One Thing I've Learned From the Adu/DC United Situation...

[Swami]

Peter Nowak should not be on the list of potential US Nats Managers.

Irrespective of the foolishness of a 16 year old's comments and their timing, Nowak has repeatedly demonstrated an old school obstinacy...the kind that would lead a coach to sequester his team on a farm during a World Cup.

Bruce doesn't take crap from anyone, but he understands when to be firm and when to be flexible. That is the skill of a good manager in any enterprise. Nowak lacks this skill, and given how important man management is at the National Team level, he should be nowhere near the Nats.

[FC Tallavana]

Peter Nowak should not be on the list of potential US Nats Managers.

Irrespective of the foolishness of a 16 year old's comments and their timing, Nowak has repeatedly demonstrated an old school obstinacy...the kind that would lead a coach to sequester his team on a farm during a World Cup.

Bruce doesn't take crap from anyone, but he understands when to be firm and when to be flexible. That is the skill of a good manager in any enterprise. Nowak lacks this skill, and given how important man management is at the National Team level, he should be nowhere near the Nats.

Agree. The national team manager needs to be a players' manager. A cheerleader if you will. A perfect example from the baseball world would be Bobby Cox of the Braves.

While it would be nice to find an x's & o's coach that also has a decent personality, I'd rather have the personality.

A guy I like and one who might be a realistic target for us is Chris Coleman at Fulham.

[Maximum Optimal]

There are some cultural differences at work here. This happens a lot in international football. Witness some of the experiences that guys like Mathis, Cherundolo (hand gestures to ref), Donovan have had abroad. Even players who settled well like Reyna and O'Brien have talked about the adjustments they've had to make. I think Novak has handled this poorly, but he's also a smart guy and should learn from it.

[Ronaldo's Idol]

There are some cultural differences at work here. This happens a lot in international football. Witness some of the experiences that guys like Mathis, Cherundolo (hand gestures to ref), Donovan have had abroad. Even players who settled well like Reyna and O'Brien have talked about the adjustments they've had to make. I think Novak has handled this poorly, but he's also a smart guy and should learn from it.


I actually don't see any evidence that Nowak is a smart guy. He seems obstinant and lucky. He's lucky that DCU has arguably the best talent in the league, talent he essentially inherited or fell in his lap.

Last year DC went on a run in the playoffs. Other than that they were an average team with above average players with IMO a below average coach. Nowak is no genius, stick any MLS coach with DC and they'd produce similar or better results. Just MO.

[Sinter]

Agree. The national team manager needs to be a players' manager. A cheerleader if you will. A perfect example from the baseball world would be Bobby Cox of the Braves.

While it would be nice to find an x's & o's coach that also has a decent personality, I'd rather have the personality.

A guy I like and one who might be a realistic target for us is Chris Coleman at Fulham.

Never thought about Coleman... would he honestly leave the epl to manage the US nat team? Doubt it, though you never know.

[Northcal19]

I actually don't see any evidence that Nowak is a smart guy. He seems obstinant and lucky. He's lucky that DCU has arguably the best talent in the league, talent he essentially inherited or fell in his lap.

Last year DC went on a run in the playoffs. Other than that they were an average team with above average players with IMO a below average coach. Nowak is no genius, stick any MLS coach with DC and they'd produce similar or better results. Just MO.

Maybe not Steve Samson. :cool:

[swilso01]

I actually don't see any evidence that Nowak is a smart guy. He seems obstinant and lucky. He's lucky that DCU has arguably the best talent in the league, talent he essentially inherited or fell in his lap.

.

Talent that Ray Hudson did absolutely nothing with for 3 years in a row.

Nowak is new to this whole coaching business. I do not think he handled the Freddy situation all that well, but there is a difference between being a PR manager / babysitter and getting results on the field. He seems to be doing the latter pretty darn well.

[Bluecat82]

Agree. The national team manager needs to be a players' manager. A cheerleader if you will. A perfect example from the baseball world would be Bobby Cox of the Braves.

