Dispatch columnist Michael Arace and reporter Tom Reed sat down for Q&A with Crew SC owner/operator Anthony Precourt. The interview was conductedWednesdayafternoon, prior to Crew's 1-1 draw with visiting Toronto FC.

DISPATCH: You tweeted, cryptically, that the Kei Kamara trade was long in the making. Can you elaborate?

ANTHONY PRECOURT: We had a fantastic season with Kei last year. He led...

Dispatch columnist Michael Arace and reporter Tom Reed sat down for Q&A with Crew SC owner/operator Anthony Precourt. The interview was conductedWednesdayafternoon, prior to Crew's 1-1 draw with visiting Toronto FC.

DISPATCH: You tweeted, cryptically, that the Kei Kamara trade was long in the making. Can you elaborate?

ANTHONY PRECOURT: We had a fantastic season with Kei last year. He led the league in goals, in my mind was an MLS co-MVP, he was an All-Star, MLS Humanitarian of the year. We rewarded him in the offseason with a new contract – first time in our club's history we had a second DP on our roster. But, you know, as certain circumstances came to the front, for us, it's team first, and team culture first, and that's all I have to say about that.

DISPATCH: So, you had no problem with the way Gregg Berhalter presented it, which was that Kamara was suspended – and presumably traded – for publicly criticizing a teammate? Was that a contributing factor to the trade?

PRECOURT: That was a contributing factor but not the only factor. As Gregg was on the record as saying we had discussions prior to the incident about trading Kei. And we signed Ola (Kamara) in the offseason, which demonstrates our mindset.

DISPATCH: Did you think, coming out of last season and coming into this season, you'd be sitting here now with a 3-7-7 record?

PRECOURT: I will tell you, with the moves we made in the offseason we thought we were a stronger roster on paper and I'm very disappointed to be where we are on the table. It's unexpected. There are highs and lows in sports and we have a half a season to go, so there's time to turn it around. We've been sort of a slow-starting team the last couple of years and . . . Last year we were quite fortunate with injuries. This year we've had a string of injuries which have really impacted our performance on the field and our ability to put together our best XI. We've had a number of international call-ups for national-team service for a lot of our players, that we're proud to be a part of. So, we are not where we anticipated to be this year, at this point in the season. But I'm still optimistic.

DISPATCH: What keeps you optimistic?

PRECOURT: Well, if we get healthy, I think we've got great players. We've got a great coach and coaching staff. You know, Pipa, (Federico Higuain), he's our quarterback. He's the guy that makes the system work, and we expect him back on the field in a couple of weeks and that's going to give us an offensive boost. Losing (Gaston) Sauro on the back line, obviously that's been impactful, and Tyson (Wahl) has had some concussion problems. So, we've been clearly understaffed at the center back position. With the transfer window, we're working hard to address that situation.

DISPATCH: Will the transfer window provide big boost – or will it be too late to get a player who will have an impact on this season?

PRECOURT: Well, Harrison Afful and Gaston assimilated quite well last season and they were mid-season transfers.

DISPATCH: Yet, but that was a process.

PRECOURT: It's always a process. In MLS, it's how you're playing come playoff time. So we need to do what we need to do to be above the red line come playoff time, and if we're ready to catch fire, look out.

DISPATCH: When are you going to spend the allocation money?

PRECOURT: When we find the right player. … I mean, would you take Ola Kamara off the field right now? And we have to think about, like, we've invested in Gaston Sauro at center back and if Gaston comes back next year …

DISPATCH: Where is the process right now?

PRECOURT: Quite active. We've had a number of conversations. We've reviewed thousands of players and we have some active negotiations going on. You know, Gregg will see how it works out.

DISPATCH: Is it one of those things, where, with a 30-day window, it comes down to the wire?

PRECOURT: I can't comment on timing. I mean, it happens when it happens. . . . It's hard to have conversations before these windows opens. Fans expect, like NFL free agency, that at 12:01 a.m.(after the window opens) we're going to announce some signings. The conversations start when the window opens. You know, a lot of players don't even know their circumstance until the window opens because there's a lot of movement around the world, in all these different leagues – about who they're transferring, who they're keeping, there's new coaching staffs coming in … The conversations start when the window opens. We're a week into it.

