In light of the "news" that Bob Bradley is interested in the manager's job at Aston Villa, I've been pondering the approach of US Soccer to their as-yet-unresolved head coach situation. If Bradley is actively searching for a new gig, whether he has a legitimate shot at landing at Villa or not, it is incumbent upon US Soccer to search out possible replacements simply to cover themselves should Bob instigate the divorce. But the crux of the matter is still Bradley's status in the eyes of Gulati; what factors are the Fed considering in making a decision on Bradley, and how does his level of interest/disinterest in staying on play into those factors?
In addition to the general discontent coming from the fan base, the matter of "settling" comes into play should he be retained; Bradley clearly wants to take the next step in his career path, and US Soccer has shown no rush to sign him up for another cycle. If Bradley is unable to land another job, or if US Soccer wants to move on but does not have a viable alternative in mind, then an extension will look like a result no one really wants but is forced to accept. In the end, that may hamstring Bradley going forward, or serve to raise the level of discord in the fan base to a fever pitch. US Soccer has proven to be resistant to outside pressure before, but with the second four years of the Arena era having ended so poorly, patience on the part of everyone will be short.
US Soccer has already made their bed. Bradley's contract remaining in place until December gives the illusion that time is on their side; with months to go, there is seemingly no reason to rush into a decision. But with friendlies on the post-World Cup calendar (one in the books, more to come), the Fed gives the impression they're dragging their feet. Every friendly is an opportunity to improve, evaluate, move forward; if Bradley is not going to take the team into 2011, then US Soccer is failing to properly take advantage of those opportunities. FIFA has set aside the dates, and US Soccer is using them; why not then have some semblance of certainty at the most important job so they don't come off as simple money grabs? Can US Soccer afford to let those dates go by, effectively throwing the rest of 2010 out as part of the process?
The elephant in the room, or ghost of an elephant perhaps, is the candidacy of Jurgen Klinsmann. The dance that ended so poorly in 2006 still looms large over any possible talks with the German legend. Nevertheless, many US fans hopeful the second time will be the charm, believing Klinsmann to be just the guy to take the US to the next level. With Bradley's status still undetermined, and the public nature of the negotiations four years ago, perhaps US Soccer is either refraining from exploring the Klinsmann option again, or is keeping a tight lid on any discussions.
Or did US Soccer learn a lesson? I find it difficult to believe that the same issues that torpedoed Klinsmann's hiring back in '06 aren't still in play. If Gulati and US Soccer were unwilling or unable to meet Klinsmann's demands then, why would they be more likely to do so now? Unlike '06, the outgoing manager, who isn't outgoing quite yet, didn't burst into flame on his way to the exit; the impetus to make a splash or hire a big international name is much less, meaning Klinsmann's leverage is also not as great. If both sides hold the same hard line they did four years ago, there's not even reason to come to the table.
I don't doubt that Bradley would be as committed as ever should he sign an extension and remain USMNT head coach. But I do wonder what public perception might be should he stay on after outwardly stating his interest in a job elsewhere; not only does US Soccer take an image hit for bringing back a coach who would prefer to move on, but the job itself is diminished because it appears no one interested and qualified stepped forward. To this point, no possible replacements have surfaced in anything other than shaky rumors and wishful thinking. Does that mean no one wants the job, or is Bradley's status holding up the process of lobbying/recruiting that might otherwise take place?
My general sense has been that most people view balance of power as fairly one-sided. If US Soccer wants Bradley back, he'll be back; with nothing but weak links of Bradley's name to jobs abroad, his perceived leverage is almost non-existent. But Bradley does have a bit of power in one sense; because his contract runs until December, and because he can use the time to throw his name into various hats in England and elsewhere, he effectively forces US Soccer to make a unilateral decision to let him go with his contract still in effect or sit on their hands until the contract runs out. The former is more palatable if a replacement is ready, but if US Soccer is waiting to flesh out Bradley's future before searching out candidates, there can't possibly be anyone ready to step in on a permanent basis.
That might mean another interim coach, ala Bradley in the first half of '07. I'm sure the natives would be mighty restless if that should come to pass; the need to install an interim manager could rightly be viewed as an inability on the part of US Soccer to fill the job in a timely and successful manner. There would be no Klinsmann dance and resulting broken hearts to explain it away this time around.
If US Soccer comes to the realization that they have no other options, or none that would be a clear step in a different/positive (this is subjective, of course) direction, then Bradley should probably be retained. But Gulati planted a seed of doubt with his post-World Cup comments, and bringing back a man that engenders ambivalence in the fan base on his best days is hardly a way to raise the profile of the job and the team. That the coach himself was itching to test different waters before signing only heightens that problem; if everyone involved appears to want to a different outcome, another cycle of Bob Bradley as USMNT manager looks like a marriage of convenience. It's difficult to build excitement around a marriage of convenience.
With eight year regimes few and far between, and the end of Arena's time a bad memory, there's always the chance that Bob doesn't make it through another four years. If Gulati and US Soccer have any reason to conceive of that possibility, renewing marriage is probably not such a good idea.
