The World of Football/Soccer.

[bababui]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

If offered the job I am 80% sure Jürgen Klinsmann would accept it. His contract would have to be pretty high and pretty long in terms of years as a show of respect. But I very much feel he would take the job and enjoy doing it.

A quick search turned this up..albeit from 2007. Maybe he will think differently now.

Jurgen Klinsmann to coach LA Galaxy or buy Tottenham or cure cancer | The Offside

He turned down the head coach position with the United States team last December over issues of executive control.

[phightin]

Firstly, I do agree that it isn't entirely bradley's fault as well given the sad state of affairs with our pool of players. It was suppose to be that the US would have a top standard of players who could compete for the world cup around ten years ago when they started project 2010 for the purpose to get younger teenagers more exposure at the higher professional levels. Sadly, though, as i said before, it's very clear that the US has in fact regressed in terms of our quality of players. Sure there is more quantity, we have an increased number of players in the pro ranks both domesticaly and abroad, but we have nothing close to a player like a reyna, armas, mcbride, or o'brien for that matter. The young players who were suppose to be the first generation of americans to be legitimate players in europe have turned at least so far to look mostly like busts. Maybe Dempsey but he isn't being used properly or just loses it during international match play. So yes in that sense I agree.

HOWEVER, to simply just say Bradley hasn't looked so out of touch tactically and just overall at a loss at times would be just flat out denial. 1. He is extremely dead set and favors certain players refusing to take a chance and try someone else regardless of how poorly they play, and the few that he has tried have been the wrong ones completely. He still uses Beasley who doesn't belong on the field let alone the national team, he refuses to bench donovan or take him out of the forward position even though he clearly doesn't belong there against higher competition, Altidore is unready but because of his high profile and name with US soccer bradley trots him out there every match. Compound that with his horrendous tactical decisions, playing an attacking formation in a tough away enviorment against a quality side, playing Beasely at left back, not using feilhaber for the past year up until now, not having a clue what to do from an attacking standpoint, letting donovan take all the set pieces, and showing that he usually can not inspire his players, shows he is out of his league.

The man has had success at the us professional ranks mind you, but keep in mind 1. it's the us pro ranks and 2. he never even played professionally, his highest playing level was that of an ok college player at princeton university. I on the other hand was a very good college player that started on one of the top programs in the country, I could probably run circles around old bob back in his day and have played at a higher level and with better players than he ever did. Now my point is even if i became a successful coach would I ever be qualified to be the head of the MNT, of course not, I have no where near the experience necessary as a player to do so, but somehow bob bradley is qualified.

Lastly, The reason why the USSF hasn't already kicked his ass to curb, and hired a more qualified euro coach, is exactly what the poster on here said before, bob is in essence a yes man. The USSF isn't just about developing players (which they can't do anyway), but they're also about full control over all aspects of US soccer even how the national team is picked, hence the reason why scolari, Klinsman, or another top coach won't take this job. They would want total say and control over their team, and how the us program is run overall in terms of development etc, but the USSF wants none of this cause 1. they're egocentric and 2. they love their $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. The developmental system at the teenage ages isnt the problem, we actually field very good youth teams that compete well for the most part. The problem is it's a simply a group of very athletic decent players with no one or two shining prospects. However, at the young level the 8 9 10 11 yearold etc it's a complete mess, and it shows in our lack of creative or attacking oriented players.

[stevebydac]

Someone made an interesting point in our TBCB boxing forum that the lower weight classes in boxing are the most exciting these days because they attract the best (boxing) athletes. The larger guys are now playing American football, hockey, baseball, basketball. Why get your face smashed in when you can make big money at somewhat less risky sports? So a superb athlete who is 5-9 and 160 is more likely to be a boxer than a guy who is 6-2 and 200.

Following that theory, you'd think that USA Soccer would attract some great athletes. You don't need to be huge to be a great soccer player. We've got 300 million people here - you'd think we could put a great team together. While I realize that soccer is a second-tier sport here, the potential talent pool would appear to be enormous.

I'm a casual soccer fan... no expert. Is our leadership really that horrendous? There seem to be more kids playing soccer than even Little League baseball...

And, lest this be a 100% negative post, congrats on a great victory over Egypt. Pretty amazing - let's hope they have another miracle in them for Spain.

[mlyons]

I don't get the idea that somehow you have to have been an elite player to be a good manager. Arsene Wenger was a borderline pro, with just twelve appearances in the Ligue 1 to his credit. Jose Mourinho never made it to a top-level club. Rafa Benitez topped out in Spain's second division. Even some of the guys we've been talking about as wishful thinking for the US job -- Carlos Queiroz and Luiz Felipe Scolari -- had unsuccessful playing careers. There seems to be very little correlation between how good a player someone is and how good a manager he is.

