JK reminds me of certain people in my past, cool to be friends with, awful as bosses. Not because they were strict or demanding, but because they seemed too wacky to be in charge. The sort of people you can like, but it's hard to respect. I think that while is possible that Landon genuinely likes Jurgen, the man, he may have a hard time with him as a boss. He's too New Agey, too vague, too much of a demagogue. Had I been in exactly Landon's position, I'd also have taken the occasion to retire and perhaps focus on my club career. I'd hate having to sit through seminars with someone talking to me as if I had a room temperature IQ, telling me about nutrients and food groups and stamina --or, worse, having some clown tear phone books and roll up skillets to "motivate" me. Some people just don't suffer fools gladly. And, regardless of his sunny disposition and his decent quality as a manager, I think JK is a fool.
Sounds plausible. The guy tearing phonebooks must have been embarassing to witness. I winced when I heard about it.
I don't actually believe this. But it is one of the worse-case scenarios I do sometimes worry about. I understand what you are saying, with his new-age / car salesman type persona. But I think I've seen JK become more realistic and more down-to-earth during the last 18 months, at least with regard to the US player pool and how to organize the team. And I don't believe the scenario of this thread that there is a serious issue underlying JK's relationship with LD. LD has always played his own tune in his career, regardless of what others hoped he would do, and his latest musings fit that pattern.
Crack head wacko car salesman new wave wannabe... My way or the highway... seems to me JK has a bit of both streaks in him, though without the veneer of a strict disciplinarian, as the new age stuff is decidedly left of center (yet he employs it and those in camp must submit themselves to it). And, with LD outspoken, and honest about his uncertainties, he, too, is not the "How high?" when asked to jump, player, right now. JK wants him to jump, but doesn't quite know how to make it happen.
This is very true. It seems more Landon's mind vs. Landon. He had issues (or comments/actions made for/against him) by some of his closest coaches with Arena and Bradley.
To be fair, its OK for a coach to have this Most of the good ones have it. It is the psychologist / mind games that a coach needs with each player. They need to understand each player individually and find the way to motivate them to get their best. Bill Parcells and Jimmy Johnson were the classic examples of this. Parcells was not the harsh disciplinarian/bully that he comes across as. Otherwise Lawrence Taylor would never have had as long a career with the Giants as he did. Phil Simms? Parcells was an outright bully/ogre with Phil early in his career. Benching him for freakin' Scott Brunner. Simms became far more focused and disciplined under Parcells. Same with Vinnie Testaverde. Johnson? Just look at the clowns that played for him at 'The U' and Dallas. But they were there every game. One size fits all at youth sports because Player X may not be giving his 100%, but his talent will likely take them to a higher level than the rest of the players.
I was thinking about this a while back. JK broke some kind of LD trust rule when he brought him to BM and didn't secure himself or the player. I remember watching those matches thinking: those players detest LD. It turns out they detested LD because he was JK's guy. Bad situation all the way around and unfortunately LD probably feels victimized.
It certainly appears this way. LD has expressed his sincere enjoyment playing for Everton during his brief loans there. Moyes is a superlative player's coach and their collective approach to the game is the same as LD's wavelength. Everton fans expectations are to see their players work together, and to be something greater than the sum of their individual parts. LD JK has failed to bring this from the USMNT. Certain individuals have done well, and the US has gotten its fair share of results in friendlies, but our struggles in WC qualifying against lesser sides suggest something else is going on. Perhaps, JK's groping for multiple German-American imports has tipped the way he is seen by the American born and bred players. 30% of the starting outfield players will possibly come from this group (Jones, Williams and Johnson). Boyd will be on the bench. Is their too much Teutonic love here for certain players to feel anything but betrayed?... (in addition to LD just being plain burnt out)
To play a bit of Devil's Advocate here, but Everton is not Bayern Munich. The pressure to perform on one of the classic top 3 teams in the big Euro leagues is a notch or two higher than at even a CL contending team. At Bayern, 2nd place is a failure. Landon had a bad go at it at Leverkusen when they were a top team as well. Everton is a bit more relaxed atmosphere, even within the City of Liverpool. This could be part of the reason why LD excelled there. It could be why Tim Howard excels there (compared with his time at ManYoo). Lower expectations makes it far easier to succeed and even exceed expectations. Small victories go a long way with these teams in their fans eyes.
And crashed to the bench the following season once Rio Ferdinand was suspended, to be replaced by Roy freakin' Carroll.
I don't think it has anything to do with the pressure to perform and instead it has everything to do with being accepted and welcomed by his teammates. At Leverkusen, when he was a 17-year-old and later as a 23-year-old, he was never welcomed by his teammates nor accepted by them. He was a threat. At Bayern Munich, he also was never accepted/welcomed by his teammates. Klinsi himself said LD could have succeeded very well there if he could have stayed for 6 months; said his teammates never accepted him nor helped him. Everton, on the other hand, made him feel welcomed, accepted and one of the guys from the moment he stepped off the plane. Made a world of difference to him.
Sort of like the USMNT... I believe Moyes knows how to motivate players of all sorts. Everton may be overachieving, but that comes down to the coach being able to get consistent performances from his players over the course of a long and grueling season. Playing WC qualifiers is the antithesis of this...you have to be on your "A" game at irregular and infrequent dates, play away with the intent to get a point and don't give up points at home. The tactical deployment on these dates gets your team through. I'd love to see a pumped up LD play in these upcoming qualifiers, but since I don't have a crystal ball, I'm as clueless as the rest of us when it comes to actually knowing what will happen. My gut instinct tells me LD won't be in Honduras, and that, if it comes true, just plain sucks.
Landon was playing at a WC when he was 20. And he was named the young player of the tournament. So he did not exactly stink the joint up.
Your gut may have picked up on the fact that this was already officially announced. Maybe your guy has an internet connection!
On the one hand, Klimsnann poorly handled Donovan's spell with Bayern. That was a team of A-types and Donovan was not suited for the psychological combat. On the other -- - boo-freaking-who. Thomas Müller first yells at, then gets punched by Robben. Robben gets punched by Ribery. It's a normal day at Bayern. If a player can't handle being there, unload your pants and go home.
He also scored the winning penalty to beat Japan and put us in the 2000 Olympic semis. The call by the announcers is hysterically funny: "Only 17, looks very nervous, taking way too much time" .......money.
JK is no fool. I don't get why people think there is some bad blood between Landon and Jurgen, the guy is just mentally exhausted and has had a bunch of injuries in the last year or so which is something new to him because he has mostly been injury free for most of his career. Also if a player doesn't like Klinsmann's philosophy he doesn't have to do it, just don't let the door hit you on the way out.
I hadn't. But that's how I took all mine. Always thought it made sense to curve the ball away from the keeper and draw it inside the post.