It could have been 2 games this camp, will or should be 2 in Jan. camp, and may be 2 at a subsequent friendly up until. That is a big deal. One of our problems is many think details like capitalizing on golden integration opportunities and filling out our roster with viable candidates for that purpose isn't a big deal...until it is. Ya know, like when we don't qualify in part because 7 games around this year's Gold Cup which we largely waste from a big picture standpoint. In addition to digging our grave, we're way behind for the near future because of the last two bum managers, and before you know it, prep for the '19 Gold Cup has arrived, for which we're pressured to win again.
As someone who was fearful of Tab getting the interim tag and--through some combination of institutional inertia or conservatism or lack of imagination--undeservedly getting the permanent gig, I am a little relieved at Sarachan's appointment. The relief is due in large part because I am convinced that he, unlike Bob in 2007, is not a credible threat to getting the interim tag removed. I think he is not credible given his single mediocre stint as a head coach, his age and his connection with the previous regime. Of course, I could be completely wrong about this.
Wonder if this interim situation improved Sigi Schmid's job security? Galaxy's season just ended - and there were questions about Sigi keeping his job. But they have a massive turn-around to enact in the off-season, lots of work to do. Hackworth hits the ground with a thud. Decision Day happens. Tab balks. The Galaxy get embarrassed again, one last time for the 2017 season and Vagenas is demoted to give Sigi full authority in rebuilding the team. I wonder if the Gals were panicked about losing him, and having no qualified person in charge. Not directly related: Remember Sarachan had just left the Galaxy to get out from Bruce's shadow - then he went right back under it to help the US. Really good guy.
Don't hate this. He is guy who can run a camp reasonably well, organize a somewhat coherent game plan for the few games he will coach, plus he isn't likely a person who can "fall up" into the permanent gig. From his perspective he puts some more coaching tape on film, has a nice resume booster, and possibly stays on in some type of "bridge role" when new coach is named if he doesn't blow things up. Especially if that coach has little to no experience with US Soccer/MLS.
That's not what happened. Sarachan was forced out in preparation for the new coaching staff. Here's an LA Times column that explains it in detail: "Under Arena, the Galaxy was one of two MLS teams with a five-man coaching staff — the norm is four — and Sarachan, by virtue of his special relationship with Arena, was the league’s only associate head coach. He also was believed to be the best-paid assistant in the league. "The Galaxy wanted to restructure their technical staff and under new Coach Curt Onalfo, Arena’s successor, they eliminated Sarachan’s position and added a strength/conditioning coach and a dietitian. “It was us wanting to take the next step in how our staff was approached,” Galaxy President Chris Kleinsaid. “It wasn’t something that necessarily had to do with Dave. We needed to move the club forward and do some different things in sports performance and video and other areas.” "Sarachan wasn’t unemployed for long, however. Less than a week after Sarachan left the Galaxy, Arena was asked to rescue a national team that had gotten off to a disastrous start in World Cup qualifying. And he, in turn, reached out to Sarachan and his other Galaxy assistants, Pat Noonan, Kenny Arena and Matt Reis." (LA Times; Feb 11, 2017; "Loyal assistant Dave Sarachan is the secret to Bruce Arena's success in soccer") Sarachan didn't leave Galaxy to leave Bruce's shadow. He's Bruce's loyal right-hand man and always has been. He is Bruce's shadow. Hence my opinion that hiring Sarachan is basically hiring Bruce's sock puppet. Either Bruce will have his hand inside the puppet directing what he does, or he'll just be a limp, inert, and ineffective lump.
Well, Bruce is on vacation until March, when some MLS club will get him. Since he can't be kept as the NT coach, he can still do the job from behind the scenes until after Gulati's re-election.
Oo! Interesting. Thanks! I missed that article but I guess I read Sarachan's agent's version of things first. Did seem strange and I wondered what the deal was.
It is just as likely (and in fact more likely) that Arena respects Sarachan and has kept him around because he is an independent opinion and reality check. Are they aligned? Of course they are? Are they similar? To an extent, but that may be more generational and a testament to similar backgrounds and career paths. He is obviously not a radical break with Arena, but that's not what's called for as a temporary caretaker. Everything I have read about their relationship suggests Sarachan is an independent, but aligned, partner with a complimentary skill set, particularly around on the field coaching. I don't think your sock puppet analogy is valid.
