Poch's assistant coaches

Ramos is the man

 

I'd pick Eddie Gaven, since he can also serve as GK coach in a pinch.

 

An “insider” will be needed to take the blame if things go poorly. Might be Bradley time.

 

This is a good idea although I would say another potential candidates is Brad Friedel, who I believe is the only retired US international to have played for Poch. Of course he didn't exactly light it up as manager in New England and hasn't coached in 5 years, so who knows if he'd even be interested.

Depending on whether Poch wants to stay past the WC (he said he does, but I'm skeptical) Steve Cherundolo as a manager in waiting deal could make sense too.

 

I don't think Friedel technically "played" for him. He did briefly overlap with Poch at Tottenham during the very last year of his career before retirement, but by that point he was in his mid-40's and had fallen down to 3rd string in the GK depth chart there.

Though if we are counting that, then there is at least one other retired US international (well, a youth international with a January camp call-up on his resume) who also made the bench occasionally for some Premier League games under Pochettino. That would be Cody Cropper at Southampton.

And another bit of trivia here tying those players together: Cropper was the Revolution's starting keeper when Brad Friedel took over as manager for them. One of the first things Friedel did was replace him in the starting lineup with Matt Turner, who up until that point had never played a minute in MLS.

 

Honestly given the interest in the job globally this time around might as well do another such search before turning it over to Cherundolo once Pochettino moves on. Maybe the options are worse but no harm in trying.

 

He's going to try to bring in the crew he always works with.

 

I thought it was already stated he's bringing the same staff he always has.

Why would we need to force an American on a staff that's used to working together? The United States isn't Mars. I'm pretty sure they'll figure out the "culture" just fine.

 

Ramos or Hugo Perez. Id love to see one of those guys get an international repetitional/profile boost from working with Pochettino. Perez is a talented coach.

 

That's a major understatement. Might be the worst American MLS coach.
I'd prefer Donovan, but if Atlanta is a requirement he is off the list of candidates.

 

I think there are coaches where the culture clash would be problematic. But I don't think that's because the coach needed an American to "understand" the culture; more that they just would not adapt when necessary.

I don't think Poch is going to have an issue. This team should be more pliant given recent failures anyway.

 

He is.

Pochettino has said he's "considering" the addition of an American coach to the staff.

May not happen.

Frankly, we want Pochettino and his staff to have completely fresh and unbiased eyes on the player pool.

We don't need a cultural ambassador on the staff either. If Pochettino has questions about that stuff we have folks at the USSF like Oguchi Onyewu or with the USYNTs that can help. We also have the entire departments of analysts and performance coaches remaining in place apparently.

That list at the top of the thread seems like names from the USMNT past pulled out of a hat. Jay DeMerit? Why? Tab Ramos? What he has going for him is that he's unemployed because he failed so badly as a coach in MLS and the USL. Talk about failing upwards! Let's put him on the USMNT coaching staff!! Somebody who failed worse than Gregg Berhalter and Luchi Gonzalez. At Houston, Tab won 10 out of 57 games. Historically bad. So why is it we want him on the US staff? To sit there and not say a word about tactics, player selection, or strategy................but be there as a cultural liaison? "You see Mauricio, we have this restaurant called Chipotle that the kids love."

 

I'd rather the new coach have the staff he is comfortable working with than feeling any need to throw an American into the mix just because. I could see his wanting to consult with an American in regard to the MLS player pool or youth players and get some background. But most of the team play for European coaches day in and day out. I'm pretty sure they can communicate without needing a mediator.

 

But this is pretty important

 

Wyscout exists now, though. Tons of footage, analytics, etc. are all easily available.

 

Leonardo:

 

You got yourself quite enraged but I believe Ramos was USA U-20 coach and did very well. Now you can go back to your rage.

 

Sure but he also failed pretty badly in both MLS and USL. Now that doesn’t mean he’d be a bad assistant as some coaches are better as assistants, but there’s not a ton different about his track record compared to a Varas.

 

No one should force an American coach on him. And he’s said he’s going with his staff for the time being but may add a domestic coach later if he feels it’s helpful. Which seems like a good approach.

 

......................and that qualifies him to be a USMNT coach?

I don't really get it.

But people have their favorites. You be you.

Another coach that keeps burning bridges and getting fired. Now unemployed? Hugo Perez.
But people keep talking about him too.

Let's all fail upwards together!!!!!

 

The same thing that qualified berhalter to be a USMNT coach.

 

Assistant coach under Poch? Yes, if Poch wants him.

 

I remember thinking that group did ok but were very athletically limited and didn't really like the way they were playing. I wonder if using a MLS academy 1.0 type of roster (skilled but not very athletic) was also what he's used as a head club coach? Soccer has just changed into so much more of an athletic sport over the last twenty years that even Spain has a few burners (and needs them).

 

Ramos had an incredibly talented team with the U20s that he did well with ... but also squandered with his insistence on playing a soft, skilled center midfield instead of one that could defend. For some reason, he loved playing Durkin and Alex Mendez over the midfield that beat France -- Ledezma, Pomykal and Servania. Which was far more athletic and not exactly unskilled.

He forced into the superior midfield against France, won, and then in the next game ... went back to the slower midfield and got beat.

In Houston, his team was terrible and people assumed it was an awful roster. And then Ben Olsen of all people came in and with more or less the same roster made the team good and won a US Open Cup.

A bit in Tab's defense, he got the first year of Hector Herrera, when he was either hurt or just cruising. His second year, under Olsen, he was revitalized and was a much better player. How much was coaching and how much was simply the player is unknown, but I wouldn't be shocked if HH was hurt / moping over leaving Europe.