I was saying "IF" it had to be either/or, where I'd place my emphasis, but ideally it wouldn't be. And you're right, our coaches need to be "developed" even more urgently than our players. At every level of the game that people talk to me about, over and over I hear that the coaches who are part of the problem are the ones most resistant to change and just refuse to listen and learn.
And as I'm trying to explain, while "President of the USSF" sounds like the all-important top job, it really isn't. When push comes to shove, it's simply not his call. If it was, I doubt Bob Bradley is currently (or ever) the head coach of the National Team.
http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/ "The question to Gulati on Tuesday was simple and straightforward: Will Bob Bradley remain coach of the U.S. national team? His answer (in an email response) was, “We’ll have something to say later this week.” U.S. Soccer officials later said that Gulati’s one sentence response was not intended to imply that he was planning to make a coaching change"
the problem with your analysis is that often the changes that are coming often happen sooner than those in charge realize .. I am in a small business that has rapidly grown and changed over the past 5 years and the changes threatened to overwhelm us and we had to change to survive and thrive. My fear is that Sunil (despite the intelligence he has) understands the theory and appreciates conservative business principles but the turbulence going on below his level with players and customers (paying US fans) may be caustic and destructive to the enterprise. He may not recognize that change is needed ..... but like a socialist planned system he may survive and the system may not flat out collapse but at some point external forces (the Market) may throw him out. Brilliant ideas are not required ... but simply look around the rest of the international soccer world ... coaches (SAF excluded) are typically not tenured for life like a college professor. Change is good. Fresh ideas and energy are important. Foreign influence (experts) and training can be helpful. That is not brilliant .. it is simply not myopic. You call it long and safe ... looks to me like a festering infection ....
I have heard the same, but it has always been fuzzy. I even looked up the bylaws, which were a bit vague. It appears as though Flynn (if I recall, the CEO of US Soccer) has final say on staff hirings. It also appeared Sunil had some say. Best I can tell and what I have heard, Sunil proposes the candidates and Flynn goes along barring any major objections. Klinsmann was rejected because of his demands for control throughout US Soccer. Flynn rejected Klinsmann not because he did not want him to be a coach, but because he would not hand over that much control. So if another coach came along (say Bielsa) who did not insist on overhauling soccer in the US but instead focused on the team (and possibly Olympic Team), would Flynn object? I am unsure.
Sounds like Gulati wants one thing and the amateurs at USSF soccer house want another. C--- block once again by those who want to remain status quo and doesn't want their little amateur fiefdoms threaten.
I think you misinterpret my post as saying that Bob should not under any condition be fired (I personally think it's time for a change right now), and that we should be extra-wary of bringing in a foreigner. I'm saying that big glamour moves calculated primarily to attract short-term attention are not going to be his style. And in no case is a guy who's going to power-struggle too heavily be put on the table, because a lot of power they'd want to take is not Sunil's to give (the political part of dealing with the amateur fiefdoms).
I agree with you then .. I am not in favor of glamour moves .. I am in favor of change (now) and I want Gulati to make it known that he is interviewing various candidates. I disagree with one point .. a power struggle may be a part of what is needed because a good coach may need some changes from the status quo to give him the best chance to put a squad on the field that wins. Yes there are issues with MLS spring to fall season and player workloads ... but I am less concerned with that than I am with giving the new coach autonomy to try his system .. I was in favor of Klinsmann by the way. Some folks call Klinsmann a glamour move - I thought he would be simply good for the US. But so are many other candidates. The longer the situation festers as is ... the more disharmony will appear with the men. Despite the fact they like Bob Bradley very much. Like does not always equal the best for them. My .02 worth.
There's really only cursory overlap with MLS. Donovan is the only must-have from there and even he isn't as much of a "must" as he once was. And the bottom-of-the-roster spots can be gotten from the lower Euro leagues too.
You make some good points. However, I'd come back and say a few things to rebut. 1. Klinsman wouldn't cost you 5M more than Bob. It might be double or Triple, but not 5M. The bigger issue is getting the youth organizations to fall in line with the big picture. 2. Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. I'm fairly confident when I say that I think a semi-final wc run would see soccer mushroom cloud in this country. It's growing exponentially anyway. People would really get behind it if they see that the US has a real chance of being very good. So, yes the USSF may have to pinch some pennies for a while, but the results of the right hire could finally get the worm to complete the turn.
He said what he thought ... and then had to have his masters at Sawker Haus tell us what was really going to happen.
I would state it less in terms of being inept and more in terms of being tone deaf. The longer Sunil leaves the 70% of the fan base that wonders what any future plan or set of considerations or timeline he is evaluating then fans and media will increase restlessness ... communication is important.
I'm fairly confident it wouldn't. Exponentially? Where? 70%? I suppose it could be if we determine the fanbase is pretty small. If it's the wider "I'll tune in for the World Cup and that's it" audience, it's more along the lines of 5 or 10%. You could have the small number but we're not "growing exponentially" then.
Having to release a clarifying statement to an email about your head coaches future moments after hitting send. Just comes off very amateur.
This should be one of the easiest decisions in USSF history even if Bob won't make it for them. It is the perfect time to refresh the situation and go in a new direction. My confidence in USSF is low, but even they have to see this.
Ah. Got it. Yeah, THAT was inept, the follow up. Makes me wonder what the hell is going on. The negative* interpretation is that Bob is gonna stay, and Sunil and/or Soccer House wanted to clarify. The positive interpretation is that they're negotiating, and humiliating Bob by announcing he's gonna get sacked makes those negotiations more difficult. *Obviously, negative and positive are a matter of perspective on this.