Reposting what I said in the Minnesota thread:
Back when I coached youth defenders I taught them to make sure that they were always between an attacker coming in from the wing and the goal, i.e., do not let them get past you towards centre. I ran drills on that (my son still remembers helping me run those drills).
Rosted doesn't follow that simple rule, and it's not due to exceptional speed of the attackers getting beyond him. Either Bob isn't coaching it or Rosted isn't good enough to execute something basic yet Bob is keeping him on the field. Either way it's a bad reflection both on Rosted (who should be doing the basics at this point) and on BB.
I think one of the most telling things regarding BB is that a good portion of signings he’s made have been flops in regard to their play and/or wages. Rosted, Petretta, Diamonde, Sapong, Kaye, Chung, Romero, Gutierrez, and Vasquez, plus resigning Oso and Ayo, have all vastly underperformed or barely played. Most of the players that have shown promise are either known MLS veterans like Johnson and Hedges or academy products that predate BB’s arrival. Only Mabika and Servania seem like astute picks. Add to that he’s traded away good cheap depth for hardly any return. That’s a terrible record for a GM, maybe the worst in the league.
For the record, I love Oso and Vasquez, but too much was paid for players that he must have known have significant fitness issues. At the least, someone who could play their position should have been brought in to fill the injury gap. Oh wait! Berna was, BB just refused to use him as that stop gap until last night! Not sure if it’s stubbornness or hubris driving BB’s decision making, but I can’t help but wonder how many points the team would have right now if BB started using Berna in the middle of the park a few months ago, when it was apparent Oso and Vasquez wouldn’t be returning to the lineup right away.
Last edited by Kamp Berg; 06-04-2023 at 08:17 AM.
I just stumble across this article from 2011 about BB, it’s interesting to see how much of the same criticism applies to the current situation
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-was-dismissed
Ffs, I log on today hoping Manning and Bradley are finally fired but no...still here.
We are getting completely overan, and the completely incompetent BB stands there arms crossed not even making a single sub to at least stop the onslaught for a few minutes, waste a bit of time and give guys a breather...but no, nothing . Complete amateur that needs to go. Is literally destroying this team.....
LA fires their Presidnet GM....Miami gets rid of Neville who is friends with Beckham but the team comes first....
And here we are Manning and Bradley literally untouchable as one disappointment after the next.
Enough is enough, fire him NOW!
Great find and bring GS. I will see your article on 'stagnation' and raise you 'a mea culpa'!
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footb...ailure-9825691
This season is going to be death by thousand cuts, or draws in other words.
I have seen nothing from Bob to suggest he knows anything about football tactics in 2023.
Football intelligence is at a shocking level.
No more Americans, please.
These draws are so frustrating for that reason. Bad enough that the team is going nowhere but not bad enough to clear out the rot.
I'd almost rather suffer more now for a chance to turn the season and club around, if we can't just start winning
My problem, the problem, is that it's approaching two seasons and 4 windows and he hasn't found the answers yet. IIUC, Swansea dumped him after 11 matches. I mean, the crazy-scary part is for all the hyperbolic of BB's greatness, in the last four clubs he has managed (including TFC) his winning percentage, 34.25%, is essentially, statistically, on par with the record, 32.6%, of the 'only four' clubs Paul Clement has managed! Though he is at least a devoted disciple of Carletto.
All I want to say is I'm happy out fanbase are all on the same page. Before the season it seemed like a 50/50 split - a lot including myself critizied moves while others applauded it.
The divide it created was the first I've seen a long time and happy we are all back as one.
This should be enough to let this man go.
I found this section particularly telling:
Bradley's men will always be labeled as tenacious and scrappy, but that's only one of many qualities past American teams have displayed, only under Bradley, again and again, these were the most needed qualities.
Perhaps, it was the result of instituting some much-needed discipline on defense, organization and team solidarity, but what qualities Bradley instilled in the team may have been his downfallOn too many occasions, the U.S. came out with the feeling of "we have to execute Bradley's checklist," and usually that meant certain defensive expectations, but such expectations seem to create a box in which players had to play (i.e. fit) every game.
It appeared as if the team came out tense and uninspired. The players looked tight, and it took the team a good twenty minutes to get comfortable on the pitch.
So instead of the players beginning the game at a level and in a position to exceed expectations, it appeared as if the team had to live up to expectations.
The psychological effects of such an environment can have hugely detrimental effects on a team.Of course, it's harder to document and measure such effects, and few American players are ever willing to come out an criticize their coach (out of fear, loyalty, whatever the reason), so no one may ever if this was the true feeling in the locker room.But fans knew, and those that have seen other American teams know that this is not the way it had been in the past, nor the way it should be. Players should be encouraged to play above themselves, not within their abilities.
Rarely did this happen under Bradley (Even if other analysts like to claim differently. Did any of Bradley's teams ever truly eclipse or feel as successful as the 2002 team?). There were few breakout performances or evolutions in players' careers as a result of Bradley's influence.
^Interesting, maybe prescient-but contrary to all evidence at that time. This all just reminds of of why BB is a sainted figure in the USSF community. He will not be easy to remove.
Fact is, his USMNT team did very well, and he got screwed, really.
His team beat Spain in Confederations Cup in 2009, that Spain team was one of the great alltime teams, and that was probably the greatest win in USMNT history.
https://www.espn.com/soccer/match/_/gameId/270153
They won their group in the 2010 World Cup and had a very tough loss in the round of 16 (in extra time) to Ghana
What cost Bradley that USMNT job was unrealistic expectations.
