Jur-gone Klinsmann

[mister d]

That's probably how they said it, right?

[Pruitt]

Headline coming somewhere - "Das Booted"

[Nonlinear FC]

I have been really frustrated with the guy for quite some time, but I hadn't come out and outright called for him to go until after these last 2.

When you lose 4-0 in a WCQ, the team has quit on you. Without a wholesale shake-up, that's impossible to overcome. And, as we all know, the US isn't in a position to jettison the bulk of its player pool.

[govmentchedda]

Anybody else see the passive aggressive rationale he gave for losing the last two games? The new formation was built around Pulisic. Seems like a heavy burden to put on such a young talent. Building the team to suit Pulisic's strengths is NOT the burden that I mean, but rather, coming out after the loss and bringing this up as a reason/excuse. Fuck that shit.

[wlu_lax6]

So on the Twittersphere, Landon kept it classy and Feilhaber went with the smiley face emoji

[Rex]

This was definitely the time to do it, allows time for a fresh approach in March. The best way to look at this is that the USA needs to top a 4 team group with Hon/Pan/T&T and it should be able to do that with 13/18 points in the head to head games and a home win over CRC (all doable).

[degenerasian]

Are they really going to go with Arena? Thats 5 steps back.

[A_B]

Are they really going to go with Arena? Thats 5 steps back.

Fergie or bust.

[Rex]

The best choice was unavailable.

[A_B]

Guaranteed eighth in the hex!

[wlu_lax6]

So if we are going to go with Arena it made me think of where are they now

Bora is already living in Qatar...so that is convenient.
Steve Sampson is in his 2nd year as head coach of Cal Poly
John Kowalski coaches Robert Morris' Women's team (just outside of Pittsburgh), the Fort Pitt FC Regiment of the NPSL,and the U-14 Girls Stars United team
Gansler works for US Soccer Federation running a licensing course for new coaches. He also works for the NSCAA (probably more coaching course work)
Lothar Osiander was coaching youth soccer in Norther California
Alketas Panagoulias - Deceased
Walter Chyzowych- Deceased
Manfred Schellscheidt- Retired from coaching Seton Hall in 2011

[Nonlinear FC]

Are they really going to go with Arena? Thats 5 steps back.

I'm not really sure I understand how the most successful coach in US history is "5 steps back." Just off the top of my head, here's the dudes resume:

* Built an absolute juggernaut dynasty at UVA. I don't feel like looking it up, but he won a shit load of games, won somewhere around 5 or 6 national championships, and coached a bunch of dudes that went on to feature on the MNT (harkes, meola, olsen, reyna).

* Built DCU into the flagship franchise in the first years of MLS. His teams were some of the most successful both in league play an internationally.

* Took over the MNT after the 98 debacle. Turned that team into the best version, in terms of success, in our lifetime. He won at least 2 Gold Cups and they were a hand ball away from getting into the semis in 02. Again, I don't feel like looking up his overall record, but I know it's the best in terms of wins and they had the highest ranking of any US team (4th.)

* With the Galaxy he took a team that was kind of lost and turned it around and has now won, what.. 3 championships?

We're not talking about some random MLS coach here. This guy knows what it takes on that level and, with the exception of the Red Bulls, everywhere he's been he has been wildly successful.

This isn't a time to fuck around, trying to find some European or S.American guy who looks good on paper but might be a terrible fit with US soccer culture.

[P.D.X.]

Dubious of his success at LAG since so many stars are funneled to him, but when it all comes down to it, I think he's pretty solid when it comes to player selection and tactics. We won't have all the head-scratchers that we had with JK.

[Gunpowder]

Change his name to Jerkin' Klansmen and he can get a job at Breitbart

[Rex]

Arena's been out of the international game for a little while, but I trust him to remember how to get results against Honduras and Panama and T&T, which is the entire job description right now.

[wlu_lax6]

Dubious of his success at LAG since so many stars are funneled to him, but when it all comes down to it, I think he's pretty solid when it comes to player selection and tactics. We won't have all the head-scratchers that we had with JK.

but I think that is a difference between Arena and Jurgen. Arena takes the cards he has and organizes them for the best result he can get. Jurgen really wanted to have the U.S. play a certain style (from U-16 up) and then try to make the players fit in it. It is part of the reason he was not just coach but technical director and had a big say in who was coaching the youth teams. I think success is defined differently for the 2 coaches. Unfortunately for Jurgen the U.S. is more interested in results than developing his style.

Arena will select some different type of players in his 2nd stint (i.e. Could not see Jurgen selecting a Joe-Max, Armas, Mathis, Richie Williams, or Wolff). Interesting to see who re-emerges. Feel like the ship has passed on Shea and Mix. But would be nice to see Aron Jóhannsson get healthy.

[wlu_lax6]

Also to his son continue to get looks at the US Youth National Team? He is a sophomore at Cal. Started most of the games but had some competition from a freshmen.

[Nonlinear FC]

The job description of any coach is to build up expectations and an understanding of how the team is going to approach the game and to then find the right pieces to play that system.

The biggest problem with Klinsmann is that he lost his own plot. He tells players to build out of the back, possess, and mix in occasional quick strikes to keep the other team honest. Then he brings in a player pool entirely incapable of doing that. There are guys that were put in the perma-dog house that are inexplicable if he wants to play that style.

He went to Brazil with no back-up--at all--if certain players got hurt or into card trouble. GLARING shit like not having a back-up for Altidore and not having realistic options for possession midfielders. Just in general, the guy changed tactics and personnel so often it was just impossible to settle into anything resembling an identity.

Arena is going to be clear on his system. I have not always liked his decisions, believe me... But I always knew what he was trying to accomplish.

[DC47]

This is easily read as a return to the past for USA soccer. Top officials are thinking short term, and trying to save their own careers. JK was far from perfect. But he moved USA soccer several steps forward when you look at the whole system and not just the most recent results (which are largely on the players, as always). They're not going to get a perfect coach and soccer director. It's a screwed up system; the best won't sign on.

[Nonlinear FC]

To sum up what I've said:

* Gulati should explore keeping JK on in some kind of advisory capacity. JK's made progress with the overall system, no doubt. Reading about burned bridges, I doubt this was seriously considered.

* JK is a bad game manager. You can say it's on the players here and there, absolutely. But the overall book of business shows a manager that is routinely out-coached and out-maneuvered in the second half. I pulled a stat in one of the threads, and I'm too lazy to go find it, but the amount times the US lost games where they were tied or winning at half is jaw dropping. And there is another batch of games where they were winning at half at settled for draws.

* Regardless of what you thought he was doing to transform the squad, there is an inherent problem having a national team coach hold the position past one WC cycle. No coach of US MNT has lasted for two WC cycles. Gulati thought Jurgen would somehow manage to navigate the waters and he was wrong. I think people forget that the MNT is a very unique situation. The manager holds a lot of hopes and dreams in his hands, and if you are on the outside looking in, or if you don't fit in that guy's system, a lot of ill will builds up.