Quote:
|
Originally Posted by !@#$%!
re: donovan
isn't he fat and out of shape and didn't he say he had a problem training hard? he can now relax and spend time with his family and travel.
klinsmann isn't the best coach in the world by a million miles (ancelotti probably is right now, but he lives in a different dimension). however, even as a second-rate coach, he has every right to cut off the old fat & flaky landycakes--even if it's ultimately for personal reasons, they don't get along, whatever. a team has to operate as a whole.
donovan or no donovan, the usmnt is doomed this world cup-- put up a good honorable fight, be happy you're in the concacaf cuz you would't qualify elsewhere, and enjoy the experience. in those circumstances klinsmann is probably okay looking at developing talent for 2018 anyway when hopefully a new and better generation of players will take over.
here's some of their interpersonal back story, for those interested:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_spot/...d_america.html |
I'd read similar things about Donovan having time off. I sympathise with him in terms of the reasons behind it but it did put Klinsmann in a spot when he wanted to return and I understand why he dropped him, even though in this instance I think he was wrong. He should be thinking one tournament at a time and fielding the best players he has for each (which at this time would still include Donovan).
We have similar debates here. "Play the kids"; "build something for 2018", etc. But with a tournament that comes only every 4 years and no crystal ball to tell us who'll be in form or injured by then you can realistically only deal with what you have now. And 32 isn't that old by today's standards. Xavi, Gerrard and Pirlo are all older than that and still going. Not putting Donovan in their bracket quality-wise but a coach has to pick from what's available and given what's available to Klinsmann in terms of quality, Donovan's still a viable pick imo - even if it's just as a squad member (as with Xavi). Klinsmann says he's going on form rather than reputation, fine, but is that really represented by taking a player like Julian Green. He may be in the Bayern squad, which obviously gets lots of approving ticks from Klinsmann, but someone needs to remind Jurgen that so far he hasn't made a single appearance for their first team.
The problem with the decision for me is that the more you look at it, the more it seems to have nothing to do with football and everything to do with Klinsmann asserting his authority at a time when he really didn't need to, or could afford it. In a country overloaded with talent, maybe, but the US doesn't have that luxury. This seems too personal.
But as you say, whatever the decision, it won't make much difference to the US's realistic chances. With or without Donovan I don't think they'll qualify out of the group stages. But this'ill give the media and fans unnecessary fuel to attack Klinsmann when things do go tits up.