Comments on US Soccer Daily: In Bob I Trust

I'm a Bradley fan. I was second guessing him ...

2010-03-11T15:41:34.021-05:00

I'm a Bradley fan. I was second guessing him after the loss to Brazil in the group stage of the Confederations Cup, but after that gritty campaign to the final game I was a believer.
To the complains about Bradley's defensive minded game, a big part of those tactics is because we don't have the depth to play a more continuous attacking style. I'm really hoping that Jermaine Jones gets match fit before the WC because we could really use a defensive midfield monster, that would allow Bradley to get forward more.
I'm really thinking that Bob has been preparing these guys and bringing them along to peak in 90 days. You're seeing more discipline by the players in regard to tackles and players are starting to look more comfortable in their roles.
Looking forward to South Africa.

Nice piece and good comments. So, to summarize, B...

2010-03-09T22:58:18.258-05:00

Nice piece and good comments.

So, to summarize, Bob is not popular with some because he:

(1) Plays a defensive game due to the limitations of the American players he has;
(2) Isn't a dynamic personality;
(3) Isn't European;
(4) Showed favoritism toward his son, according to some critics (absurd);
(5) Hasn't beaten weaker CONCACAF teams by enough.

To me the last point is important and the only one with some merit. I like Bob and think we could do much worse, but if I had one criticism it's that sometimes his teams don't show enough of a killer instinct (to put away weak opponents), or even a spark of life until it's too late (e.g. vs Holland last week).

BB's legacy will be defined this summer. Who knows, maybe we'll be looking back nostalgically at the Bradley years in 2014!

Thanks for the comments guys, all of you have grea...

2010-03-09T18:16:28.510-05:00

Thanks for the comments guys, all of you have great points.

Josh, I think you're exactly right about the Klinsmann and nepotism things. It was just bad timing for Bob Bradley to come in at 2007 as his son was becoming a solid professional and after the pursuit of Klinsmann failed.

Two of the biggest strikes against Bob Bradley are...

2010-03-09T16:10:06.395-05:00

Two of the biggest strikes against Bob Bradley are his first name and his last name.

First off, his name isn't Jurgen. I think that a lot of people never forgave him for not being Jurgen Klinnsmann. When Klinnsy flirted with the US, it made some fans feel like the US was finally good enugh and important enough and respected enough to get a 'sexy' coach, and after that there's no way a MLS coach was going to get any respect.

Second, he happened to share the last name with the only central midfielder to stake a serious claim to a starting spot for 2010. Mike Bradley doesn't play sexy football, but he has been far more consistent and has done more with his opportunities than any of his peers, and without any incumbents in central midfield there's no real reason not to pencil him in as a building block this cycle. But if you are already suspicious of Bob Bradley, it's easy to jump to accusations of nepotism.

Bob's just never going to win some of these folks over.

Yeah, I'm a Bob guy more than a Bruce guy, and...

2010-03-09T15:51:39.789-05:00

Yeah, I'm a Bob guy more than a Bruce guy, and the Confederations cup was better than 2-0-3 considering the cards from those losses. What bothers me is the lack of dominance and finishing within concacaf and amongst the weaker teams in the world. That is what Mexico has in this region that US doesn't, is flash. Unless US makes a Semi run this summer, would not want to see bob back. I would like to see a high profile european coach, someone who has a worldly view on football.

Bruce Arena made a living off the 2002 World Cup, ...

2010-03-09T14:29:41.676-05:00

Bruce Arena made a living off the 2002 World Cup, where results really went our way and we had some luck to go along with our own play; Bob Bradley benefited similarly in the Confed Cup.

Nobody seems to remember the near-disaster qualification Bruce had in the build up to 2002; we struggled in the semis, he got suspended, it came down to a must-win situation (albeit vs Barbados); in the finals, things started okay before a disastrous run and a lucky run of results in our favor got us qualified with a game to spare.

I think everyone's problem with Bob isn't results, but style of play. In general, after the 2002 success, we expected to be further along than right now. It's not completely Bob's fault, but our lack of style and his favoring of his guys has turned people off him.

(It should be noted that, despite the lack of style and the continued trotting out of Bornstein, etc, I'm a Bob guy)