Last edited by ensco; 06-04-2023 at 02:57 PM.
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
I was an early proponent of the Bradley Duo project. I have since become a skeptic. I remember ensco was either the first or among the first to mention the issue that may arise in the locker-room by having a son as captain and father as coach. Moreover, the prospect of the Italians as potential coach-killers given their salaries and status. The issue I failed to realize and accept was despite all the <American> hyperbolic of BB's greatness, managers do have a shelf-life, and statistically, winning percentage wise, BB has been essentially trending in a downward spiral ever since Egypt; 2013.
Anyone that has spent time in youth rep level soccer can tell you the negative effects of father coaching a son at a competitive level. This setup was doomed from the beginning. I only had the slightest hope that they could be professional enough to not let it happen. Oh well...it happened just the way most of us feared. Now it is damage control.
Bob is here until the League's Cup break at least. I say even if we get shellacked or lose them all he will get until then but they're still talking about "showing positive signs" so who knows? Maybe 2023 is just an extension of the 2022 tear down and rebuild to them. Nothing like paying an increase on ticket prices for multiple years of "pre season" level matches, taking solace in some 'positive moments', and our management having no accountability for anything.
I would like to know what narrative he’s sold everyone on internally to still have a job at this stage. It’s probably 1 part his inflated reputation as a great US Coach and 1 part Manning realizing he’s screwed if he has to pay out another contract if he fired Bob.
Maybe some reference to injuries too. But I find that extremely hilarious when your injured players come back and lose their jobs as starters. Sure, we probably still miss what some of the guys who are out offer but every team has injuries they need to overcome through squad depth. We weren’t even winning games when everyone was healthy, doubt their recovery would make a difference.
At this point, it's the only narrative I can see that fits. My little bird has been telling me it's just the long view, that we're mostly getting draws not losses, and once we get Oso and Michael back etc.
But they've also acknowledged a lot of the problems. The inertia feels like perhaps he thinks it would be MLSE career suicide so close to the Shanahan situation to can Bob now.
Personally, the quicker we turn this around the better, and that's not going to happen with Bob. They don't respond to him well, they play tight, they don't like the approach. It's clear every game. It's not going to stop, as the song says.
A big part of the issue is the new playoff structure. It's just too forgiving, and allows this sort of situation to fester.
That's the frustrating/depressing part to me
We won't lose every week. We'll draw some, win some, lose some and ultimately I'm very confident we will make the play offs in a league where everyone makes the play offs. But we will be absolutely miles off where we should be so long as Bradleys here, and prolonging the clear out only keeps us at that level for longer. But there's always going to be *something* to cling on too, some 'sign of improvement', unless we go 0 in 6 or something which is not likely to happen as bad as we are
Appreciate the inside view
I figured they would use Oso and Bradley as excuses as well. I appreciate we miss them both in some ways but we also lost games with them both in the lineup. Don’t think they solve anything.
With MLSE’s hands-off approach and general lack of awareness, I’d guess Manning has until renewal time to continue this circus, then he’s cooked (and Bob will be too). I’m sure that’s when the powers that he will wise up to the extent of the problems around here.
It's pretty funny if they're hoping Oso & Bradley will save the season, or that them being gone gives BB a longer leash.
Meanwhile seeing Richie's expression, sitting on the ground after the MUFC game, I just can't imagine him staying around. I think he's more valuable to the team at this point than Oso or Bradley. If he's gone, at best it's a wash if the other two come back.
Exactly my thoughts too, dating back already maybe a month...
The main problem is that for the clueless suits of the MLSE board it will be totally good enough going forward if from every 5 match TFC has 1 win, 2 draws and 2 losses (that's a nice and shiny 1 point/game), because that is always in the category of "there are good signs", "we are close to turn it around", "team is headed in the good direction", etc. BS.
Like more folks here, I am too 100% sure that we'll make the playoffs, because of the crap setup of this league, plus there are way too many horrible teams.
IMO since the start of the season we have played 4 (at least?) clueless, shitty teams, with rosters a lot worst on paper than TFC, and having the same kind of "good" coaches like BB.
Last edited by PizzaEatingYeti; 06-06-2023 at 01:00 AM.
If we begin to play well i’ll be happy to take it… all i want is to watch the very local (stadium a 15 mins walk from home) club play well, produce some truly watchable football. But the longer we hang around near the bottom of the table the closer we are to not making the playoffs. Given the current instability I don’t think that’s unlikely at all. We’ve blown a lot of points against mediocre teams (mostly above is in the standings it should be said). The only way we make the playoffs is if we play a lot better. Will that happen? I hope so but I will not be surprised if it doesn’t, or not enough of it.
I agree. Given the remaining strength of schedule and the fact some of other teams we are chasing have a game in hand, we could easily miss playoffs (not that I consider making playoffs in the low spots acceptable performance). If Laryea leaves, it could be pretty bleak. He seems to be the one thing that consistently makes us a threat in games and allows us to break the lines with his pace.
But counterpoint, how bad can this team actually be for a whole season? The roster is flawed but not all-around bad. There are plenty of crap teams out there. We could easily find ourselves in one of the last spots come end of the season.
On top of that, if he decides to stay around he would have to consider the higher than average likelihood that he would suffer a long-term injury that our players seem to be prone to.
I honestly can't see him staying unless there are no other options. He's have to be crazy to.