top five.
It was a reminder that compared to other men's sports in America, MLS players tend to be paid a lot more like regular people. For example, Joseph Rosales and Tani Oluwaseyi might be the two breakout players for Minnesota this year. Neither is making six figures in guaranteed compensation; they're two of nine players making less than the median household income in Blaine ($105,987), where the team's training facility is located.
Just four Loons are paid more than the league minimum in any of the traditional men's big four professional sports. There are at least six Minnesota athletes that make more than the entire Loons squad put together, including three Timberwolves, two Twins, and the Vikings' Justin Jefferson.
MLS' median salary has more than tripled over the past ten years, part of the larger growth of the league. But in terms of paydays, most fans will still find the league's players a lot more relatable than those in other sports.
