For the record, I find Bruce's comments funny. I'm not sure he's taking a bunch of swipes at him as was suggested (I haven't followed closely enough), but it sounds like the reporters at the round table thought he was in at least one instance. But if he is and if it continues I'd still think its unprofessional.
This is dead on. From what I hear, MANY writers were offended by Klinsmann and while maybe not done conscientiously, held it against him and his comments/taking it personally because of how 'discrediting' Klinsmann could make them feel. Our media got their feelings hurt and had a vendetta out against him. With that said, Klinsmann should have been done after 2014--but like that tehy say--hingsight is always 20/20.
There is that. Also Tony Sanneh (rb). Bobby Convey (lb) and Frankie Hedjuk (rb), if I am remembering correctly, all played midfield and were moved to defense at some point. John O'brien, I believe, played lb at Ajax. Claudio Reyna played rb I believe at Rangers. Of course one big difference between now and then is the amount of depth that we now have in both midfield and defense. A skilled defender like JOB may still be played as a midfielder now but, with quality mids that can handle the ball, the need to play him there would not be so great.
That wasn't hindsight. Plenty of us where saying that in December of 2013 that giving him an extension was patently stupid.
I might also add that a strong case could be made that the soccer sportswriters were probably among the first to suspect and then realize he was an inept bungler, who talked as if he were some visionary while delivering chaos and confusion. Describing this as hurt feelings is some unusual spin.
Pretty good idea . . . It’s time to let the Jurgen Klinsmann era go http://www.starsandstripesfc.com/20...2/15151746/jurgen-klinsmann-bruce-arena-usmnt While Jurgen was brought in as a beacon of hope for the future, Arena’s job is completely short-sighted with one stated goal, to qualify for the World Cup. In his introductory press conference he didn’t throw on a cape, jump on a desk, and promise the most beautiful soccer the world has ever seen. His main goal is to get the U.S. to Russia and save the program from utter embarrassment. After that happens, then who the hell knows what the long-term plan is? Jurgen Klinsmann is gone and it’s time to stop blaming him or idolizing him. To his credit, despite all the negativity aimed at him before his firing, he’s been nothing but classy about the decision. It’s time everyone else follows suit and moves on.
unless those two losses and our -5 goal differential cost us a WC. Then he will be blamed for many years to come.
Mostly agree. Except to note that at his worst Klinsman was a compelling storyline love or hate. Those that wish to see the sport grow here should render unto Caesar what is his. If there were a decently sourced tell all from near or inside the Klinsy locker room, I think it would be a fantastic read. I bemoan the failure of any "soccer press" to deliver this as such a megalomaniac\micromanager leaves way too much meat on the bone. Instead we get more hours of Twellman\Lalas naval gazing at their cup of coffee careers.
In fairness, JK - quite literally - asked for it. In all honesty though, he got plenty of rope, ultimately failed to deliver on his promises and eventually the bad outweighed the good. He's been fired and life goes on. Even if you detest him - whether as a coach, a man or both - continuing to heavily debate and analyze his tenure months after the fact gives him more importance that he perhaps warrants.
How can we completely move on from Jurgen Klinsmann when he doesn't allow us to with his public commentary in trying to scapegoat people for his failures and take credit for future successes, his blind loyalists follow suit, and it'll take a year or two to clean up his mess from a qualifying and integration standpoint? Yeah, it sounds like wise words and therapeutic to say we should move on from the Jurgen Klinsmann era, but to a degree that's just a pie in the sky suggestion. The reality is it will be a process where circumstances hopefully allow us to progressively refer to him less and less.
Cryptic mystery from Andi Herzog . . . Andi Herzog: MLS didn't want to listen to input from U.S.'s Jurgen Klinsmann http://www.espnfc.com/united-states...listen-to-input-from-us-boss-jurgen-klinsmann "MLS, the American league, is getting better and better, but Jurgen wanted to help them and give them some information, some inputs, where they were making some mistakes," Herzog said. "Jurgen said, 'Yeah, we need to do this, this and this better,' and this was the reason why he started to have a fall-out with the [commissioner] of the league, Don Garber. "Jurgen wanted to help the league keep improving but [MLS executives] were not happy and thought he was just criticizing everything. One point Jurgen was not happy with was that they were buying and overpaying over-aged former European superstars like crazy, but they have already found out that it is not a good way. 1. Last time we saw Andi, he was getting thrown out of an Olympic Qualifier, which we failed to qualify for. 2. Andi, So exactly what are these suggestions that Jurgen offered to MLS, other than posturing to Europe about the league (which is exactly what you appear to be doing now)? "After they fired us from the U.S., I wanted to spend another two or three months with my family, and now I am open to something new," he said. "There was something going on right after they fired us but at that time I said I needed a little time for a break to get into a better mental position after those difficult five years. I am glad they are gone . .
