The Man U part is true. The rest isn't. Mexico is a talented side unquestionably, but let's not lose perspective and build them up too much. I honestly figured the Mexicans would be good for a goal's win tonight, but the ass-ripping we got tonight was in very significant part down to a colossal mismatch between a very in-form Gio and a very out-of-form Bornstein that was pretty much forced on Bob in the 6th minute. The only other thing he could've done is bring on Spector, and I don't think that move would've engendered much confidence from you guys, either. Certainly not me.
sometimes, you just need a new approach. a change. that's what it feels like right now. Bradley deserved one cycle. He never deserved two. He didn't do as well as Arena in his first four years, and Arena's second four years were a disaster.
What the manager can do is acknowledge that our current talent level is in adequate and choose to do something about it by bringing in some younger players to begin developing...aiming for 2014. Gold Cup was a nice opportunity to do that, and he didn't. That IS the manager's fault. And, in reality, the only fault that I can account to him at this time.
Well now whether it will be Bob in charge or somebody else, they're not going to have to determine which of two summer tournaments to take their choice players to, because we're only going to have one. There are plenty of other perfectly valid points to make. Don't bang on this silly one.
Let's say Bob leaves tomorrow. Who is available to coach the USMNT, at a price the association is willing to pay?
So, what is this price the association is willing to pay? Does it match, for example, the best paid MLS managers? Or is it more like Bob Kraft with the Revs??
This^^^^^^^^^^ And the constant playing of his son, regardless of performance, refusing to look at other players in that position, even in friendlies... He needs to go. I am going to "separate" myself from this US team until Bob Bradley is gone. I am tired of seeing the same stuff and wasting 90 minutes of my life each time.
Ah, but he DID. And put some of them in key roles at key times as well. Nevertheless... Psychologically if for no other reason, it's time to make a change. The player pool is what it is, and that's the real issue (defense mainly, forwards secondarily), but some shaking up is in order, lest we get a little too settled into settling for 2nd best over this cycle.
The US isn't going to win the World Cup. The goal is not to be embarassed. Bradley will accomplish that.
Spain 4 - 0 United States Panama 2 - 1 United States Mexico 4 - 2 United States You sure about that? Did you follow this team during the 2006 World Cup?
My comment was strictly aimed at the back line, and there were, as you point out, 2 fairly new players used. The problem back there is a big one, and I think the commitment needs to extend beyond those two.
Ok, so here it comes, I keep hearing this from the contingent. Bob's been underrating Adu, and overrating Bradley. That's what our real problem has been. Clearly, Bob hates skill and only loves work rate. And family. And CUSA alums. (And for those who think I'm painting a strawman argument, I swear that this is what I'm getting from the majority of those guys here who have been charter members of the Fire Bradley contingent from day one.) The time has come for Bob to go, but I don't blame Sunil one little bit for having turned a deaf ear to your pleas.
The other question: Is Bob doing well as a technical director? My sense is no, although it's hard to know.
They are. Trust me. USSF cares about one thing and one thing only: qualifying for the WC. That's it. There is not a national FA push to win the WC, or even compete for it. US has a financial system based on keeping its fans, TV partners, stadium operators and, most importantly, sponsors happy. The pyramid relies on the US making the WC. The USA qualifying helps ESPN/ABC sell the WC, gets sponsors involved and keeps MLS legitimate. This is why you see USSF clinging to guys like Arena, Arena II, Bradley and Bradley II. USSF knows that the no-frills American coach can navigate the US through WCQ -- especially the often tricky Central American road games. So you see the Arena's and the Bradley's recycled ... and when they're done you'll see guys like Kinnear and Kreis in charge. That's why we won't see flashy European or S.A. coaches like Klinnsmann or Bielsa, because there's always the fear that they bring in such radical change that it throws off an entire WCQ cycle and we fail to qualify. Financially, risk outweighs the potential reward, in the USSF's eyes. This isn't England, where the pyramid flourishes the same if their NT is in the WC or not. USSF's whole financial system depends on it.
