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Report: Bielsa interested in USMNT job with Donovan as assistant

FOOTBALL : Marseille vs Benfica - Amical - 23/07/2014

As the U.S. Men’s National Team searches for a coach, a surprising candidate has emerged.

According to ESPN Deportes, former Argentina and Chile manager Marcelo Bielsa is interested in coaching the USMNT for $4 million per year, and he would reportedly hire Landon Donovan as an assistant. In addition, Bielsa would also reportedly push for a changed to the MLS calendar to a Feb. start date.

Following Jurgen Klinsmann’s dismissal, U.S. Soccer is reportedly set to name Bruce Arena as the USMNT’s next head coach.

Considering the massive investment in Klinsmann and the precarious position the USMNT is currently in, it would be highly unlikely to see Bielsa coaching the U.S. at this time.

“El Loco” is also notoriously fickle and would want significant control within U.S. Soccer. Seeing as how Klinsmann was simultaneously head coach and technical director, the federation may not want to go down the same road twice in a row.

Bielsa, 61, most recently coached Marseille before taking the Lazio job this past summer. However, he left the club after just two days.

Comments

  1. After Russia we should be able to get an excellent national team coach. Here’s why. Right now we have some good older players who may still be useful in 2018, or may not. Then we have a number of promising players, some who will be ready to shine in Russia (Pulisic, maybe brooks, maybe Morris, maybe Woods) and a bunch of other young players with a lot of potential (CCV, Miazga, Perez, maybe Hajji Wright, maybe Zelalem, Hyndman, Gooch, etc.). If our youngsters continue to develop and our youth system finally is cranking out players, by 2022, we could be a top 10 team and quality attracts quality. After Russia we may be able to get any number of excellent coaches. I think Bielsa is one who sees our potential and wants to get the job now when there are no other suitors.

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  2. I’m not against foreign coaches, but I’m not sure how much he knows about American soccer to get a chance in this cycle. While I respect his resume, I’m not sure I’d go after another big money coach after Gulati just flushed millions down the toilet with the Klinsmann fiasco. Maybe after Russia, but certainly not now. And even after Russia, I’d have to see his proposal for US Soccer before I would be on board. Pareja would be my front runner as a long term successor.

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    • Pareja is nothing compared to Bielsa, he couldn’t even hold his jock strap. Bielsa is considered one of the greatest coaches of all time, and all you have to do is look at his disciples to see this is true (Pep, Sampaoli, Pochettino).
      This is the reason why we as footballing country will never get anywhere, we are afraid of someone coming in from the outside and telling us our severe systematic flaws. It’s what caused so many people from the media to turn against JK, as his constant criticisms of MLS irked Don Garber the wrong way and he sent his lackey’s after him. Just imagine what Bielsa would say, a man known to never hold his tongue. Until people start realizing that the current status quo is failing us we will never be able to achieve our full potential

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  3. Love the idea, and I suggested we could see Arena bring on Donovan, too.

    However, will our fellow Americans (and Don Garber) remain obstinate to an outside view of how our structure needs to change? At some point our fans, supporters and overall structure need to concede it’s time to adapt and evolve.

    Maybe if it’s not a German telling us that people will actually listen (to a man many praised and called for – wishfully – to take the post).

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    • You suggested Arena could bring on Donovan? A lot of people did.

      “will our fellow Americans (and Don Garber) remain obstinate to an outside view of how our structure needs to change?”
      What? Many (oh no, you’re going to debate me over the use of the subjective term “many”) of us embraced JK’s ideas about structural change, and view his changes to our youth system as one of his better qualities. We’re not obstinate to change, at least in context to everyone being obstinate to change, especially you, “Old School”. Your narrative is pulled out of the clouds.

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      • You suggested Arena could bring on Donovan? A lot of people did.

        Really? Let’s see them links, Amp.

        What? Many (oh no, you’re going to debate me over the use of the subjective term “many”)

        There is no debate. 15% =/= many unless you’re pushing an obvious narrative.

        [Many] of us embraced JK’s ideas about structural change, and view his changes to our youth system as one of his better qualities. We’re not obstinate to change

        You’re absolutely right. Everyone welcomed it until he routinely told us how archaic the system was, needed to change and attempted to do so. The response? “How dare a European-elitist come in and tell us how it should be done!” Oh, you’re going to ignore that overwhelming response now? Don’t be a revisionist when it’s convenient.

