Nah, I’m pretty sure it’s talent. You completely ignored the question you quoted. Which is why you got the answer wrong and wrote a really bad post.
to all the people who defended berhalter and didnt want him fired: THIS is what you almost took from us!!
Managing a national team is a really weird gig. There are very few who should be kept on beyond a single cycle, just as there are few who should be fired before they've completed a cycle. Actual coaching takes place at clubs. Poch is in charge at a time when our players are just old enough, but not too old, just playing at a high enough level (league doesn't matter), etc, and he's smart enough to have picked a system that works for what he has. As is always the case, the level of the national team within that system is down to the players. For the US, we have good players who arrived in good shape. Poch gets no credit for that side of things. He is keeping up his side of the deal, though. Well done. I find any manager who wants to stay on beyond a single full cycle as suspect. As Americans, we like to think the national team is an actual team. It is not. It's just an all-star get together for FIFA to take as much money out of the pockets of fans as possible. For that, heck of a lot of fun
2nd cycles usually don't work out. Don't understand why NTs do that. Whatever Pochetino does at the WC he should go. USSF should not try to persuade him to stay another cycle.
I dunno man........ Joachim Low Didier Deschamps Morten Olsen Vittori Pozzo Helmut Schon Gareth Southgate Fernando Santos Oscar Tabarez Carlos Queiroz Hugo Broos Vicente del Bosque
The comment I made back before 2022 still applies, I think. If we make the semis, I think you kind of have to try and rehire. I don't really think otherwise it's a good idea. Poch is great. I just doubt this is going to interest him for 6 years. And I don't know if he can keep the players on their toes for six years.
If Poch takes the side to the semis, what possible upside is there to him to re-sign? He's done more than expected, and the next cycle what, win a world cup or be a failure? With an aging core? Time to leave
Oh, I don't expect Poch to re-sign. But I also think that trying to sign him up for another four years is asking for issues -- not the least that Poch gets bored and leaves midway. The only reason I'd risk those is basically such an absurd success you basically can't not offer. I think the next Sporting Director has a huge task. You need someone as tactically sophisticated as Pochettino, and that's not going to be easy to find in the international space.
I could see him sign on for another year. Seeing as many of the BIG club jobs he would want are not currently available. Staying around on a yearly contract until something in the Club game becomes available could benefit all parties. The year after the World Cup {Poch could work more closely with the youth teams to build the culture throughout the org. Then he moves on to the next Big Euro Club, and it gives US Soccer time to replace Crocker, and then find their next head coach.
Agree. And I think it's fine because Crocker is gone, but in general, I don't want to give our next coach only two years. Qualifying for 2030 is shockingly weak and dumb, but I still want a coach here for more than two years.
That will be a year wasted for USMNT if he were to stick around until he finds a club. WCQ, Nations League, Gold Cup and possibly Copa America are tournaments coming up. A coach will need time to implement his style and find the players in the player pool that fit his style. One thing I would like though is for USSF to go after a big profile coach and not settle for an MLS coach. They have the money to do so, so might as well do it.
Since when do Nations League and Gold Cup matter? Qualifying for 2030 won't start until late 2027, or early 2028.
What's the upside for Poch? I guess a paycheck, and if the US does really well, a very hefty check, like double to $15m hefty (the going rate for a top club manager). Being un/under employed makes him a spectre in every major club manager struggle, which is to his advantage. Also, is Poch the guy to build up a youth system? He plays promising young players on senior teams, but does he have f-all to do with youth development? Is that his strength? In six months, or a year, before he takes another (and much better, more high profile) gig, will he have made any kind of difference for US youth players? I think the answer is no, and would be for any manager. Developing a youth system is a long term project. When the cup ends, let's just kiss and say goodbye
After the way Haiti played vs Scotland USSF should start prioritizing the Gold Cup. And US fans should start caring for it and not belittle it. Haiti had Scotland on the ropes! Sure they lost and weren't awarded a clear penalty but the minnows of CONCACAF can hang on with mid table European teams.
Poch is known for his player development, but yeah, I suspect he's not going to be super interested in fixing US player development.
After watching us play against Paraguay, I do feel a bit of a bummer we got to see that basically once or twice in this cycle and not at all during our actual continental competitions. I'd really like to actually dominate those. As a fan, having the team show up once in four years is not exactly great.
True, so fair point, but he develops players for the senior teams he manages. He's the guy who skims off the cream of youth teams for his senior teams. He doesn't develop those youth teams. He does a good job with young players, and helps polish them, but he doesn't oversee their development, does he?
I have no idea what he did or does for the youth teams. I suspect he did not directly work on building an org structure or processes or the such, but it wouldn't shock me if watched youth teams on occasion and offered feedback. What I would say is that players improve under him, no matter the age. I don't think development ends when a player hits their senior team; a 20 year old playing for senior team is still developing. But he probably doesn't want that job -- I think if he wants to work 24/7, he'll go back to club. I do wonder if he'd be interested in coaching the senior team AND the Olympic team. I don't think he wants to work with 14 year olds, necessarily ... but get a chance to win an Olympic medal? Maybe.
I do think he's a very good manager. He's in the conversation for every major job that opens up. So, again, what's the upside of taking on an Olympics? A World Cup cycle is a step down from top club management, but it's one that everyone understands, a vanity project. Doesn't moving a couple steps down the ladder, again, to U-23s kind of say "yeah, I'm done with the big time?" He's mid-50s, in his prime as a manager. There are exceptions, Bielsa is one and he's a hell of a good manager. But an Olympics gig is for those basically retiring, or trying to break in. It's different in the women's game, where the Olympics actually matter, but that would be a really, really weird choice.
It would be the Olympics AND the senior team, and the only reason to take it would be the reduced work schedule versus Club at great pay and an interesting challenge. Same as a national team. I don't expect it to happen; I just think it might be an interesting add for a guy who likes molding young players.
I get the idea. As for work load, wouldn't adding the Olympics be more work? But it's nothing compared to a club. True dat. It feels like a retirement gig, and i think he's a bit young for that. In 10 years, maybe.