Swansea City has past experiences with a former U.S. men’s national team head coach at the helm and the Welsh club is reportedly targeting a second to make the move abroad.
Gregg Berhalter is among the managerial candidates being considered at the Liberty Stadium, Wales Online reported Friday. Current manager Russell Martin’s potential move to recently relegated English Premier League club Southampton, is a key reason why Berhalter has been linked to Swansea City, according to the report.
Swansea City is also owned by an American ownership group led by Jason Levien and Steven Kaplan.
The 49-year-old Berhalter has been without a job since his contract with the USMNT expired at the end of December. Berhalter registered a 37-12-11 record in 60 matches in charge of the USMNT, winning the 2021 Concacaf Nations League and Gold Cup titles.
The former USMNT defender and Columbus Crew head coach also led the Americans to FIFA World Cup Qualification in 2022, leading them to the Round of 16.
Should Berhalter earn the job in Swansea, he would follow former USMNT manager Bob Bradley, who was the club’s manager from October to December during the 2016-17 EPL campaign. Bradley won two of his 11 matches in charge before being replaced by Alan Curtis on an interim basis.
Swansea City finished 10th in the English Football League Championship during the 2022-23 season.
Goff for Wash Post saying that Berhalter is no longer in the running. I took that mean they’ve settled on someone else.
swansea these days is c’ship, has american ownership, and their numbers reflect a willingness to both score and ship a lot. GB has generally been a mediocre league coach. the way the team and fans treated bradley was savage. i think he might be able to get the gig from an american owner. i don’t know if he’s equipped to help them and i would be nervous how the slightest bit of struggle would be received.
this does however speak to those who were defending USSF taking until “the summer.” in europe the break is may and june. coaches will start taking other jobs right now. “this” is not shopping in the european summer. we will be hiring in august or september. that will either leave MLS, marsch, or elite coaches who sit out until just the right offer with just the right amount of zeroes. the working stiffs will already have their 23-24 job lined up.
I think Berhalter would be given more of a leash given they’re in the Championship and have been for awhile. Obviously you want to finish top 2 but you only need to finish top 6 to make the playoffs. He usually had the Crew in the playoffs. I do wonder about Gregg’s style fitting in the Championship, it’s not much for possession. It’s more just smash and grab and give no time on the ball.
I’m not convinced the “system” Gregg was allegedly selling with the USMNT was really what he believed in. I think he sold it that way for the fans because the USSF knew that’s what everyone wanted to hear.
Middleborough were reasonably stylish but you’re right. Gregg will need a tough, disciplined, hard to break down team. Jordan Morris and Ariolla have already been there on loan, though they barely played. If he has some of his security blankets around (Morris, Ariolla, Long, Roldan, Steffen) and if he gets the right kind of support in the transfer market he should be okay. A lot of 1-0 wins.
Why haven’t these guys approached Jesse? Everyone else has.
Morris tore his knee, otherwise he was playing a lot for Swansea, playing in 5 straight matches.
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As a Crew fan the style of play was pretty similar at least until the high press of the final 12 months. Having the two Kamara’s and Gyasi though led to much better conversion of those crosses.
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I’m guessing you’re being tongue and check on all of this but Jesse’s too expensive.
JR,
Jesse is no fool.
I think he’s trying to stay in Europe in the top 5 leagues or, at worst, a Championship team with a real good shot at promotion.
That said, I think Jesse would take the USMNT job in a heartbeat but it looks like Crocker is being patient.
Note that Lopetegui suddenly looks like he might be leaving Wolves where he has done very well in spite of his inability to speak English.
He was previously interested in the USMNT job before Gregg was announced so maybe this time the USSF can afford an interpreter.