The Vancouver Whitecaps announced multi-year contract extensions for head coach Carl Robinson and his coaching staff on Sunday.
The deals are fitting reward for Robinson and his team following a record-breaking season for the Whitecaps that saw them secure their second playoff place in three years, a club record MLS points total and their first ever CONCACAF Champions League berth.
But despite the job security offered by the contract extensions, Robinson is not set to rest on his laurels and is challenging himself and his squad to achieve even more this coming season.
"I'm delighted in the faith that the club has shown in me after a very good year," Robinson told reporters during a conference call on Sunday. "Just because I sign a multi-year deal doesn't mean my foot comes off the gas. I'll actually be putting more pressure on the players because we've put a foundation in place which has been pretty successful. I don't want to be pretty successful, I want to be very successful.
"The hard work starts now and I'm not naive. There's areas I need to improve on and and my players need to get better on because players expect that and that certainly will happen this year."
Having come into Vancouver's management role in December 2013 in the middle of an offseason of turmoil, Robinson soon added some stability to the Whitecaps.
After inheriting a squad built by his predecessor Martin Rennie, the Welshman soon set about making his own additions. But it's only now, after a year at the helm and a full offseason in charge of decisions, that Robinson can truly be considered to have put his own stamp on the team.
"It takes time," Robinson admitted. "There's always a change period when a new manager comes in. It's never easy because you're dealt the hand that you've got. I brought in a number of additions last year because I thought they would help the group and I'll do the same again this year. Hopefully we can continue to build on the culture we created and continue to improve.
"It's not always an easy path. You look at any successful team and they do go through tough periods. The ones that come through it unscathed and sticking together are the successful ones, as LA Galaxy proved last year."
Robinson's mix of youth and South American flair reaped dividends last season. His extension will afford the coach the opportunity to expand on that talent model, with Vancouver’s younger players standing to benefit from working with a coach who will see to their development over the coming years.
"There will be young players getting given more opportunities this year as well, like last year," Robinson said. "It's important that we grow together and that's the positive to take out of all this. The young group, the core group of players that we have here, we're able now to try and grow together as a group. It's not about any individual, it's about a group, because if the group's successful then the club is successful, which is the main thing in this."
Michael McColl covers the Vancouver Whitecaps for MLSsoccer.com.
