A couple points. If I understand this correctly, everyone’s panties are in a wad because of a Sean Kramer tweet. The internet tells me that Sean Kramer is an actor. Y’all be like the dog in Up! Squirrel! Specifically to freisland’s point, I’d be thrilled if he’s the coach, but that skill set ain’t the same as setting up youth development. Plus, the whole reason I believe it’s possible is that he wants to take a sabbatical. Adding to the responsibilities might be a deal breaker for him.
If it was just us who stank, the next one would be a place for some decent tests. But seriously, Mexico and the rest (except Canada and Panama I think) have been awful too.
My post and point were not specific to Klopp. They are simply extensions of the position I've held around here for years: until we commit to getting the very best coaching, support, scouting, physio, et. personnel available across age groups, but starting with the senior team, we will stay on the same trajectory. Whether it is/had been Klopp, or Pep or Zidane or Low or Descamp or Ancelloti or Arteta or Simeone or... the next 50-60 names on the "best coaches" list, until we we commit to hiring the best and letting them opine on any aspect of the program they think can be upgraded - I'm talking folks who know how to win at the top level, are used to winning at the top level and will demand the program support them to win at the top level, we will keep treading water right where we are. It's really not hard or controversial. We should have started many cycles ago, but we didn't. So let's start now.
I mean, Klopp is a great coach. But I'm not sure I want him determining organizational vision. Did he redesign Liverpool's youth structure? What does he understand about federation goals and objectives. I'd give him free reign on the senior team and I'd have him interact like hell with the youth folks, tapping into his brain as much as possible. But I don't know that I'd want him deciding vision for the US, and I don't know that he'd have interest.
Please find me something with an actual statement from Klopp, not from one of your dumb youtubers where he just said something.
I do think it that there really aren't many options for radically changing up the player pool between now and 2026. It doesn't seem like we'll have a ton of guys moving up to a higher level in that time frame to challenge at least the top 15 guys or so on the current roster. Maybe Paredes continues his gradual improvement and pushes Aaronson off the roster. Maybe Wiley gets his move to Europe and pushes out Lund as backup LB. Maybe Slonina goes to Strasbourg, becomes a solid Ligue 1 starter, and knocks off Horvath/pushes Turner for the #1 spot. All of those developments would help the team but wouldn't drastically raise its ceiling, in my opinion. We really need more guys playing substantial roles for UCL teams in the big 4 leagues to raise the ceiling drastically, and I don't see who will jump to that level who's not already there in the next two years.
Pretty sure they have made it clear they don't want anyone opening on any aspect of our program. They have their guy. Unfortunately, your view is very controversial in many circles within US soccer. I dont know what they are focused on, but it ain't winning.
You are not going to get anything like that. You know that. Klopp isn't going to go to some journ-O-lister and say "Hey, I want the USMNT job." Not while 3Gs is employed at least. Maybe if the job opens up he might, but coaching negations are rarely conducted in public.
Yeah, that post seems a bit like straw manning. Maybe he’s not truly interested. That’d suck, but I would get it. At the same time, I’m sure it would at least give him pause - unless he’s Germany or nothing type.
Yeah, if he’s not interest you would not force him. But if a guy like Klopp were willing to articulate his vision for how a fed should be run, I, for one, would hit record and sit till he had nothing left to say. Ymmv
I’ve long maintained that the US plays best in an athletic counter attacking style with two forwards and a dedicated no 6. I think this also best suits our current personnel. It may be old fashioned, but so what? It may actually be more difficult for other teams to prepare for. I do know that I’m tired of seeing single no 9s getting deployed up top and creating nothing.
Right. But my point was that "your report in several places that the only national teams he'd coach are Germany and the US" isn't actually from Klopp and comes from a chat with a reporter who was speculating. You objected to that. But that's true. It doesn't mean Klopp might not consider, but it does mean that he's nowhere on the record and that the basis for this belief is a somewhat offhand comment in a chat that was not followed up on. How is this that hard? Why are you arguing?
