What is Karel Bruckener's rating amongst you lot?

[Terim is a legend]

How do you rate Karel Bruckener? I rate him very highly, as this is his record.
1.Topped group with Holland for Euro 2004 qualifying, unbeaten, beating Holland 3-1.
2. Had that amazing 20 game unbeaten run which lasted from February 2002, and ended in March 2004.
3. Group with Holland, Germany and Latvia, you win all 3 games, beating Germany with your B Team, and that amazing match vs Holland.
4. Semis, and one of most entertaining teams.
5. First WC as Czech Reoublic, getting through a group with Holland and Romania, while knocking out Norway, and winning in Oslo, which is not easy.
5. 2nd in FIFA Rankings.
Therefore, i think, even if you crash out with 0 points or goals next year, for his record, he should stay, what do you think?

[bltleo]

This is what I posted for americans about czech team....

Who is Karel Bruckner?

Czech Republic coach Karel Bruckner is known in his homeland as "Kleki Petra".

His nickname is taken from a character in a novel that deals with the plight of North American Indians - their leader was Kleki Petra. This nickname suits to Bruckner.

The 65-year-old has guided czech team through to a semi-final against Greece in some style, with the Czechs winning all of their games and, in the process, they were CLEAR FAVORITE - when we forget the game against Greece.

His tactical mastery has enabled a talented group of attacking players to flourish. Perhaps the best example came against Holland. After the Czechs completed a famous 3-2 win against Holland, Holland boss Dick Advocaat admitted he had been outwitted.

Bruckner's coaching career began in 1973 at his beloved Sigma Olomouc, with whom he has had four spells in charge.

He is creativer thinker..

In his early days as a coach Bruckner obsessed over tactics and formations, drawing different systems on pieces of paper late into the night. Yes really he use old-fashion system - paper

Bruckner, is regarded in the Czech Republic as a master at set-pieces and a creative thinker.!!!

his trophy as a club coach was: the Slovakia Cup in 1985 with Inter Bratislava.

In 1997 he was appointed Under-21 coach.

He guided a group of talented players, which included Petr Cech, Tomas Ujfalusi and Milan Baros, to second place at the 2000 European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia.

I 2002 the Czech Republic won the European Under-21 championship in Switzerland and eight of the players who finished the game against Holland were from the Under-21s. !!! His experience with the Under-21 team guaranteed he had the respect of his players. So Bruckner can work with young people as well, not just "older" players and stars!

I would say Bruckner make from "unknown" players from czech leagues BIG INTERNATIONAL STAR...example Milan Baros, from Moravia actually (he played for Banik Ostrava first - who know where is BAnik Ostrave expect Czechs?)

He has allowed a team during the European Cup, who are bursting with attacking football, to push forward and score goals. !! To risk!!

Bruckner has not been intimidated when meeting bigger international opponents or become obsessed with positional issues.

Bruckner - an intensely private man revered in the Czech Republic

This man is even "soccer professor"...it is absolutely different coach than many others...

This was about Bruckner

your
Bltleo
GERMANY

[Canadian_Supporter]

Wow that is quite the historical round down btleo. Thanks! :)

I must say that I also rate him rather highly. He has had a good record with the Czech Republic, and he is a former coach of Sigma Olomouc.... :D

[Terim is a legend]

He has had a very good record with the Czechs and long may it continue! Problem is, have you got young talented replacements for Koller, Nedved, Galasek, Poborbsky and Smicer?

[socRmom3231]

Bruckner is a great coach. Yes, most Americans have no idea who he is. They will find out (atleast those who follow the sport). I think some of the younger ones can fill some of those big shoes. Rosicky for example. He is becoming a legend in his own way. Plasil shows promise. There is hope. :)

[laufer]

Bruckner seems to be pretty insistent on keeping the same old players on the team. He's a very clique-ish manager who values reputation, experience and loyalty over actual performance. I don't feel like he's giving newer, younger players a fair chance.

His dependance on Koller as a front man is keeping the team from progressing in its style and performance. When Koller plays, the Czechs don't do a whole lot more than pump crosses and high balls to him; the creativity is sucked right out of the team. Koller was a useful battering ram 4 or 5 years ago, but he's looked awful recently. I know he scored a lot of goals in qualifying, but most of those were against the weaker opponents. I don't have high hopes for him in Germany.

To be fair though, Bruckner's reliance on older players might be necessary. Czech football seems to have stagnated recently, and there aren't a lot of thrilling young players coming through. I don't really follow the Czech league so I can't comment on that, but there aren't too many good young Czechs in major european leagues. Sparta and Slavia have been poor in europe this year (although Slavia still managed to progress in the UEFA cup). Thomas Jun doesn't exactly get my heart racing, and Rosicky isn't really a prospect anymore.

Czech football got to where it is by understanding the limitations inherent in a small country and using creativity, intelligence and honest self-appraisal to overcome those limits. It seems like, lately, the FIFA rankings have gone straight to the heads of those in power in the Czech FA and they've grown a little complacent. Some of the Czech media have already pencilled in their match against Brazil in the first knock-out stage (after finishing second to Italy in the group; no respect for the Americans or Ghana at all).

Call me pessimistic, but I'm not feeling great about the Czechs at Germany. Few players on the team have had banner years recently: Koller and Rosicky have had injuries, Jankulovski's a bench player at Milan despite being (far and away) the best Czech defender, Baros was left out at Liverpool and hasn't been lighting it up at Aston Villa, Poborsky's gone from Sparta. Bruckner's going to have to have his mystique working overtime if the Czechs want to make the knock-out stages. Sorry for the rant.

[bltleo]

some news from prague post:


"Looking ahead to the 2006 World Cup finals "?


http://www.praguepost.com/P03/2005/Art/1215/news1.php

[Canadian_Supporter]

Thanks for the link. The Prague Post doesn't write about sports in the Czech Republic that often any more. :(

[bltleo]

I posted this at US men - in thread: Czech press.

here for you fans of czech team:

For those who are interested in Pavel Nedved

this is his official web-site...unfortenately is the web-site in czech language only

maybe I will ask him some questions there - they have special link for this

the Motto of Pavel Nedved is: If you something do, do that properly (I hope I translated it good).

they have forum, maybe you can use this

http://www.pavelnedved.cz/


bltleo
GERMANY

[Liviu]

Any coach that has his team performing as well as the Czechs have for a couple of years straight needs to be given alot of credit. Bruckner is no doubt a very good coach. However, opposing teams will take notice that they haven't performed as well in the WC qualifiers, which are the most recent international games. Against the other 2 best teams in the group, they lost both games against Holland and split the games with Romania - winning 1:0 at home and losing 2:0 on the road. Are they in a decline, or was that just an aberration? I don't know, but looking at the world cup qualifiers, they certainly look beatable.

I'm looking forward to the showdown between the U.S and the Czechs. Most expect a clear win by the Czechs, but the U.S are capable of the upset. It will be a game most likely decided by the coaching. Who will prevail, Bruckner or Arena? Looking ahead to the game, I'm pretty sure that you'll see Onyewu (http://www.nrk.no/img/501554.jpeg) of Standard Leige mark Koller. Onyewu is shorter than Koller (who isn't) at 6'3, but Onyewu (or Gooch as we call him) is very strong and can also jump very well. Let's just say that it won't be an easy game for either Koller or Gooch. Looking forward to the game. :)

[Canadian_Supporter]

I certainly don't expect a clear win by the US. If anyone thinks that they might be in for a little surprise. However, I don't think the Americans will surprise anyone this time around. They are a solid team that can certainly cause the Czechs some problems.

Although I still think the Czechs will win.... 2-1 sounds about right. :)