Uli Hoeness on Landon Donovan

Discussion in 'Yanks Abroad' started by Mattbro, May 24, 2009.

  1. Mattbro

    Mattbro Member+

    Sep 21, 2001
    I feel like kind of a pud starting a new thread for this, but the old LD threads are really far back. Anywhere, there is a little blurb on Spiegel right now in which Uli Hoeness airs some dirty laundry about Klinsmann. Here is what he says about LD:

    http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/0,1518,626538,00.html


    Ouch!
     
  2. lmorin

    lmorin Member+

    Mar 29, 2000
    New Hampshire
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, with that kind of attitude supporting Klinsmann from within the club, it's no wonder the stays for both LD and JK were disasters.
     
  3. Mattbro

    Mattbro Member+

    Sep 21, 2001
    It must be the best of times and the worst of times when you coach Bayern Munich. On one hand you get to sign the best players in Germany and have about a 90 percent chance of winning the league before the first game is even played, but on the other hand you have an army of overbearing functionaries constantly sniping at you and undermining you in the press.

    That being said, Uli Hoeness may be a ****, but he knows his stuff. Same goes for KH Rummenigge and even Hermann Gerland. I dunno... I'm sure LD has what it takes to establish himself in the Bundesliga, but he was probably a little intimidated by the setting.
     
  4. Drippingmilk

    Drippingmilk Member

    Jul 30, 2008
    This is more of an indication of how hard it is for American players to succeed in Europe. Everyone saw how well Donovan was performing.
     
  5. Mattbro

    Mattbro Member+

    Sep 21, 2001
    I don't know about that... there is no conspiracy here (although there might be a bit of an inferiority complex). He didn't exactly set the BL ablaze while he was at Bayern.
     
  6. 60611

    60611 Member+

    Jan 23, 2007
    Chicago
    How many minutes did he play?
     
  7. ElRoss425

    ElRoss425 Member

    Apr 24, 2002
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What's it matter how many minutes he played if he didn't use those minutes to produce top-quality soccer?

    I'm not saying he was terrible, and he may have been a little unlucky, but he didn't make the most of his chances when Bundesliga play started.
     
  8. StillKickin

    StillKickin Member+

    Austin FC
    Dec 17, 2002
    Texas
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And he was 3 great goalie saves from scoring 3 goals in those limited minutes.

    As Imorin said - no support for JK or LD.

    Takes more than 2 months and a week to settle in at a club like Bayern Munich.
     
  9. Mattbro

    Mattbro Member+

    Sep 21, 2001
    He played quite a few games... started a couple, came on a substitute in a couple. The truth is he didn't look that impressive. You don't get that many opportunities to impress guys like Beckenbauer and Hoeness at a club like FC Bayern, and for whatever reason Donovan wasn't that impressive in the games he got. This has nothing to do with him being American. I didn't follow the discussion on Donovan's Bayern loan at YA - was that the general consensus here, that he played impressively but got the shaft?
     
  10. StillKickin

    StillKickin Member+

    Austin FC
    Dec 17, 2002
    Texas
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I beg to differ that him being American didn't have an influence on what went on. There have been too many comments after the Klinnsman firing that indicated their view towards having Americans/American influence at Bayern Munich. Needless to say, it's not very welcome.

    And no, the consensus here wasn't that he played impressively but got the shaft. No, LD didn't impress. He had his moments but he didn't have enough influence. Given more time (certainly much more than 2 months and 1 week) to settle in and adapt to the speed of play, his teammates, etc., he could have been a solid backup, versatile player.
     
  11. Diegan

    Diegan Member+

    San Diego FC
    United States
    Sep 18, 2008
    Club:
    Celtic FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    More just unlucky... they found a lineup that worked without him, so he was on the outside looking in for most of his spell. Also, once they figured out that they weren't buying him, they started using their own players more as subs. No conspiracy theories there... just a bad situation. Most of us want him somewhere in between the great divide that is Munich and the Galaxy... an upper mid-table Spanish club seems to be the consensus favorite.
     
  12. El Cholo

    El Cholo New Member

    Nov 1, 2007
    5th Ward, Texas
    That's the BigSoccer consensus every time a Yank stinks it up in Europe. :D Just read the Adu threads. :)

    Most people here think because a player doesn't embarrass himself on the field then it's a good thing. You always read stuff like, "he didn't look out of place." Well the real fans of the Euro teams don't give a shit about that, they want to see someone stand out on the field with excellent play, not someone who is average, they can find any local to do that.
     
