Would you call him a forward though? He spends too much time defending and central according to his season heatmap, I guess the heatmap kinds of makes the case that he's all over the place. https://www.sofascore.com/player/cristian-roldan/790171
He has played other positions. And inside/wide forwards of one team may have to track further than the equivalent players in another. Christian Pulišić Chelsea videos, transfer history and stats - SofaScore Sadio Mané Liverpool videos, transfer history and stats - SofaScore Mason Mount Chelsea videos, transfer history and stats - SofaScore
Pulisic would be a better fit in a system in which he didn't have to track back so far. Like Liverpool. Or Barcelona. But actually in terms of style of play, Roldan would be a better fit than Pulisic currently is at Chelsea.
He’s definitely said he wants to coach a national team next and there aren’t a ton of obvious candidates. Brazil has basically never hired foreign coach, England just extended Southgate past this World Cup, Germany just hired Flick and Klopp has also expressed interest in taking over once he finishes at Liverpool. And I think his views on Catalan independence make him a no go for Spain. It’s not inconceivable he’d take the US job if it were available. Of course he also finished her career in Mexico so he could have interest there too.
That could be an angle. And I could see wisdom in trying to buy lowish on the US' talent, in conjunction w/ enjoying a home WC. But it would be hard to finagle getting the US job mid-cycle. Whoever the manager would be earlier would have to flop first. I've been a pro domestic option in the past because of pool knowledge & system quirks. But I think the way our system is evolving to where domestics are getting moves from MLS to Europe around 20, independent of the nat'l team, I think we might want to prioritize a tactician in a couple years. Also his particular style the youth would take better to. And he likely wouldn't be as inflexible or at least inept at executing his strategy.
Bob gave them the leeway though. That's the type of scenario I'm talking about that could work in Guardiola's favor, hypothetically. But he'd be blind to whether it would come to fruition. Berhalter, Marsch, or whoever it is could win the Gold Cup, and make a switch unrealistic. Meaning, if the motive for Guardiola moving here was to get the nat'l team job eventually, it'd be all for naught. Or at least he'd have to wait until after the cycle.
Har har, Love that. But is he 'trendy' or 'real deal'? If the USSF didn't get rid of who ever the heck is in place for the opportunity to have that man lead the team then I really give up.
Such a possibility intrigues me on one level, but honestly, I just really can't imagine Pep Guardiola moving to NYCFC as a stepping stone to get the USMNT job. If he actually wants the job, he'll simply make it privately known to USSF that he's interested in the job, and what sort of situation/terms would be agreeable to him. He doesn't exactly need to "prove himself." He might need a good US-knowledgable assistant or two.
I’m probably going to be in the minority on this, but I think Guardiola is one of the most overrated coaches/managers in any sport, in history. I think he got lucky his tenure at Barca coincided with a one in a generation academy class and a once in a lifetime player, and since then he’s managed the two richest teams in two separate leagues. His biannual pummelings of Burnley and Watford don’t impress me given his 3rd choice left back cost more than the opponent’s entire starting XI. I think his own opinion of his genius far outweighs his actual genius, and his hubris has resulted in him underperforming relative to the teams he had at Bayern and City when he runs into peer opposition in the CL. If we’re going to daydream on club managers to take over the NT, give me Klopp or Tuchel over Pep 100/100.
The discussion for this is in 2023, so USSF would have to be satisfied w/ hiring an interim for the first year of a cycle again. And they'd have to not maintain Gregg if he makes a run at the WC. Plenty of moving parts here. Well, I'd agree, but there's no credible rumor of his interest, AFAIK.
its not a hypothetical, though- he was used as an 8 for his first 19 or so caps and couldnt have been less of a factor in any of them, then hes been used as a (whatever you want to call it) since- when hes been vaguely helpful.
Jackson bombed out hard when he no longer had the most talented rosters/individuals in the league to coach though, so…
He did? Jackson has had a winning record every year as a head coach, and currently has the highest winning percentage of any Hall of Fame coach, and the highest of any NBA coach coaching 500 games or more.