        Your narrative is pulled out of the clouds.

        My narrative is reality. We have fans that want something by choice until they’re told they need it. Then they suddenly abstain and call for American managers that have no business at the international level simply because of their nationality and comfort in our old school system.

        More people should have their head in the clouds instead of their head in the sand as the game around the world advances and ours stays in neutral.

      • https://twitter.com/AMPhibian707/status/798763536209965066

        I find it funny this bothered you. You wanted your Donovan idea to be original so badly. Did I really need to find an example for it to be obvious that others have thought of this?

        Let’s see the link to your quote about how people didn’t like structural changes to US Soccer, because I think you’re conflating multiple issues to fit your view.

        “How dare a European-elitist come in and tell us how it should be done!” – This was literally never said on here, and implications like this were primarily concerning his condescension about tactics, not his views about how to improve our structure/development system.
        I also don’t recall a poop-storm when he suggested MLS should tweak its schedule, if that’s what you were referring to in the article. I thought the debate was relatively balanced at the time, but I’m open to being enlightened. Many people here think adjusting the schedule is a good idea, many disagree.

      • I find it funny this bothered you. You wanted your Donovan idea to be original so badly. Did I really need to find an example for it to be obvious that others have thought.

        Why did it bother you so greatly that I made a statement speculating on consideration of Donovan being added to the managerial roster? Why did it bother you that I re-stated the suggestion because the scenario was, quite literally, referenced in this very article’s headline.

        -Not once was it mentioned in that context on SBI prior to that in a headline.
        -Not once did a fellow poster reference this in recent memory (that I can find).

        I can’t speak for you, but I don’t peruse the rest of the internet to validate a thought or opinion, but I can assure you it wasn’t mentioned on this website. Two things do strike me as funny, though. One this entire back and forth is a projection of your own “bother”, and two you’ve linked a tweet from Ives. It’s too bad Ives doesn’t contribute on his own website, otherwise, I would have read such speculation already.

        As for the rest of your head in the sand observations, you live in an alternate reality to believe Klinsmann hasn’t had ample push back from the fans to most opposing views of our structure within our development of players, where players should ply their trade, the off-season conditioning/time off for MLS players, or how our domestic league could evolve that would aid the players, the overall league and indirectly the national team.

    • How on Earth does anybody get the sense Landon Donovan would make a good coach?

      He just doesn’t have the personality for it. Dude is about as charismatic as dry toast.

      Great player. Zero potential as a leader. When people look at him and somehow see a Leader of Men I just sorta shake my head. Check all the personality inventories for traits associated with effective leadership and he literally has none of them.

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      • Dude is about as charismatic as dry toast.

        “You’re absolutely right. That is a vital aspect to coaching success.”

        -Bill Belichick/Nick Saban/Scotty Bowman/Mike Krzyzewski

      • I have no idea if Donovan would be a good coach or not. However, historically across most sports, super stars usually make lousy coaches. The best coaches are usually fringe players. Guys who aren’t as physically gifted, but are real students of the game and watch carefully from the bench while they are players, who are sponges of what their manager/coach is doing. Since there are always exception, Donovan may turn out to be a great coach. However, he needs to pay his dues first. You don’t put him in an important position until he has been an assistant for a few years and then maybe give him a chance at coach for something less than the national team. Also, I think Donovan is limited because so much of his experience is in MLS. Has he taken any coaching classes, been to coaching clinics, etc? In England you have to go through a fiairly rigorous training before you get a coaching license.

    • A player like Clint Dempsey would implode as a manager for lacking the comprehension of his players not possessing the killer instinct and fiery drive he was equipped with as a player. Donovan, on the other hand, has the temperament that could make the transition (with experience) to managing because he’s laid back and is the antithesis of a Dempsey-type.

      Listening to him talk, Donovan is obviously a very cerebral person/player. Perhaps that was one of his greatest assets to seeing the game and, some would say, his greatest downfall to advancing his career into uncomfortable situations that required him to get out of his comfort zone.

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  4. Definitely hear the “$4 million”. I’m also more than kinda sure I’m hearing “Landon Donovan as translator and mouthpiece.”

    Something about this also makes me suspect Landon Donovan himself may not be aware of this new job he’s being promoted for.

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