Ryan Nelsen says he understands negative reactions from Toronto FC fans regarding his appointment as head coach.
The New Zealand international has replaced the sacked Paul Mariner at the BMO Field but will not take charge of the MLS club until he has finished his duties with Premier League outfit QPR.
There is the chance that Nelsen may not actually join Toronto until well into the 2013 MLS season which has been met with scepticism from supporters but the ex-Blackburn Rovers captain recognizes the negativity.
"It's understandable," Nelsen said .
"(Toronto fans) are passionate, they're loyal and they want their teams to win
"I've been a part of the same situation over in England. They pay money, support the team and they want the team to be successful. It will be my goal to hopefully provide that for them."
However, Nelsen was quick to put minds at ease by informing the TFC fans that everything would be run the way he wants it through assistant coach Fran O'Leary.
"Fran knows exactly how I want to play," Nelsen added.
"We've already gone over all the training sessions. Everything has been mapped out already. I know that when I turn my back Fran will be taking the lead. He'll be running it very professionally with my DNA, my fingerprint."