  13. Diegan

    Diegan Member+

    San Diego FC
    United States
    Sep 18, 2008
    Club:
    Celtic FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Except that's not at all what went down... People expected him to be third choice, maybe 4th choice forward. Which he was... until it was obvious he wouldn't be signed. I love how you skip all the posts saying "nah, that's not what happened" and in your own delirious mind say "OMG THATZ EXACTS WHAT WENT DOWN LOLZ i luv europ." Then again anybody who names himself "cholo" is just yelling for attention.
     
  14. Mattbro

    Mattbro Member+

    Sep 21, 2001
    Can you give some specific examples from the best of your recollection (not being sarcastic... I just don't remember reading anything like that myself in my cursory following of the events in the German press).

    I don't doubt he could have been a solid player for BM given time, but Bayern doesn't really tend to give many players that time unless those players have come up through their own ranks or they've paid a lot of money to sign them. I believe that was Rummenigge's comment at the time too: "He's already 26 and we'd rather concentrate on developing younger players than waiting for him to hit his stride here" or words to that effect. Also they already had other attacking players coming in for next season like Ivica Olic. I just don't think they viewed him as indispensable, and nothing that I read at least indicated it had anything to do with his nationality.
     
  15. Diegan

    Diegan Member+

    San Diego FC
    United States
    Sep 18, 2008
    Club:
    Celtic FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The consensus is that with the weird loan length, the obvious friction between Klinsi and the higher ups, it was just not the best situation. I don't think anybody blamed it on nationality although being American you always have an uphill battle just based on reputation... but that really doesn't matter past the first week of training.
     
  16. appoo

    appoo Member+

    Jul 30, 2001
    USA
    highly unprofessional of Uli. Screw him.
     
  17. chad

    chad Member+

    Jun 24, 1999
    Manhattan Beach
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You're right. Podolski was local.
     
  18. appoo

    appoo Member+

    Jul 30, 2001
    USA

    Then everyone stands out, and standing out becomes...not looking out of place.
     
  19. StillKickin

    StillKickin Member+

    Austin FC
    Dec 17, 2002
    Texas
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There's some quotes/articles up in USA Men and USA Men N&A (the "Let's get Klinsi to coach the US" threads) that mentions some of the negative feelings BM higher-ups had re: American influence. I don't remember them right now, but just remember it left a bad feeling.

    Bottom line, you're right, LD was too expensive and too old for the role they would have had for him. He would have had to score quite a few goals in his time there to have made them think twice on bringing him aboard. He had an uphill climb.
     
  20. bct81

    bct81 Member+

    multiple (DC United, Dortmund, Arsenal, Leeds....)
    United States
    Mar 17, 2007
    moving around the US every few years ....
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    any US player will have an uphill climb in the BL. The only chance is to go in at the mid to lower tier clubs and prove yourselves night and day. Because the US player will NEVER get the benefit of the doubt at Bayern. It is simply not possible in that culture.

    In England or Scotland there is a fighting chance due to a variety of reasons.... of course time will tell with Altidore and at present there is nobody of note in Italy.

    Just another reason MLS is so important.
     
  21. Mattbro

    Mattbro Member+

    Sep 21, 2001
    That has nothing to do with nationality, it has to do with the perceived quality of MLS. Bayern Munich pretty much only signs established players who have proven themselves in Europe's big leagues or young players that they can develop themselves. If Donovan had gone to Bremen and performed as well as well as Klose did, he would get the benefit of the doubt. Maybe that's what you mean and I'm just splitting hairs, but I just don't see this as an anti-American thing.
     
  22. dark knight

    dark knight Super Moderator
    Staff Member

    Dec 15, 1999
    Club:
    Leicester City FC
    It's interesting that Klinnsmann stuck his neck out for Landon like that - any speculation on why? They became good friends? He believed he had a particular American never say die attitude/work ethic that would be beneficial to the team? Or he truly believed Landon could star at that level?
     
  23. chad

    chad Member+

    Jun 24, 1999
    Manhattan Beach
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My guess is he honestly thought Donovan was better than Podolski, whom he wanted to sell for more than Donovan would have cost.
     
  24. Lord15

    Lord15 New Member

    Jun 20, 2001
    Southeast
    And let's remember that Adu had more of an impact and scored more goals in half a season for Benfica than LD has in three tries in Europe.

    LD has not helped himself with his performances. Just too passive.
     
  25. Kqql

    Kqql Member

    Sep 22, 2003
    Could be:

    Their wives are friends
    He wants to Coach in MLS one day (LA Galaxy)
    He wants to be next Coach of the USA
     

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