In Toronto, where the default setting is blame, pessimism and rage, coaches rarely, if ever, receive praise.

Nobody is talking about Toronto FC bench boss Greg Vanney, who some prominent pundits were eager to toss into the trash earlier this season — and again following a frustrating loss to disruptive New York City.

It seems everyone — fans, pundits and keyboard warriors — are eager to cast the first, second and third stones when things aren’t going well.

It has been this way for quite some time, with some wanting Vanney to fall by the wayside before the season began.

Then, amid a four-match losing streak, another prominent columnist claimed Vanney was a loss away from being sacked.

The Reds won their next match in Orlando, so we’ll never know. But the Sun was told that report was bogus by someone in the position to know.

Then they won in Philadelphia. They drew in New England. Back-to-back home wins followed that.

Shockingly, the Reds proceeded to collect three points at East-leading D.C. United a week later.

There were undoubtedly poor results sprinkled in between. That can be said of every club in this league.

But the numbers heading into Saturday night’s match against D.C. can’t be debated: Toronto FC has the fourth-best points-per-game average in Major League Soccer at the midway point of the season.

Yet nobody has heaped praise on Vanney, general manager Tim Bezbatchenko or outgoing MLSE CEO Tim Leiweke.

As a tradition, it’s forbidden to praise or approve of Toronto FC management no matter how deserving.

While they’re the first ones blamed when things are all wrong, they’re the last to receive compliments when the Reds look strong.

Famed L.A. Galaxy bench boss Bruce Arena’s words to me late last season still ring true.

“This is a difficult transition (for TFC),” Arena told me last September. “Expectations are great in Toronto. Hopefully they can be a little patient.

“We need to be patient with him and give him time,” added Arena, who managed Vanney during his time with the U.S. national team. “He has all of the qualities to become an outstanding coach.”

Now then, before you go off on some tangent concerning Sebastian Giovinco’s dominance, or how prominent all three of Toronto FC’s Designate Players have factored in this season, let’s scan the rest of the squad.

Under former bench boss Ryan Nelsen, Ashtone Morgan was all but dead. Vanney has breathed life into TFC’s homegrown fullback, who could feature prominently at this summer’s Gold Cup for Canada.

While he’s not an MLS Cup-calibre centre back, Eriq Zavaleta, who Vanney traded for in January, has been a solid addition in the wake of Steven Caldwell’s spat of injuries.

Next to him, Damien Perquis has been better than advertised. He was fantastic in a midweek win over the Montreal Impact, playing a number of precision passes that put Giovinco in behind the defence.

Perquis also adds a certain level of truculence never before witnessed across Toronto’s back four. He’s the kinda guy you don’t want to piss off at a bar, the kinda guy who mixes it up every time out.

Moving up field, Michael Bradley is Michael Bradley. Giovinco is Giovinco. Altidore is Altidore. It can be argued the Reds wouldn’t have any of them without Bezbatchenko and Leiweke.

And what about Benoit Cheyrou? The Frenchman has been a revelation at the bottom of Toronto FC’s diamond midfield. Acquiring the 34-year-old would have been next to impossible without Vanney’s connections overseas.

It’s premature to call the Vanney-led Reds anything more than what they are: The second-best squad in the East, according to the table.

With a win over D.C. Saturday evening, Toronto FC’s points-per-game average will inch closer to taking over top spot. They’ve played five fewer games than D.C. United, which sits 12 points clear of the Reds.

What’s more, the Reds will only have five road dates remaining by the end of July — something that makes their points-per-game figure all the more notable.

What has seemingly gone unnoticed, though, is the journey that brought this club to respectability for the first time in nine years.

That, or Vanney and Co. are conveniently being ignored.

A few more wins over the next three weeks and there’s no reason his name shouldn’t at least creep into Coach of the Year nominations.