DISPATCH: Is it a head-scratcher that Ola has eight goals in six games and you're still struggling? I mean, with that kind of production from your striker …

PRECOURT: We need more production out of everyone else. We're averaging less than a goal a game over the course of 16 games. Our conversion rate is low, lower than anticipated – but we're creating more chances than anyone in the league, if you look at the statistics and the data. So, we have to convert more. We have to improve our shots on goal and our conversion rates. And that means Ethan (Finlay), and Justin (Meram), and Pipa, and Cedrick – the others, we need to get more production from them.

DISPATCH: Aside from injuries, what do you see as being the biggest difficulty?

PRECOURT: Aside from injuries and call-ups? You know, I think we're a target, being the Eastern Conference champion and hosting the MLS Cup. We're getting the best out of our opponent every week. The schedule has been a tough one. And I won't underestimate the impact of Kei leaving the club. There was some transition time associated with that move.

DISPATCH: So, you remain happy with the direction (Berhalter) has the club going in?

PRECOURT: I'm very happy. We extended Gregg in the offseason for a reason, and I'm a patient person. My job was to set up a system and a culture in our organization. You've got to trust the system. It's been a rough 16-17 matches, but let's not judge a book halfway through. I'll be disappointed if we are where we are at the end of the season. I hope our fans read the entire book and stick with us this season, because it's not a whole body of work yet. I understand their frustration. I'm as frustrated as they are. Do I enjoy losing? I watch every minute of every match, either in person or on television – and it has been hard to watch.

DISPATCH: Is it possible to win a game in periwinkle shorts?

PRECOURT: I don't think our win-loss record has anything to do with what we're wearing. I think that's fun for the fans, and superstition plays in.

DISPATCH: Yes, but if you win in the banana (kits)tonight. . .

PRECOURT: What happens if we were undefeated in the periwinkle? Would our fans want us to wear the periwinkle forever?

DISPATCH: Yeah.

PRECOURT: That's good to know. If we get on a hot streak with the periwinkle, I guess we'll wear them next season, too.

DISPATCH: You know, those unis have grown on me.

PRECOURT: The periwinkles? Good. . . . You know, the theme of the season was "For Columbus." We put the Columbus name on our badge last year. We thought it would be fun to give a nod to the city. We're trying to be Columbus' soccer team, and Ohio's soccer team – and Columbus is the capital – so we thought it would be pretty cool to incorporate all of this. So, it's a one-year adventure and we'll be unveiling new kits next season.

DISPATCH: How difficult is it for you to stay patient?

PRECOURT: It has been a hard season so far . . . but I'm not the type of person who is going to panic, and unwind what we're building. I think our opponents would say that we're a tough team to play. We've given many of our opponents this season their money's worth. Our win-loss record isn't where we want it to be, but I think we have the respect within our league that we're a tough team to play, we have an attractive style of soccer and we're well-coached, and we have a lot of talent on our roster. I anticipate that the cream will rise to the top over the course of the season.

DISPATCH: When does winning become more important to you?

PRECOURT: Winning has been important since Game One –

DISPATCH: Yes, but you've let the leash out and said "it's only a half of a season" and "we've had some injuries," so –

PRECOURT: This week matters. We've got three home matches. We need points. Now. Tonight.

DISPATCH: Your anniversary is coming up. What have you learned as an owner-operator?

PRECOURT: Third-year anniversary, at the end of the month. I've said this a bunch of times, but, you know, culture is everything. Building this front office . . . The people in this organization now – on the business side of things as well as the soccer side – I'm so proud of them all, how they represent our club, our community. I'm very proud of what we've created. We have to stay patient. We have to trust what we're doing.

DISPATCH: What have you thought of the new Cincinnati franchise, and do you worry that it's taking any fans from Southwest Ohio? Or, does it help all of soccer when there's another entity thriving down the road?

PRECOURT: First of all, I'd say that Cincinnati is a great market for Crew SC. We've got a lot season-ticket holders coming up from Cincinnati for our games. The second thing I'd say is I cheer for club soccer in America. So, the early success they've had is great to see. It's great for the sport and they should be proud of what they've done. I hope that it's sustainable. They've got out of the gates fast. Let's see if they can keep it up. It has worked so far. I'm a new member of the MLS expansion committee, which is a sub-committee of the board. We're charged with looking at markets for expansion, and it'll be interesting to see how Cincinnati does down the road.

DISPATCH: Is it good to get a guy like Dan Gilbert into the league?

PRECOURT: Well, he's not in the league yet, but if Tom Gores and Dan Gilbert can fulfill their promises in Detroit, it'd be a great regional rivalry for us – and certainly (Gilbert) has been a great operator. Current NBA champion. So, he has got the touch.