And any of that article is news to whom ? Anything that we did not already know ? Hey, like most things JK says...I do not disagree with but really...I'm sure the MLS mostly agreed. From afar this seems simple but there IS ALOT more nuance. They are trying to build a league, there are owners (rich guys with egos). How bout this...Unfortunately AGING talent unfortunately still makes an impact here... Please see the REVS before and after Jermaine Jones. Please see the MLS before and after David B. Please see Giovinco,Sweinsteiger, etc. I could care less about Ibra coming here in fact, I would like to not see him here BUT if and when they get him here, he will have a gigantic box office impact. The league needs excitement\interest\energy\ REVENUE...
Gio was not and still is not "aging" talent. He came in his "prime". OTH, your point still has validity in as much as he was a lifetime Juve prospect that could never break into the first team on a regular basis yet has been arguably the best player in MLS for 2 seasons running. That right there tell you a lot about the league.
You are correct. My point is Gio is\was a huge difference maker as were the others. Anyone saying that "you should not spend money on foreign talent" should have an explanation ready as to what end...A competitive league will always look for an edge. If these guys were all busts his point is well taken.
Jesus, if this statement is true, then it really shows how utterly incompetent Herzog and Klinsmann were/are. The emphasis on younger talent you see now was financed by the "big star" era and was always part of the plan, not something MLS has "found out" in the last couple seasons. I can't tell if Herzog really thinks the people that run MLS plan things from season-to-season and that he and Jurgen invented the idea of not importing Pirlo and Frank Lampard, but even saying it makes him look utterly stupid. If this is the kind of "insight" Klinsmann and Herzog thought they were providing, then it's probably not surprising the MLS powers didn't give them the time of day. It's like two idiots watch a guy building a ship in a bottle, then pointing out that the whole thing would be easier if the bottle wasn't there. More evidence that firing these idiots was the right choice, and should've been done sooner.
With the kind of guys he was talking about though, many of them were. He meant guys like Lampard and Gerard who came over here to ""retire", not a lot of the hungry kids from SA and CA and the Caribbean nations or some of the younger Euros that came like Robbie Kean and Gio (both of them). I didn't see where he said not to spend money on foreign talent, not just on over the hill big name Euros who don't really have the drive anymore. Some do, like Pirlo and so far Schweinie seems engaged. Eh...anyway, MLS is still in the league promotion phase, esp. with all the expansion still going on (I think it is too much too soon and dilutes the league right now)so I don't really care either way. But it would help to get the lower end of the salary structure up considerably.
I will say I do find it interesting that this thread is still going 6 months after he was canned, Oh, and the Donovan thread seems to finally have died! We can be thankful for that I suppose, but looks like this one will take its place.
The man who gave us Mix D, does not have the morale high ground to tell anyone who is hungry and who is not. Also, are we saying there is some algorithm for who is going to be productive aging talent ? You cannot, its a gamble and the talent game always is. Correct. The marketplace should dictate all of this. IF there are enough busts and NOT enough ROI then things will naturally migrate to all the hungry kids, but this has yet to happen and when it does no one will be happier than I.
Gio was not "aged" when he came over [he was 28]. A genuine success. Similarly for Bradley Wright Phillips. Dos Santos was even younger, and dangerously close to a genuine failure. David Beckham was 32 when he came here, and turned out in time, after flirting with failure, to be a genuine success. Robbie Keane and Henry were similarly, in their early 30's, a genuine success. As was Valderrama. But at a similar age Edilson and Marquez and Reyna were genuine failures. In their mid 30's Lampard, Gerrard, Lothar Matthaus, Pirlo were/are all sorts of varieties of disappointment to embarrassment. But then Villa has been great. Then Kaka, Schweinsteiger, Jones have been/promise to be just fine..... This age thing just isn't clearcut. To put it in Andi Herzog territory, his beloved Europa, was it a mistake for Manchester United to keep paying big bucks to Giggs into his 40th year? Was it a mistake for Manchester United to shell out the big bucks for Zlatan? On the other hand, wasn't it a mistake to shell out big bucks, at any young age, to Sean Wright Phillips? To Balotelli? In any thing, this age thing just isn't clearcut. Now if Jurgen was more specific than "don't squander money on those who don't have it" [d'uh], and instead was something like "Pay Villa, he's the real deal, but don't give one stinking euro to Gerrard or Lampard or Pirlo...and, hey, bring over that "atomic ant", he's a prophet scorned in his own land, and welcome Kaka but pretend you never heard of Rooney, cherish Henry but don't waste your time on overrated Mannscheift forwards"....well, then, MLS should have listened.....