Given Cox's record in post-season (14 straight division titles, 1 World Series Championship), maybe we should set our sights a wee bit higher...;)

Seriously, I wouldn't be in such a hurry to toss out Nowak - young inexperienced coaches can learn - and change - just as young, inexperienced players can.

[Dr.Phil]

Nowak now that is an interesting option


me like

[BenC1357]

Nowak is just doing what a passionate, fiery, hard headed guy would do. He has displayed the mentality of "Oh yeah, you want to speak out of turn and then refuse to appologize when I, the manager, ask you to? Fine then, go stand in the corner until you're ready to act like a big boy."
Part of what he's done comes across as being a strong handed father figure. That is often needed, especially with a 16 year old who has a rather large ego. Another part of it though comes across as the all controlling manager who has no one mess with his team unless he says so. That is the scary part, the part I wouldn't want as a MNT manager.

[MikeLastort2]

Nowak is a perfect example of coaches who don't put up with any crap from their players. They never win anything.

Everybody knows that guys like Cryuff, Beckenbauer, Ramsey, etc let their players get away with doing whatever they wanted.

[bltleo]

Everybody knows that guys like Cryuff, Beckenbauer, Ramsey, etc let their players get away with doing whatever they wanted.

You are right with your statement about Franz Beckenbauer. I can only confirm this. I know our Kaiser good. Franz has always given a freedom to players. But he supposed to be very strict if they did not followed certain rules. He was excellent motivator.

Maybe is Nowak the same.

Bltleo
GERMANY

[FirstStar]

I've had Nowak on my short-list for a year now (not that anyone consults with my short list, but it makes me feel important). I don't, however, think he should be our top choice should Bruce depart after next summer. He's too inexperienced at this time-- too many times, his substitutions just don't make any sense. Also, I have no sense of his logistical capabilities-- the US manager, like all good non-Euro sides, must be able to track and plan the movements of players around the world. Finally, I'm not sure about Nowak's ability to get along with other managers. As DCU manager, he is the boss and his word is law. I think he likes it that way. How is he going to do begging SAF to release Spector and Howard for an important friendly, though? National team managers need to be good diplomats.

In short, I'm impressed with his drive and motivation, but I wonder how his character will interfere with other important duties of the national team manager.

[swedust]

I read a post somewhere that made what I thought was an interesting contrast between a club manager and an NT manager.

A club manager is more likely to bring a style of philosophical belief and then draft/groom players to make that work (like a college hoops coach). A national team coach has basically no say on what the player pool is, and has to be able to formulate cohesion based on who is available from the pool (like an NBA hoops coach).

I'm not enough of a student of the world game to rattle off examples, and I'm sure exceptions can be found. But it struck me as an interesting observation. Nowak doesn't seem outwardly like the accomodating type, so maybe better suited for club coaching.

[Fire-Chop]

Never thought about Coleman... would he honestly leave the epl to manage the US nat team? Doubt it, though you never know.

I am betting that Chris will be unemployed by the time Germany rolls around.

However, I would hope that he would never be considered for the US Nats, he can not handle the premiership much less international football.

[Autogolazo]

Nowak strikes me as a turn-around specialist.

Through rigorous discipline and inflexibility, he can take underperformers and give them some spine and some self-belief.

Real Salt Lake desperately need someone like him at the moment, for example. He's the anti-Ellinger.

The problem is that he's no long-term solution for anyone, least of all a national team. Can you see him giving-and-taking with Euro club managers over US players' availability? Or negotiating the minefield of who starts and who doesn't with fragile egos?

Not to mention that his subsitution patterns have been questioned even more than Bruce's.

There will always be a need for Nowak-type managers, but I don't think he's got Gansler-like tenure in him.

[Ronaldo's Idol]

[QUOTE=swilso01]Talent that Ray Hudson did absolutely nothing with for 3 years in a row.

[QUOTE]

Not true. The teams Hudson had and Nowak started with were vastly different. And Nowak's was much stronger.