Criticize Bradley's selection policy and tactical decisions all you want; they're certainly not above reproach, and I think it's crazy how much playing time he's given guys like Beasley, Kljestan, Twellman, and Clark who haven't shown anything at the international level recently. But his lack of playing experience has nothing to do with it, and the bottom line is that he's achieved results as solid as anyone could reasonably expect, given the talent available to him. I think you're looking for a scapegoat. It's frustrating how few good players the US produces nowadays, but that has nothing to do with the man managing the national team (can you imagine someone blaming Fabio Capello for England not having any decent goalkeepers?) and everything to do with the policies of MLS and the USSF.

[ukhotstove]

You can't blame a manager at International level on the lack of a talent pool you have, although he does have a say in who coaches under 21 level, youth level etc. As far as I can see the level of blame should be put at the feet of Sunil Gulati after all he is the president of the USSF and such it's his job to organise or get the right people in to organise the development of football in the US, isn't it ?

[Purple Cowboy]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

You can't blame a manager at International level on the lack of a talent pool you have, although he does have a say in who coaches under 21 level, youth level etc. As far as I can see the level of blame should be put at the feet of Sunil Gulati after all he is the president of the USSF and such it's his job to organise or get the right people in to organise the development of football in the US, isn't it ?

I'm scared to put any blame on Gulati because I have the feeling that richboy and incredibly-connected-for-no-talent-or-business-sense Alexi Lalas is just laying in wait, plotting to make a run at the head of the federation, and that will be a DISASTER for American soccer.

[ukhotstove]

Anybody any info on Greek football, reason why I ask is a few players are moving over there. Now I'm not talking about top quality players but players who you would think would r could get a place in a better quality league or am I missing something.

[bababui]

They were the last Euro Champs and would you rather play in Northern England or Greece?

[ukhotstove]

I know they were the Euro champs and such and know a few of their teams just wondering if there's been a surge of money put into their game, Matt Derbyshire below would surely get into the Bolton, Stoke or Hull etc squads and earn probably £30,000 for it.

Matt Derbyshire

[bababui]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

I know they were the Euro champs and such and know a few of their teams just wondering if there's been a surge of money put into their game, Matt Derbyshire below would surely get into the Bolton, Stoke or Hull etc squads and earn probably £30,000 for it.

Matt Derbyshire

Im betting even you would choose Greece over Wigan if you were offered anything close to your present salary.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by bababui

Im betting even you would choose Greece over Wigan if you were offered anything close to your present salary.

I'd play for Wigan Athltic for food money and I'd play for England or Ireland for nothing.

[bababui]

Originally Posted by ukhotstove

I'd play for Wigan Athltic for food money and I'd play for England or Ireland for nothing.

I bet you'd pay to play somewhere with warm weather, a great beach and hot women.

[ukhotstove]

Djibril Cisse ex Liverpool, Sunderland and Marseille is also going to Greece (Panathinaikos)

[bababui]

The USA is the best team in the World!!!!

[Russ]

To be the man, you got to beat the man. And we beat the man today.

[mlyons]

Olympiakos is playing in the Champions League next season. Bolton, Stoke, Hull, and all those other English teams that might sign Matt Derbyshire aren't.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by mlyons

Olympiakos is playing in the Champions League next season. Bolton, Stoke, Hull, and all those other English teams that might sign Matt Derbyshire aren't.

Marseille have qualified for the group stages but Cisse is still going to Greece, Paul Hartley could easy go to Hearts who have qualified for Europe but is thinking about joining Iraklis Saloniki who finished 10th in the Greek Super League, Olympiakos still have to get through 3 rounds to get into the Champions League itself so I still don't understand why decent players are suddenly going to Greece.

[rudel.dietrich]

Greece passed a bill a few years ago that lets many of it's sports clubs offer tax free contracts to it's athletes.
One of their basketball clubs lurred a mid level NBA player away a year or so ago.

[ukhotstove]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

Greece passed a bill a few years ago that lets many of it's sports clubs offer tax free contracts to it's athletes.
One of their basketball clubs lurred a mid level NBA player away a year or so ago.

Ahh now that could be the reason, maybe it's why some of the top players are heading to Spain, I think their after passing a bill on the lines of that.

[rudel.dietrich]

Considering taxes on the wealthy in some European nations range upwards of 60%, that would be a huge incentive.

I am remembering more about that NBA player how. They gave him a beach house on a private island that was worth over 2 million euros. He had his own private staff. A car and driver.
They went all out for him.
I cannot remember his name though.