I guess we'll see. I've expressed my disappointment with the hire already in this thread. An interim staff should be tasked with more than house-sitting - there are still productive things that can be done by a caretaker during a transition period - especially considering that the transition period may last for another ten months. Keeping around the practically-already-fired staff and promoting one purely to fill the manager's chair - this doesn't strike me as taking steps to get the most out of the downtime. But I also accept that realistically, there weren't many options. Clearly, the USSF had not put in any plans in place to maintain continuity in case of a transition; obviously, they weren't expecting to need any. And the pending USSF election means no long-term plans can be made. Basically, our only option was to promote Tab to the position - when he said no, we were out of ideas. I agree that it would've been better if we'd had some sort of technical director or other oversight role to provide guidance and continuity, instead of tying all those duties in with that of the head coach. But hindsight is 20/20. The situation sucks, basically. And I personally have no confidence that Sarachan has any ability to improve that.
Sadly on point. We still have posters here who expect MLS to rival not only the Big 4 but also the NFL/NBA in popularity. It's not.going.to.happen.
The UFC won't overtake boxing. And horse racing will always be king. You cant predict popularity long term. While I agree in the short term, 20 years from now there is absolutely zero reason MLS can't be as big as any league. You just have to have someone with vision come along, set that upward trend in motion with some new rules and then hard work. Sadly weve got back room deals where everyone has to not vote on something because a conflict. Which means I agree with you long term too, just saying it can realistically happen if they get the right people in place.
One way US Soccer could get Tab on the ground and running is to give him 4 year contract with USSF option of moving him to U23's in 2019 to prepare for Olympics in 2020 then handle U20's for 2021. This would give him the security he needs to say no to the suits. Basically he'd have the senior job thru the first Gold Cup in the cycle. Hopefully we would hire a vertebrate for the US Soccer Presidency this February who could back up Tab and the long commitment would be credible justification for sticking by him and incorporating a new corporate culture in US Soccer.
You're apparently unaware that Bruce was already hinting at retirement. If he had gotten us to Russia and not totally shit the bed there, it would have been long odds on him ever coaching again. As it stands, he may want to cleanse his legacy, sort of like Steve Smith and Lawrence Taylor both announced their retirements, got injured, then came back and played again. Point being...maybe he'll coach again, and maybe he won't. It's no sure thing at his age.
The only issue I see with this is that it is outside of the box think and therefore anathema to GOB network.
50% of the country wouldn't notice if the NFL disappeared over night. NBA and MLB the number is probably closer to 75%. I grew up in California, most people couldn't tell you what NHL stands for if you surprised them with the question on the street. The majority of Americans don't give a shit about sports in any capacity, even fewer give a shit about professional sports, and even fewer care about international competition outside of the Summer Olympics.
I'm surprised at how many people on social media are rooting for Tab to get the permanent job. Am I missing something? Isn't this a guy who's never coached an adult team and whose biggest triumph is making the QFs in two consecutive U20 WCs? The coaches who actually WON the WCs, one moved up from such victory to coaching in MLS (Paunovic with the Chicago Fire) and the other is still with the English U20s. 2013 winner Mankowski is still with the French U20, and 2011 winner the Brazilian Ney Franco went on to continue his careers coaching clubs in Brazil. It's not rare for a U-xx coach to become assistant coach for the NT, but it's are for a U-xx coach to do the jump to coach for the NT --unless he has ample experience coaching clubs from before the U-xx gig. Still, didn't help Franco, no one has suggested him as the manager of the Brazil NT. The usual path requires you to earn your chops coaching clubs for a few years before becoming a viable NT coach candidate.
For people concerned about "more of the same", it's certainly cognitive dissonance to then want Tab Ramos to be given the job.
Tab Ramos has done nothing to deserve consideration for the USMNT. Nothing...at.....all... Except be friends of people who run USSF. If he wants to be USMNT, let him show us he can succeed as a club manager, or let him get the U23's and Olympic sides to semifinals, as opposed to our recent litany of nada, nada, nada. As empty of advance is the choice of Sarachan for Interim, at least it is Interim. Opting for TR as permanent manager would be imbecilic.
I would have at least kicked the tires of Sigi if he wanted the job until next March (at which he would not be considered for the fulltime job, and he could go back to being the Galaxy manager/GM). Really, all he'd have had to do was get us through the Portugal match and the winter camp. Neither of which would have really impaired his Galaxy responsibilities
I don't know about his time being all that free given the expectation that he will be making changes, and quite possibly wholesale changes.