By IVES GALARCEP
The calls for Jurgen Klinsmann’s job are starting to grow among U.S. Men’s National Team fans, but the one man who could actually fire the German coach sounds like he’s nowhere close to considering such a move.
Speaking to media after Saturday’s U.S. loss to Panama, Gulati made it clear that just because Bob Bradley was fired in 2011 after a Gold Cup final loss doesn’t mean Klinsmann is facing a similar fate after seeing his team finish in fourth place, the worst U.S. finish since 2000.
“No I don’t think that’s a reasonable assumption,” Gulati told reporters. “I said it the last time: We don’t make judgements based on one game. We don’t go in and renew a contract because we beat Germany and Holland away from home and we won’t make a change here. There’s no parallels in all of this.”
Klinsmann spoke about the state of the team after Saturday’s loss and tried his best to remind people that he is in the process of rebuilding the team after the 2014 World Cup.
“This is the year one after Brazil, and our goal is to go further in the next World Cup than we did in Brazil, and this is a working process now,” Klinsmann said. “This will give us, here and there, some kickbacks, some situations where you make a step back maybe, and you hopefully make two forward. That process is ongoing.
“We had the discussion now on Wednesday night after the game with Jamaica and this team will grow. This team will get better,” Klinsmann said. “The youngsters will learn out of mistakes that they make on the field. They will become more responsible, more accountable, more personalities.
“I can’t blame anybody for the last four weeks. No way, because they really showed great character, the spirit was very good throughout the tournament. They kept going. Our goal is to move things forward, to become a little bit more proactive, and not reactive. This process will keep on going.”
Klinsmann sounded very much like someone who knows his job is safe, and Gulati’s comments backed up that notion.
“The Gold Cup was a very big competition. Jurgen knows it, the players know it, we all know it,” Gulati said. “We didn’t achieve what we wanted. Now, we’ll go onto the next thing which is the playoff game and the start of World Cup qualifying.”
What do you think of Gulati’s comments supporting Klinsmann? Feel Klinsmann should be replaced? Think Gulati’s patient approach is the way to go?
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