I mean all that is true, but from what JK said, he did everything but offer to do his laundry to meet face to face and LD wasnt even giving him the time of day. At that point, you would think JK had earned enough respect for the player to show up, meet him in person and say, 'sorry, it's not you, it's me. i'm checking out and joining Johnny O'brien in Amsterdam for the good kush. peace.'
Of course, he played in two World Cups for and his current club coach is Bruce, who appears at peace with this situation.
This is entirely subjective series of answers from all of us. Just saying, as a manager when you leave a major point undecided for your personnel, it does leave, even if it is slight, indecision in the air and that decreases focus. I hate to say it, but Donovan is probably looking for JK to put him out of his misery and Kaptain karma isn't that kind of manager. Strangely, I always felt Bruce was that kind of manager, but of course Bruce has him on contract. So he has no real 'choice.'
Given the exact set of circumstances that we know regarding Landon Donovan, any manager would be a fool to "put him out of his misery". Props to them for handling this challenging circumstance as well as they each have. I suspect we will be aware of what will happen around LD in the next two weeks.
Donovan's last public appearance was at Soccer night in Newtown, a couple of weeks ago. He looked happy, involved and glad to be there. Not like a reclusive giant question mark. With any luck, he finds his mojo soon.
Gonzo said in his Studio90 thing that Martin takes the defense for 4 or 5 days. If we stink defensively then we will know why.
I always knew he had something to do with it. Even before Klinsmann ventured into the world of CONCACAF qualifying I was skeptical of Vasquez as an assistant.
dont get me started. Based on all his prior results and player commentary, I'd have him as an administrator and would have kept the ghost of tom dooley. Smart, smart guy is Dooley. He would teach our defensive midfielders and defenders how to play as a unit.
If Martin can reduce Omar 's size 14 boots to a size 10, there will always be a place for him, somewhere.
I meant because he doesnt let them shower in those 5 days. We will simply stink our way to the top says MartEEn.
Did anyone else see this? Imo, Jurgen sounds very, very arrogant, like he's trying to be the soccer savior for the US and it's players. It's all about his method, his ways. I have nothing against Jurgen, but this article gets my hackles up. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323940004578258072832363036.html?mod=googlenews_wsj P.S. In this article LD's agent basically confirms he wants to play for the Nats this year. Choice quotes: "Just because you won a game in the World Cup in the knockout stage, you haven't won anything." "[Dempsey] hasn't made s---. You play for Fulham? Yeah, so? Show me you can play for a Champions League team, and then you start on a Champions League team," "It will be defined over the next year what [LD's] role with the national team is. But the ultimate call is mine on whether he fits into my plans or doesn't fit into my plans." This vast, wealthy, sports-obsessed nation has never even produced a genuine superstar. No one knows why exactly. To Klinsmann, who has an American wife and has lived here for 15 years, it's because the culture has never demanded it. Richard Motzkin, Donovan's agent, said he, too, is taking Klinsmann at his word and knows he will have to earn back a spot on the national team... "But I just said we Germans, we can't take just defending." Klinsmann is aiming beyond a decent showing and sees the U.S. as a country that needs to be dictating the action. But its national team has never played that way because, in his view, no one ever demanded it. As a result, the players weren't physically or mentally conditioned to press opponents with the relentlessness of the best teams in the world. "This team needs to measure itself with the best out there in order to get better," Klinsmann says before rushing off to another practice. "That's what we are trying to do."
And the Q&A portion: http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2013/01/22/jurgen-klinsmann-us-mens-national-soccer-team-sounds-off/ On the differences between an American and European player: We would say it would be great if our 18- or 19- or 20-year-olds would have an environment where they get pushed every day, where they are accountable every day, where they understand what it means to be a pro, where they have 11 months of training, games, training games, where they have a chance to build their stamina to build their systems so you can really take in the game as a leading component, not just seven or eight months and then I go on vacation. *************** He does realize the MLS season can stretch Feb-Dec now, right? And I doubt anyone's thinking, "boy, that 4 month vacation I'm going to take is going to be AWESOME relative to my boring season playing football!"
What exactly do you find arrogant with the excerpted quotes? No arrogance at all, he simply stated facts. Everything he said is TRUE. We Do brag about 2002 and yet we went home and then went down hill in subsequent WCs. Arrogance is also believing we are better than we actually are and criticizing someone who tells us a different truth... Don't you think?? ""He does realize the MLS season can stretch Feb-Dec now, right?"" For how many players?? and pray tell what would they be thinking during that 4 month vacation???
So? How many 18-20 year olds are there in MLS? He is talking about a professional youth environment which, IMO, MLS does not approach yet.
Just about everything he is saying most of us would agree with, but HE shouldnt be saying these things. It should be 1. gulati or 2. the media itself. The role you are talking about, Soccer Jesus, is the role we have forced on him.
I know it is annoying, but there is some truth in what he said. We are an also ran in footy. He expects and demands we can do more. Sometimes the truth is not easy to hear, but I think he is trying to instill the mentality of what it takes to be a champion. We hired him to take us places we have never been before, and he does know how to get there. Whether he makes progress towards that task or not, reamins to be seen. I do know how you feel though because I remember when he did an interview right after being hired and talked about it was ridiculous for us to think we could somehow win a world cup with the current state of affairs. I felt like you did when you read this interview. In retrospect he was right, and he is attempting to change the footy culture in the US so our athletes train year round like our other pro athletes. So far I give him a solid B.
He's absolutely right. And I mentioned this elsewhere but I think one of the biggest things Klinsmann brings to the table is an understanding that even our biggest stars are not that big of a deal and will thus put the team before any individuals. We have a few very good players, but we do not have superstars. Klinsmann is not going to be even moderately impressed or intimidated by anyone who steps on the field for the US until they do something impressive. And the Altidore situation showed he has no problem benching anyone, even for important games. Dempsey? Good move to get into a good Spurs team. He's gotten a lot of minutes, but when that team is healthy is he even in the first 11? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. That's not superstar status. That's very very good for a US player status. Donovan? Great in MLS, did well in the EPL for a run of the mill Everton team. Nice run, but superstars don't play occasional loaned minutes at a mid-table team. Kilnsmann fully understands how far along we are. You can call it arrogant or you can call it earning and demanding respect.
JK is clearly arrogant with narcissistic tendencies. That makes him normal for a big time athlete. He is correct also, but I agree that he finally seems to be understanding where we are, who we are, what MLS is, what are region is, etc. This is where he has greatly improved over his first year. His Soccer Jesus preaching seems more in line with where we are, instead of his pre job, early job sermons. Fine with me.
I believe that JK is saying he wants DEDICATION in his players. I am all with him on that one, considering it is the USA National Team we are talking about. Dedication would be the number one prerequisite I would demand in a player when it comes to National Team duty....."sine qua non"
Competely agree. I think those that are offended, don't understand where JK is coming from. He's played for some of the best teams in the world. He's played along some of the BEST players in the world. He knows what it takes, he himself was a world class striker. He knows what needs to be done to get to that level. I think it's good we have a coach who has that experience, because I am sure the players wouldn't take it so well if this was coming from say a Sigi Schmid, or Jason Kreis (who IMO will be our next NT coach). Sure, it sounds arrogant....but this is what our team needs. It needs a coach that will keep our guys motivated, pushing, to a higher level, never letting them get content. Why? Because he's been there, and knows success... and what it takes to get it. What's so wrong with that?