There was a time when I wrote articles on this website that garnered reaction from the public (I still remember you 2014!), and most often of the negative variety. Perfect. In particular, I have authored two pieces that seemingly turned people off more than a pants-optional wet t-shirt competition featuring all three male Pucked In The Head contributors. And if you know us, you know that “pants optional” is just a politer way of saying “nudity mandatory.”

Anyhoo, the two pieces I’m referencing both kind of centre around the same subject – none other than the Whitecaps’ previous man in charge: Martin Rennie. The first was a scathing review of the Scotsman’s insistence on including Jun Marques Davidson in the Whitecaps lineup. The guy was horrible and I stand by that.

The second, which now seems slightly contradictory, was a show of support to the former manager. In “A Rennie Saved is a Rennie Earned,” I extolled the virtues of the coach and attempted to coax the Whitecaps front office that the man was in a growing phase, much like the team itself. The Caps had improved under him each year and had some good pieces in place despite missing the MLS playoffs in 2013.

At that point in time, after going through coaches like weekdays, I felt the team’s best move was no move at all. Stable leadership had been elusive through their earliest MLS years and perhaps it was time to allow those in charge the opportunity to work and learn their way through the struggle. I suppose, with the promotion of Rennie’s assistant Carl Robinson, the Whitecaps did just that, albeit in a roundabout way.

And boy, has Carl made me feel silly. You can talk tactics all you want along with the ins and outs of Robinson vs. Rennie, but the reality is that Martin’s biggest downfall was his loyalty. His allegiance to players from his days in lower divisions meant that his MLS squad suffered from a true lack of depth and a dearth of MLS-quality talent. And while those with tighter assholes than I snicker about the idea of “MLS talent”, the truth is, across all sporting platforms, you best have the talent to match that of your peers or failure will quickly become your shadow.

The appointment of Robinson brought about a seismic shift in ideology. All of a sudden the acquisition and retention of talent was purely merit-based rather than a primped up buddy-system contingent on connections and courtesy.

The following shows the mass exodus of players (with some exceptions) who had seen regular time in the Whitecaps’ lineup under Rennie.

Rennie’s stable:

Nigel Reo-Coker (MF): Traded to Chivas USA for Mauro Rosales after a fight with a bike rack. The bike rack won. Reo-Coker is now a member of the (awful) Montreal Impact.

Johnny Leveron (CB): Leveron was not signed to a new contract after the 2014 season and is currently playing in his native Honduras.

Matt Watson (MF): The popular midfielder was traded in March 2014 to the (awful) Chicago Fire, where he still competes.

Daigo Kobayashi (MF): Kobayashi was not offered a contract and his rights were traded to the New England Revolution during the 2013 offseason.

Kenny Miller (FW): The striker and the club mutually agreed to terminate their contract midway through 2014, allowing Miller to return to Scotland.

Andy O’Brien (CB): There was mutual interest in having O’Brien resume his career with Whitecaps FC in 2015, but ultimately terms could not be reached.

Jun Marques Davidson (MF): Davidson was graciously not brought back into the fold upon the conclusion of the 2013 season, presumably because neither was Martin Rennie.

Brad Rusin (CB): Rusin played under Rennie with the Carolina Railhawks and was brought in as a depth defender for the club in 2013. He was not re-signed for the 2014 season.

Robinson’s replacements:

Pedro Morales (MF): Morales was acquired during the transfer window in 2014 and would take over the captaincy shortly thereafter. He won the league’s “Newcomer of the Year” award and has been impressing since his arrival to MLS.

Nicolas Mezquida (MF/FW): The Uruguayan was stuck behind countryman Sebastian Fernandez much of last season, but has seen an expanded role with the club in 2015 and has provided versatility and stability in Robinson’s midfield.

Matias Laba (MF): Toronto FC’s bloody big failure allowed Robinson to snap up the “expendable” DP on their roster. Oops. Laba has developed into the best defensive midfielder in MLS.

Mauro Rosales (MF/FW): Rosales joined the team late in 2014 and immediately made an impact, providing leadership and bringing with him a serious work rate.

Tim Parker (CB): Parker has been a revelation for the club after being drafted 13^th overall in the 2015. The St. John’s University grad has excelled after being forced into action due to a string of injuries on the backline.

Pa Modou Kah (CB): The veteran defenseman has forged a strong pairing with Kendall Waston and his effervescence is contagious. His backheel is feared by goaltenders the World over.

Steven Beitashour (RB): Beitashour came in with some massive shoes to fill after Y-P Lee retired in 2013. The former MLS all-star has been a stalwart at right back, providing leadership and the odd assist throughout his tenure in Vancouver.

Kendall Waston (CB): One of the premier central defenders in all of MLS, the Costa Rican is an ideal centreback. Big, powerful, scary and merciless, Waston has a tendency to win just about every aerial battle he’s in.

Octavio Rivero (FW): Rivero’s ability to gain and maintain possession of the ball is central to the Whitecaps’ attack. While he has struggled to score consistently himself, his work has resulted in many goals for the club.

Cristian Techera (MF/FW): The third Uruguayan to feature on this list is just four months into his Whitecaps’ career but is already a catalyst in the Caps’ offense. Techera’s touch on the ball could very well be the best on the team.

This season has been by far the most fruitful for the Caps since entering MLS, capped off (to date) by Wednesday night’s historic Canadian Championship win. That victory secures their berth into the 2016 CONCACAF Champions League – their second consecutive year participating in said tournament. Results are still pending in this year’s incarnation.

Back in MLS, the squad leads the league with a 1.73 points per game average and are on pace to surpass their previous best point total in a season by nine. They have broken their franchise record in MLS for road wins and total wins in a season already, with eight games still remaining on their schedule. Let’s also not forget that the club will almost certainly host their first playoff game, has a real chance of winning their first playoff game and look every bit a contender for a league championship.

And, unlike other instances in pro sports where success can often be attributed to a team’s previous management regime, Carl Robinson deserves full credit for this Whitecaps team. He has built a team with depth, with talent and perhaps most important of all, with the intangible desire to play for one another.

You couldn’t get that for a million and one Rennies.