I'd listen. But while Klopp is undoubtedly a smart guy and a good leader, at least at the team level, there are differences between running a federation and running a team. One of the biggest is that a federation is just that -- a loose group of people with a vaguely common goal where you have to do a LOT of internal selling to often get execution in certain areas, and where you need to get consensus. And a team is a small dictatorship with a very common goal. But yeah, you'd listen, particularly to the part's relevant to the National Team. There's just a lot more there and a lot of stuff that Klopp never had to deal with.
Liverpool famously had a very good structure around him with people like Michael Edwards. And some of the most successful guys they had were players like Saleh who he initially preferred others to and was persuaded by the sporting department.
I don’t know that Klopp would have a good idea a federation should be run never having been around one. I can’t emphasize enough how badly some of these federations around the world are run, even some of the top European countries. The German federation was having serious financial difficulties until recently and were bailed out by a massive offer from Nike (and why they had no choice but to abandon Adidas). Similarly look at a country like Spain and the massive scandal their federation has been engulfed in. Klopp is one of the best coaches in the world. But he has no expertise in terms of how to run a federation. The job of the federation if he were hired would be to ask what he needs to be successful with the senior team and then provide it to him.
Yes and no as in addition to World Cup qualifying they also have qualifying for African Cup of Nations and Asian Cup qualifiers. Those take up alot of dates. This graphic gives you a good idea of whose available when this cycle (but doesn’t take into account individual teams like UEFA teams in odd numbered World Cup qualifying groups). https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2023/10/11170620/USMNT-windows@2x.png
The Athletic broke it down even better and these are generally our options for the upcoming windows (but it still doesn’t take into account things like odd numbered UEFA groups) June 2024: A team from CONMEBOL or Oceania (which ended up being Colombia and Brazil) September 2024: CONCACAF or Oceania (ended up being Canada and New Zealand) October 2024: CONCACAF (Panama scheduled, one open date) June 2025: CAF, Mexico or Canada, or Oceania September 2025: AFC October 2025: CONMEBOL, Mexico or Canada November 2025: CONMEBOL, AFC, Mexico, Canada or Oceania March and June 2026: Anybody
ironic part is they are too busy shoving rainbows down our throats....to, ya know, actually schedule a diverse group of opponents
[Andy Rooney]Didja ever notice that homophobes are always talking about things being shoved down their throats?
I think lost in all the consternation over coaching is that if we want to discuss a "rebuild" as this thread suggests, we need to focus at least somewhat on the players. While I'd like to see a coaching change as would many, I also think the players failed to show up and that if we don't fix the players, we don't fix the team no matter who is coaching. We have a shockingly small number of players who have been doing well on a sustained basis for their clubs over the last couple years and also show up regularly for the national team. The two in the best shape I can think of would be Pulisic and Robinson. Both are key players and regular starters with their clubs and even when not having their best games, they always show up and put in the work for the national team. We need more of these types. Just behind them I'd throw out guys like Balogun who showed up for Copa and has a decent record of performance with the US but who's club situation has dropped off a bit over the last year when he tried to step up to a bigger club. I'd also include someone like Ream who has seen his club status start to decline but who has been consistent with the national team. You could add Chris Richards who finally became a regular at his club and has been decent in both arenas but not stood out in either. Scally who is a regular at his club and did pretty well at Copa. After that you have guys who are a bit of a mixed bag. I'd include players here like McKennie who had a good season with his club, but who did not come to play at Copa. I think he's fairly unique in this pool as someone who's club career is doing well but failed to translate that into quality performances. Them we have a big group who are regulars with the US but have floundering club careers or part timers/backups at their clubs or a few guys who are doing decently with their clubs to varying degrees but not breaking through with the national team like Cardoso. We've also got guys like Turner and Gio who get a ton of minutes for the US but never see the field elsewhere, etc. There are plenty of people I've skipped over, but I think when we look at this team and think about how we want to improve, we need to get more of our players into the first grouping, guys who are succeeding with their clubs at a high level and who show up for the national team consistently. Maybe I've missed some who do but it seems we have far too few of these and far too many in other situations. Until we get more of our guys into the small group who have both sustained club success and who show up for the national team, we're going to keep struggling no matter who is in charge.