phins_4_ever
E12 FH Tailgate Gang
It seems to be more than just a rumor. Multiple outlets are reporting that Klinsmann will get the England gig.
Here is one: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/theres...-rumor-than-originally-thought-023612712.html
This makes me happy in so many ways:
a) as a Germany supporter it will guarantee England's continuous decline when it comes to the national team
b) and as a US Soccer supporter I don't think that Klinsmann is the one to bring US Soccer to the next level.
I followed Klinsmann's career as a player and coach closely. When he became coach of the German team he didn't have the required licenses so they hired an assistant who did: Jogi Loew. With the WC 2006 approaching Germany was in complete rebuilding mode. They were just kicked out of Euro 2004 in the group phase (which is very rare for Germany).
Klinsmann brought a lot of enthusiasm and new ideas to his first coaching gig.
The team became much younger and despite hosting the WC that year nobody expected much. It became known as Fairy Tale Summer to German soccer fans. Germany went to the semifinal behind some refreshing soccer only to lose to Italy in extra time 0-2 (both goals scored in the last 5 minutes of overtime).
Klinsmann left after the WC but Germany continued on. If you include 2006 this is Loew's success:
WC 2006: semi and 3rd place
WC 2010: semi and 3rd place
WC 2014: Champion
Euro 2008: Final (second place)
Euro 2012: semi (no 3rd game)
Euro 2016 at least semi
Klinsmann went on to Bayern Munich. His two year contract did not even survive the first season. He was fired during his first year. The joke among Munich players was that Klinsmann had no respect from players. He was not a good tactician and he usually talked to players more like a cheer leader. The players themselves did the tactical part of the game. After that it became knowledge that it was indeed Jogi Loew who was the 'master mind' behind Germany's 2006 fairy tale summer.
Klinsmann was a good coach for the US in the beginning. He turned US Soccer around and made people more aware. His enthusiasm along with his international career as a player was what we needed - as team, as organization as well as fans. But there is a point when you need to go further. After the last WC in 2014 in which the US played inspired and was a fighting machine we stopped. In the Gold Cup in 2015 we looked awful in group phase and lost to Jamaica (!!!) in the semi.
Copa America this year sounds good on paper (semi) but let's not look at how we got there and how we looked against Argentina. Outside of the Costa Rica game it was a struggle. We looked like a team with no identity. Just put together and thrown out on the field and playing sandlot soccer. And that is the beef with Klinsmann. He is not good at giving a team an identity. He is a good basic idea but he reaches his ceiling quickly. He is more like a cheerleader on the sideline rather than a professional coach. When I see him running around and clapping when something went wrong I always have to think back when my son was 6 and I stood there and clapped "good job, next time you get him" when he missed a swing at bat.
US Soccer needs a coach who begins to form a team with an identity where every player knows his duties and positions and not run around like their heads were cut off. The lack of tactical application is so bad that the US rarely had more than 4 passes in a row during the Copa. Most of the time they just kicked the ball to the teammate because they just didn't know where to go and to get rid of the responsibility. There was no movement without the ball. Nobody moving into the slots or open spaces. Completely disorganized.
The interest by England is a blessing for US soccer. It could give us a chance to severe ties with him cleanly and not answering stupid questions why we would fire him when we just reached the semis in Copa play. I hope England does not pull out tapes of the US in the last couple years. They may change their mind.
And to England and Klinsmann: The only success Klinsmann could have is clean house and change the attitude of English soccer officials. And we all know that they are as stubborn (maybe even more) than Germans are. He also needs a Jogi Loew. That will be the hardest part for him.
Euro 2016 has done a lot of damage to English soccer. Not just the loss to Iceland but the way they lost. A complete lackluster effort and no sign of resistance. It may be the first sign of a shift in soccer powers in Great Britain/UK and Ireland.
Wales will most likely surpass England in the new FIFA rankings (July 14). Northern Ireland is up and coming and so is Ireland. Klinsmann to England will help shake up that region of soccer
and us. :sidelol:So who should be out new coach?