This. This match didn't do anything to convince me one way or the other about Bradley. He has been very active as we've started this new cycle. He has: Brought in lots of new, younger players Tinkered with his formations Moved players around to exploit their strengths Been unafraid to sit players when the situation calls for it The one thing that I feel has been weak for his teams has been the defensive discipline... and it's hard to know if that is down to coaching or lack of talent. I'm not convinced that there is a realistic alternative out there that would be better than Bradley. On the whole, I'd like to see a new coach for this cycle... but only if you can show me that the new coach would be a difinitive upgrade.
Let's say about a million. "A copy of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s tax return released Monday for the period ending March 31, 2010, has Bradley earning a base salary of $449,025. He also received $345,000 in bonuses, $6,600 in deferred compensation and $17,619 in nontaxable benefits for a total salary of $818,244." http://www.nj.com/soccer-news/index.ssf/2011/02/us_coach_bob_bradley_underpaid.html A million doesn't get you much. In South America the salaries are from about 1 million for Ecuador/Peru to over 5 million for Brazil, 3 million for Argentina (approx.). In Mexico, el Chepo is making about $3 million (33 million pesos): http://www.mediotiempo.com/negocios...anuel-chepo-de-la-torre-ganara-336-mdp-al-ano MLS coaches earn under a million, with the lesser ones making under 60K. Average was 250K in 2007: http://www.ehow.com/about_7582671_average-salary-pro-soccer-coach.html I was thinking of Gary Smith. I calculate he must be making about half a mill, so moving up to the USMNT would be a good deal for him.
How about Bob underrated Adu [among others], and overrated Findley [among others] ? How about Bob has valued work rate more than he should have and skill less than he should have? How about Bob rightly loves his family, and justly takes pride in the abilities of his son, but has an unjustifiable soft spot for certain CUSA alums? Nah, go ahead, keep it all Strawman... helps those deaf ears stay deaf.
He's not too bad at discovering young talent and keeping them on the wings. He did that with Bedoya, Holden, Dax, Agudelo and is doing it with Starikov, Teal, Gonzo, Wallace, Chandler, Lloyd. So he thinks of the future.
So, assuming we budget for a million [although it would take only a dedicated friendly or two to allow us substantially more]. there is enough of a salary available to get some pretty good managers. I am thinking here of the quality, not of the fame of the name. And by no means need we be limited to European managers. And by no means should we rule out American managers.
I'll be apathetic toward it regardless. The second in cycle Gold Cup is a useless tournament that wastes stadiums that could be holding worthwhile events like tractor pulls, X games, and outdoor raves.
New coach. It's not just this one lost cause realistically I was expecting it. It's the fact that I see this team getting worse and stagnant compared to the one a year ago. Bornstein is what you get when a coach is comfortable and complacent. I'm not a 'make a change for the sake of making a change' person, but at this point, I just don't see how it would hurt if they're bringing in one of the top 3 MLS coaches, or a proven international coach.
Indeed. Honestly, I think we've got a problem this cycle unless some young defenders we've got in the pool (including guys who weren't on the GC roster) end up beating their projected learning curve. Nevertheless, the reason for the coaching change I think is organizationally psychological. A shake-up is needed. I think that guys need to re-prove themselves to a new coach. I think a new mindset is needed. Bob's eye for young talent is good, but I think a new set of eyes is needed. Bob's made some pretty deliberate moves to install what he wants defensively, and to stave off stagnation, but there's only so much that he himself can do about it, despite himself. Just installing a new coach will send a shockwave through the organization. Some of it will probably be negative. And there will be growing pains. But I'd rather have the players at the end of the day blame the issues on the change-of-coach and the instability that created than on a "we're just not good enough" subconscious thought. We might be 2nd best right now (and I'd argue that for the moment, we are), but we cannot settle for that. That's a slow death to the progress we've thus far made. We can't afford to let Mexico get into our heads the way that we'd gotten into theirs.
Ah, but that IS what you're saying, isn't it? And could you just make a case instead of trying to make everyone else look stupid for once? Yes, your turns of phrase are often clever, and sometimes humorous. That's great. But really, I rarely see all that much analytical thought in them, except "Bob sucks, Sunil's a dweeb, and you all are stupid." Which aren't exactly illuminating thoughts worthy of your haiku.