By now, I'm sure most of you have seen my plea for Bob Bradley to resign his post as head coach of the United States Men's National Team. I made specific note of Bradley's inability to properly prepare his team to play, and essential part of any coach's duties. To borrow several cliches, Bob has failed to "coach them up" in a way that satisfies the basic requirements of his job (in my opinion), or to put it another way, he's "lost the locker room". These seem to me to be very American concepts, ones that we might hold even more dear than our footy-loving brethren from around the world.
The potential, if unlikely, termination or resignation of Bradley brings up an obvious question: What attributes, beyond the mandatory tactical knowledge and understanding of the game, would we want in our new national team coach? Simply put, if you were to lay out the type of manager you would want to lead our team out of the recent doldrums, what would he be like?
I've heard, on more than one occasion and from disparate voices, that the US either needs an American at the helm to relate to American players, or should bring in a "superior" foreign coach to add a new element to the team. I refuse to believe that nationality has anything to do with good coaching provided the players have confidence in the abilities of the man in charge, and am ignoring this argument altogether. Why should it matter if a coach is Brazilian, English, German or American? If they can coach, why would we care where they come from?
That being said, here are a few things I would like my coach to have; feel free to agree or disagree and add your own traits to the list:
1. Proven Track Record
Players naturally respond to a coach that has had prior success, be it on the club or international level. If the players know that the coach has proved himself before, won championships or brought teams to heights they've previously been unable to reach, a confidence in his abilities that rubs off on the level of play is inevitable. Quite often, teams see an immediate improvement in their fortunes if the new manager has a stronger resume than his predecessor; I chalk this up to a simply explained increase in "belief" on the part of the players. If they feel like the manager truly knows what he's doing, they can focus solely on their own play, and leave everything else to him.
2. Ability to Motivate
With an overall talent level that puts them well behind many of the world's better sides, the Americans desperately need a coach that can get the most out of them for every match. Bradley has never struck me (and perhaps I'm wrong) as a motivational coach; his low-key demeanor comes off as entirely devoid of emotion, something that the USMNT must play with if they're to be successful. I can appreciate an "all business" approach when a team is made up of proven players who should know how to play together; that is not a description that applies to the USMNT, in any way, shape, or form. Hence, more emotion and passion is needed from the head man.
3. Ability to Make the Hard Decisions
It's something that many fans believe to be one of Bradley's larger failings; rather than shake things up and insert players that might be able to affect the team positively but are relative unknowns, Bob sticks with known quantities who's abilities (or lack thereof) leave us frustrated and the team toothless. The situation is screaming for a coach who is willing to work outside of the "Bradley Box" and move on to players who might have more to offer than the typical hardworking effort. Removing a consistent starter is always a tough decision, and Bradley seems incapable of making it. Bring on someone with enough independence and chutzpah to pull the trigger on a major change.
These are just a few traits, and it's in no way a comprehensive list. While I'm not suggesting specific individuals for the job, I do think that someone on the opposite end of the spectrum from Bradley is necessary if a change was to be made. You can't stick with the status quo, even in terms of coaching style, if you're going to replace the manager a year away from the World Cup.
Two questions for you as you consider these thoughts and express your own below: what else would you add to the list, and is there a manager currently available to US Soccer that fits these traits?
