I can only tell you as a DC United fan, there's good with Nowak and there's bad with Nowak. When it's good, it's really good. When it's bad, it's really bad.
This position will be a defining time for his coaching career. He's either going to prove he's got the chops to be a big-time manager or he'll condemn himself to being just another coach. I truly hope it is the former.
I can't say that I like this if it's true. While Novak was a pitbull as a player, he's far too conservative as a coach. I still can't figure out what he was thinking against Nigeria at the Olympics. He was playing for Korea to get a result against Holland. His roster decisions for that team was pretty poor too. Can't say I'm too thrilled to see how he'll build an expansion team. I know I'm being a typical Negadelphian (I grew up there despite what my location says). But, yeah...I don't like this.
well the one thing he really had going for him was that he did win a title with a DC squad that in 2003 was borderline terrible... Perhaps our front office can dig up a Christian Gomez or two.
I'm not expecting a championship team in year one, but I would like to see some attacking soccer. I really don't know what to expect though. I fear we'll end up with a talented team playing an uber conservative style, with little to no cover at multiple positions, which means one or two key injuries and we'd be pretty much screwed. That's pretty much the way that U.S. soccer builds rosters. It's the way that Nowak built the Olympic team. It makes me nervous.
[Nowak, the only man to ever win an MLS Cup as a player and head coach,] Following his retirement, Nowak made a seamless transition to coaching in 2004 with D.C. United. Known for his no-nonsense approach, Nowak led D.C. to the MLS Cup title in his first season in charge. He spent three years as D.C. United's head coach, compiling a 42-27-25 record during that time. Philly could have gotten someone a lot worst, most others would fit that category. I'll take him for the Red Bulls and give you guys Osorio http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=650473&sec=mls&cc=5901
I like the pick. One of the biggest concerns with bringing in a coach for this league has been his experience within the confines of the league and the U.S. youth/high school/college system. IMO you'd be hard-pressed to find a guy who has been more involved at every level of the game in this country over the last 10-15 years. I think its too early to determine what our tactics will be as he hasn't been the head-man in quite a bit, and besides if the worst that happens is we play an ugly brand of soccer but stay off the foot of the table I'll be happy for the first couple years.
First shoe falls: PETER NOWAK RESIGNS FROM POSITION AS MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ASSISTANT COACH CHICAGO (May 28, 2009) — U.S. Men’s National Team assistant coach Peter Nowak has resigned from his position with U.S. Soccer to pursue other career opportunities. Nowak served as head coach Bob Bradley’s top assistant for more than two years, and led the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. During his time with U.S. Soccer, Nowak helped the U.S. team capture the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup title and compile a 9-1-1 record in FIFA World Cup qualifying. Overall, the U.S. team’s record is 24-8-4 since Nowak joined the MNT staff in December 2006. “On behalf of the coaching staff, we want to thank Peter for all of his efforts with U.S. Soccer. He is an outstanding coach and a great friend,” said U.S. Head Coach Bob Bradley. “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him as both a player in Chicago and as a partner with the national team. I look forward to continuing our relationship.” There are no plans in place to immediately replace Nowak, and the U.S. will go into this summer’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers, FIFA Confederations Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup with Mike Sorber, John Hackworth, Zak Abdel and Pierre Barrieu assisting Bradley. "During his time with U.S. Soccer, Peter was a valuable asset to our coaching staff and helped us accomplish a number of our goals," said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. "We want to thank Peter for his tireless effort and wish him all the best in his next endeavor in soccer." The former D.C. United head coach took the helm of the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team in August 2007, and six months later guided the team through a successful qualifying campaign for the 2008 Olympic Games with a 3-1-1 record. In Beijing, the U.S., which was drawn into a group widely considered the “group of death,” had a strong showing but were left out of the knock-out rounds despite earning four points with a 1-1-1 record. His overall record with the U-23s was 4-5-4. The U.S. is currently training in Miami and will continue 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying against Costa Rica at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San Jose on June 3 at 10 p.m. ET live on ESPN and Galavision. Three days later the U.S. returns to face Honduras at Soldier Field on June 6 at 7 p.m. CT live on ESPN and Galavision. Following the qualifiers, the U.S. team will depart to face Italy, Brazil and Egypt at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. (Gee, wonder what he's going to do next?)
I don't mean to change the subject, will we be able to see the stadium been build like the RBA with a live webcam any time soon?..
This is the hire I dreaded. I think Nowak is a great coach. When he coached DC he was always at 100%. I'm not sure that was a good idea for the long MLS season/playoff marathon. Nowak approached everything as a sprint. With depth and no injuries you can pull it off though. I think he's probably learned a lot since he's left DC. Either way, a great hire.
In an interview Nick gave, he said how the coach would be more along the lines of a manager of the team in a similar vein to teams overseas. I believe he even dropped the Sir Alex Furgeson name as an example ... not that Union/Nowak can compare to the stature and prominence of ManU/Fergie.
Speaking of "managing".... Nowak needs to take a course in man-management skills from his fellow Eastern European former MLS All Star midfielder Preki, because whatever he's done to transform his constantly combative personality in order to become a guru at Chivas USA is a near miracle in the realm of coaching. I never thought Preki had the patience to be good at the personal aspects of the job and boy was I wrong. Most talented players with tempers make lousy coaches. Look at how Van Basten's name opened coaching doors which his petty grudges have closed shut, and with good reason. But good luck, Peter, maybe the time with the U.S. has leveled you out a bit.
I can't tell if the image that made my post make sense rendered. My point was that the terminology is the same in baseball.
Don't worry, 100% of Philly fans are former DCU fans, generally of divided loyalties, so they already know what to expect. This isn't fantastic for the long term, and I don't much like Nowak as a coach, but this is a decent move for now. It's an expansion team, and you want someone with deep MLS and head coaching experience. Maybe someone obvious is slipping my mind, but Nowak seems like the best option out there fitting this description and not currently employed elsewhere in MLS, so it's a coup to get him. Preki's transition to guru is one of the few things I ever correctly predicted in MLS. Anyone who kept playing in his position for as long as he did had to be a genius of getting the most out of limited resources, and that also happens to be the basic art of MLS coaching. Now I only wish RBNY would can Osorio and deploy some of those megabucks to steal Preki, but I know it won't happen...and that Preki would magically become a moron the moment he stepped off the plane here.
It is? You don't say. But that's not the terminology we use in this country in this sport, in this league. And it's Europosing. It's adorable, but it's Europosing.
True, sure, but if it ever reaches some kind of critical mass as an alternate term and a couple of teams are using it, then it is the terminology we use in this country in this sport. And I have a funny feeling that's happening as we speak; the pull of England is strong.
Yeah, no ... the image is a no-show, at least for me. Get your facts straight. I didn't support any MLS team before Philly came around, so the percentage is ever so slightly less than 100%.