[MikeLastort2]

Not true. The teams Hudson had and Nowak started with were vastly different. And Nowak's was much stronger.

Much stronger? I don't know if I'd agree with that.

Hudson's teams - from MLSNet.com:

2002 DC United roster
Marco Etcheverry
Bobby Convey
Ali Curtis
Ryan Nelsen
Jaime Moreno
Santino Quaranta
Petter Villegas
Eliseo Quintanilla
Ivan McKinley
Eddie Pope
Richie Williams
Henry Zambrano
Milton Reyes
Abdul Thompson Conteh
Jose Alegria
Ben Olsen
Lazo Alavanja
Roy Lassiter
Orlando Perez
Brandon Prideaux
Dennis Ludwig
Bryan Namoff
Craig Ziadie
Nick Rimando
Mark Lisi
Justin Mapp

2003 DC United roster
Marco Etcheverry
Ben Olsen
Hristo Stoitchkov
Dema Kovalenko
Eliseo Quintanilla
Alecko Eskandarian
Ali Curtis
Mike Petke
Bobby Convey
Santino Quaranta
Earnie Stewart
Ronald Cerritos
Galin Ivanov
Ryan Nelsen
Jose Alegria
Bryan Namoff
Devin Barclay
Clint Baumstark
Thiago Martins
Trevor Perea
Brandon Prideaux
Nick Rimando
Doug Warren

[Ronaldo's Idol]

Much stronger? I don't know if I'd agree with that.

Hudson's teams - from MLSNet.com:

2002 DC United roster
Marco Etcheverry
Bobby Convey
Ali Curtis
Ryan Nelsen
Jaime Moreno
Santino Quaranta
Petter Villegas
Eliseo Quintanilla
Ivan McKinley
Eddie Pope
Richie Williams
Henry Zambrano
Milton Reyes
Abdul Thompson Conteh
Jose Alegria
Ben Olsen
Lazo Alavanja
Roy Lassiter
Orlando Perez
Brandon Prideaux
Dennis Ludwig
Bryan Namoff
Craig Ziadie
Nick Rimando
Mark Lisi
Justin Mapp

2003 DC United roster
Marco Etcheverry
Ben Olsen
Hristo Stoitchkov
Dema Kovalenko
Eliseo Quintanilla
Alecko Eskandarian
Ali Curtis
Mike Petke
Bobby Convey
Santino Quaranta
Earnie Stewart
Ronald Cerritos
Galin Ivanov
Ryan Nelsen
Jose Alegria
Bryan Namoff
Devin Barclay
Clint Baumstark
Thiago Martins
Trevor Perea
Brandon Prideaux
Nick Rimando
Doug Warren


You could make an argument that they're comparable just on names, but in reality they aren't, as an old Etcheverry, Stewart, Stoichkov, along with rookie Esky and injured Quaranta aren't nearly as useful when old or injured or adjusting to the league in their first year.

Convey, as we all know, was not a game breaker. He was good, and someone DC could use now, but not as useful as Gomez or Moreno are now.

Nowak has/had an on fire Esky, healthy Quaranta, emerging Adu, revitalized Moreno, and a basically dominant Gomez as AM. Those are all huge tools that Hudson had none of.

I'm sure you know more about the history of DC than me (I don't attend games live but I do follow the team pretty closely and have since 1996 really). So if you still disagree, I'll go with that.

[JRstriker12]

The problem is that he's no long-term solution for anyone, least of all a national team. Can you see him giving-and-taking with Euro club managers over US players' availability? Or negotiating the minefield of who starts and who doesn't with fragile egos?

Not to mention that his subsitution patterns have been questioned even more than Bruce's.

There will always be a need for Nowak-type managers, but I don't think he's got Gansler-like tenure in him.


I think one thing that's been ignored is that Peter does have experience at playing European soccer and playing at the international level. Just because he rules with an iron fist at DC doesn't mean he doens't know how to work with managers from Euro clubs. In fact he probably has a better idea of how things work over there than many American coaches just because he's been there.

I agree with you though on the Sub patterns.