USMNT hires Pochettino…

Podgy

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Oct 1, 2022
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Wow. That's a big hire. I hope he gets the best out of our players and knows how to pick a team. Our guys are spread out everywhere.
 

17itdawg

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Sep 30, 2022
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It's a great hire. Much better than I was expecting. I actually think he'll be great for the USMNT. But, you could also nitpick it that he hasn't really won anything as a manager outside of domestic trophies with PSG. Ultimately I do believe he'll improve our players and see them develop further, and I'm stoked on the hire.
 
Jul 1, 2013
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It's a great hire. Much better than I was expecting. I actually think he'll be great for the USMNT. But, you could also nitpick it that he hasn't really won anything as a manager outside of domestic trophies with PSG. Ultimately I do believe he'll improve our players and see them develop further, and I'm stoked on the hire.
I feel his inability to win trophies at PSG and Chelsea was more because of the dysfunction at those clubs than him. Their strategy of just buying the best players they can get their hands on doesn't work anymore, you have to have a plan.

He had chances at Tottenham but I'd argue that him having them in those positions was elite in itself. His big chance was the year Leicester won the PL.
 

patdog

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May 28, 2007
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Holy crap, they really pulled it off! That's an outstanding hire. We immediately went from a below average manager to one of the best managers in the world. But you have to wonder, if they could make this hire, why were they offering the job to nobodies and getting turned down the last month or so?
 

Maroon Eagle

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May 24, 2006
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Holy crap, they really pulled it off! That's an outstanding hire. We immediately went from a below average manager to one of the best managers in the world. But you have to wonder, if they could make this hire, why were they offering the job to nobodies and getting turned down the last month or so?

Yeah…

That’s kind of why I’m down on the hire.

Great on paper.

But can he coach and guide the team well in spite of the culture of US Soccer?
 
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patdog

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Yeah…

That’s kind of why I’m down on the hire.

Great on paper.

But can he coach and guide the team well in spite of the culture of US Soccer?
I think the fact US Soccer hired two proven top coaches who won’t put up with the same old same old shows that they may be slowly realizing they have to quit running to federation like their own kingdom.
 

Alexi_Lalas

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May 7, 2014
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Wet blanket question, how will this improve our results. We will still have the same player level.
Nothing is guaranteed with a manager but on paper, he is a much better manager tactically than Berhalter. He will command immediate respect from all of the players and hopefully design a style that plays to the strengths of the player pool. It was obvious that while the players "liked" Berhalter, they had lost respect for him as an authority figure. The team looked lazier and more complacent during his second stint, and I think that a lot of that had to do with the fact that he got his job back, in no small part, due to the players lobbying for his return. Furthermore, it was very apparent that certain players were going to play regardless of how well or how much they were playing with their club team. Hopefully that changes under Poch.

Will Poch immediately make the US some sort of World Cup contender? No, but I think it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect an improved team that will be able to make a run to the quarterfinals or semis of the next WC. However, do not expect this team to be true contenders as the talent level is not there yet.
 

Alexi_Lalas

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May 7, 2014
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Holy crap, they really pulled it off! That's an outstanding hire. We immediately went from a below average manager to one of the best managers in the world. But you have to wonder, if they could make this hire, why were they offering the job to nobodies and getting turned down the last month or so?
I'm going to assume that Poch was their 2nd choice behind Klopp (who wasn't a realistic option) but they had to do their due diligence in case Poch turned them down. Also, making a broad search public with a lot of names gave cover and negotiation power if talks were serious and on-going with Poch. I'm not sure if any of these other people were ever actually "offered" the job. After the **** show that was the 2 Berhalter hires it was very necessary for US Soccer to show that they were doing a broad and comprehensive search regardless who they ultimately ended up with.
 

L4Dawg

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Oct 27, 2016
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I hate to wet blanket your wet blanketing, but weren't you one of the soccer experts who thought Messi was too old and washed up to help Miami last season?
No, I said he was too old and washed up to play at the top level, which MLS ain't.
 
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patdog

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Wet blanket question, how will this improve our results. We will still have the same player level.
Seriously? How did firing Croom & hiring Mullen improve our results? Same thing. Fired a bad coach & hired a good one. Poch will get a lot more out of those players than Berkhalter did.
 
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BulldogBlitz

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Seriously? How did firing Croom & hiring Mullen improve our results? Same thing. Fired a bad coach & hired a good one. Poch will get a lot more out of those players than Berkhalter did.
Where are those players refusing to play for the US national team? Question from ignorance, because I was under the impression that we "get the best" for the national team. Mississippi state was absolutely not getting "the best" under croom and did get better players (still nor the best) under mullin.
 

patdog

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Where are those players refusing to play for the US national team? Question from ignorance, because I was under the impression that we "get the best" for the national team. Mississippi state was absolutely not getting "the best" under croom and did get better players (still nor the best) under mullin.
You misread my post. Poch will get more production from the same players than Berhalter did. Some of our players need tough love & slack & get lazy if they can get away with it. They liked Berhalter but they didn’t respect him. That won’t fly with Poch coaching them.
 
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Podgy

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Poch is in the second tier of really good managers. Since you're making a college football analogy, he's not at Saban's level or among those in that group, but he'd be among the college football coaches consistently winning at major programs. This is a big hire. It doesn't mean he'll automatically work out but I think he will. Nothing short of the quarters, depending on the draw, is the goal.
 

Alexi_Lalas

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May 7, 2014
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Where are those players refusing to play for the US national team? Question from ignorance, because I was under the impression that we "get the best" for the national team. Mississippi state was absolutely not getting "the best" under croom and did get better players (still nor the best) under mullin.
This is less of a Croom to Mullen situation and more of a Moorehead situation. The talent is there to be a better team but it is being underutilized by the coach (like Moorehead). Also, while it is true there is a fixed player pool for the US, it is also a very large player pool. Managers (like all coaches) get comfortable with a set core group of players and often stop really looking at new blood for the starting line-up outside of a position here or there. Poch will come in with fresh eyes and take a critical look at the player pool as a whole and may be able to identify players who can strengthen key positions (also may need different profiles of players given his style).

A good example of manager inflexibility is Berhalter playing Tyler Adams for just the first half in 2 games at Copa America because he was on limited minutes due to injury. This is just a dumb idea to go into a major tournament and have it pre-ordained that you are going to play your defensive MF only a half. Berhalter played him the whole game against Uruguay (stupidly) and now he is injured again. These types of amateurish moves are what happens when you become too tied to a style and/or player pool and aren't looking constantly at ways to improve/adjust.
 
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SDS28

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So....when is it going to be official?

I read an article recently saying that there's some contract dispute remaining between Poch and Chelsea about his future pay.

in a sick way, I'll be laughing my *** off if USSF screws this up or it doesn't end up working. Would seriously be par for the course.

I also read the USSF board doesn't meet until August 23rd so perhaps that's when.
 

patdog

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He’s got his work cut out for him. 0-1 vs Canada & 1-1 vs New Zealand this break. We’ve got some talent but zero heart. Time for Poch to start kicking some a**.
 
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