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Caleb Porter to be Introduced Tuesday: What are Your Questions? [Updated]

Caleb Porter may have been in town since mid December, but this Tuesday is his formal introduction as the Portland Timbers' new head coach.

Steve Dykes

Since Merritt Paulson announced Caleb Porter as the new head coach of the Timbers, fans and press alike have been chomping at the bit to ask him all sorts of things. What formation does he prefer? How does a guy like Kris Boyd fit into his plans? Left back? Right back? LEFT BACK?

Porter's official introduction to the Portland press this Tuesday will be our first chance to find out a little bit more about his plans for the Timbers and what the team might look like when March 3rd comes around. Stumptown Footy will be there and we want to know what questions you guys would ask Porter and Gavin Wilkinson.

Of course, in an effort to head off some of the more obvious questions, the Timbers have already posted the first part of a Q-and-A with Porter, which can be found here.

Update: Part two of Porter's Q-and-A is up and can be found here.

Some choice quotes from that article:

One of the challenges for any professional coach is managing the length of season. In college soccer the season is four months and in MLS the season is 10+ months. Developing a feel for that tempo and periodization of training will be critical. I will certainly rely on people around me to help, assistant coaches who have been through an MLS cycle and, of course, having a knowledgeable fitness coach will be very important.

I have always been very flexible and have adapted my teams depending on the personnel I have. I believe a system has to fit the players and their individual strengths/tendencies. In seven years at Akron I made changes to our system each year to highlight the group I had, and I will look to do the same with Portland.

Ultimately, what formation we play will depend on the players we have and what fits best for our team at that point in time. System of play or the formation of the players is important, but for me the Style of play is more important to our overall blueprint in Portland—this is where a coach’s vision of the game shows through.

The bottom line—especially in the building stage—is we will do what we need to in order to give ourselves the best opportunity to win each game. Winning is the priority, plain and simple. But with time, I’m confident you will see a clear identity and brand of soccer with the Timbers that will be indicative of our philosophy to winning.

So, what would you ask Caleb Porter, if you had the chance? Let us know in the comments.