Klinsmann has led the way in US Soccer youth development, England needs him to do the same for them.
So… how did we get here?
Reports in England suggest that Jurgen Klinsmann is being heavily backed by bookmakers in England to be the next England manager.
As we know Klinsmann is currently the judge, jury, and executioner of the United States Men’s National Team, and American soccer fans do not like it. His contract with USSF runs until 2018, currently, as both head coach and technical director.
Since being employed as USMNT head coach in 2011 it’s hard to name a more polarizing character in the history of American soccer. Opinion of him is split decidedly to the “I hate Jurgen Klinsmann” side of the ball of late so let’s delve into why exactly American soccer fans dislike their German coach so much.
American soccer fans are very protective of Major League Soccer, and their national team. Klinsmann was already facing an uphill battle upon his hire in 2011, after comments he’d made at the 2010 World Cup on ESPN.
You can watch the 2.33 video here
Here are some bullet points
- Klinsmann says that Michael Bradley — everybody’s sainted mother — is not somebody that you can rely on to win a game for you.
- Klinsmann calls out the way that the “pyramid” works in US Soccer is backward to everywhere else in the world. In 99% of other nations they play to become professionals, in the US it’s for a discount at college.
- Klinsmann highlights the not enough US soccer players have the technical ability to compete with the rest of the world.
I cannot imagine Klinsmann was expecting a warm welcome upon his hire in 2011. The problem is the same speech that Klinsmann gave live on ESPN in 2010 still rings true today, the problem is he’s been so good at overcoming the USMNT’s shortcomings that US soccer fans now have unrealistic expectations of their national team and, consequently, how good their players are.
Klinsmann is well-known for his criticisms of Major League Soccer and how it was a step back for his players like Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey to return to their homeland. The USMNT head coach has said on numerous occasions that he prefers players to go and challenge themselves in Europe, to be better, to improve, to push to get into top european teams starting elevens.
This has ultimately paid off in droves for USMNT. DeAndre Yedlin may not be a world-beater, but he’s much better than he was when he left America after playing in the Premier League for Sunderland this season. John Brooks is a Bundesliga stalwart, Christian Pulisic is touted as the next “big thing” for American soccer after becoming the youngest foreign player to score two goals in the Bundesliga, and Bobby Wood took the 2. Bundesliga by storm.
Arguably USMNT’s best players at the Copa America Centenario? John Brooks (Germany), Geoff Cameron (England), Bobby Wood (Germany). The worst? Michael Bradley (MLS).
Recently Jason Whitlock and Colin Cowherd ripped apart US soccer and the lack of accountability American broadcast media and the fans put on the players.
Cowherd griped
“in Argentina and Brazil… in Colombia, in Spain… they’re rough on the players — sort of like we are on LeBron [James] and Steph Curry. We’re tough [on them].” They’ll rip their coach, but they’ll also rip their players. They create massive pressure — you have to be good. If Messi has a bad game he’ll be criticized. Their talk radio, they’ll beat up on the players and the coach. We don’t.”
The host of The Herd continued “Our suburban soccer players? They’re all “super-duper.” We give them pats on the backs, foot-rubs and orange slices. Why won’t anybody say “Michael Bradley is completely pedestrian and hasn’t gotten any better in two years?” Why won’t anybody say that? Why won’t anybody say Jermaine Jones made an idiotic juvenile move against the last opponent, not allowing him to play in this game.”
The funniest thing about this rant is that Klinsmann has essentially given it for the last six years. The difference being Klinsmann put his money where his mouth was and attempted to change things and, like it or not, he has.
Klinsmann has implemented — with the help of US Soccer — sweeping changes in the way youth development is approached in America. Klinsmann has advocated for a year-round schedule, rather than a sort season one; has put in place a more professional environment with regard to the coaching of youth soccer; has introduced a focus on Under 6 to Under 12 aged groups for smaller games on smaller pitches — he also changed how the ages are grouped too, getting rid of the “school year” dilemma; and the 4-3-3 formation USMNT uses at the senior level has been implemented at every youth level much like the famed Ajax and Barcelona academies.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, honestly, but the overarching point you should take away from this is that US soccer is beginning to see some of the most positive progression in youth development it has ever seen, and it’s down to Jurgen Klinsmann.
Klinsmann didn’t just come in and pick the best 23 players every time and expect something to happen, he tore down the program and built it back up again. While there are questions about the way he went about doing so in cap-tying foreign born American’s, and playing players “out of position,” he has achieved a huge amount of success in the time he has been with the national team.
I have been Klinsmann’s biggest critic in the past, and i’ll continue to be going forward because I believe in accountability. Klinsmann has always handled himself with a calmness, and classiness, while still managing to be outspoken at the same time — something you cannot say about most England managers of late. Sure sometimes his team selection looks like he just threw darts at a board but ultimately, can you argue with his results?
Whatever you think of Jurgen Klinsmann he guided the USMNT to a Copa America semi-final with a team that included Michael Bradley, Alejandro Bedoya, Gyasi Zardes, and Brad Guzan. If that’s not overachievement, what can we say is?
There is a problem in England with how our national develops players. The loss to Iceland wasn’t embarrassing because this has been coming. The Three Lions have finally hit rock bottom, and they need to be built back up again.
In Iceland there is one UEFA licensed coach for every five-hundred people, in the England there is one UEFA licensed coach for every ten-thousand people. How can you expect youth to develop correctly without the right guidance? The quality of players England produces is relatively good, sometimes excellent, but England needs someone to take a hold of the reigns and go the extra step to develop the player who other nations are scared to play against.
Klinsmann will do that. Klinsmann will clean the slate and re-write the book on youth development for England, just as he has in US Soccer. Fears about his tactical prowess are unwarranted and unfounded by a nation so ingrained in “flag waving” rather than holding players accountable, that they fail to see the bigger picture of what is going on — not to mention how their national team is over performing.
England would be somewhat of a reprieve to Klinsmann as the Three Lions has a very good selection of players to choose from, what they lack is a tactical mind at the helm and leadership. Sometimes you need your manager to step up and be a leader, to mould one of the players into a leader. England hasn’t had a proper leader since John Terry retired from international football — and that showed at Euro 2016.
Jurgen Klinsmann is the perfect man to restore that leadership and to ensure that English soccer isn’t doomed to becoming an afterthought.
Jurgen Klinsmann, England manager — US Soccer would be foolish to let it happen. Yet American soccer fans are begging the English Football Association to take Klinsmann away from them.
Frankly, America? England would love to take him.
