OT: Jesse Marsch Sacked by Leeds United...Next USMNT Coach?
Sad to see an American leading a team in the Premier Team get sacked. I was really hoping he could have had a longer tenure and opened the door for more American's to follow in his footsteps.
I think this means the nail in the coffin for Greg Berhalter. I bet Marsch steps into the USMNT Coaching role and quickly.
February 6th, 2023 at 3:46 PM ^
I think this means the nail in the coffin for Greg Berhalter. I bet Marsch steps into the USMNT Coaching role and quickly.
Huh? Wasn't Berhalter already fired? Or am I missing something?...
February 6th, 2023 at 3:48 PM ^
Technically, his contract hasn't been renewed, but I don't think he has been told he is not a candidate to have his contract renewed / still an option to be the USMNT Coach.
February 6th, 2023 at 3:49 PM ^
So the Renyas get their way in the long run.
What a shit show.
February 6th, 2023 at 3:57 PM ^
It has nothing to do with the Reynas. Berhalter sucked. Signing up for him again would be signing up for another cycle of mediocrity. Good riddance
February 6th, 2023 at 4:07 PM ^
It had nothing to do with the Reynas? Millions beg to differ. Being made the laughingstock of the global soccer world by American helicopter parents who decided to burn down the entire nation, certainly did have impact.
February 6th, 2023 at 4:43 PM ^
Two true things can be true.
Berhalter is a pretty lousy coach from an in game perspective. The USMNT should be seeing the bar much much higher than Gregggg
February 6th, 2023 at 6:19 PM ^
This is a great summary.
His coaching isn’t good enough at all to be retained even if Reyna never existed.
I’ll add..
that his public airing of the Reyna “locker room” situation is an example of poor and weak leadership, another reason to let him go.
He was clearly technically out coached against the Dutch.
Finally, he is a “loyalty” guy that plays favorites and rewards loyalty. Since that is what managers do in business only when they feel a lack of confidence about their actual skills, this is another reason to sack him
February 6th, 2023 at 9:31 PM ^
I’ll agree with your propositions. His inclusion and playing of Haji Wright was inexcusable and atrocious.
February 6th, 2023 at 5:06 PM ^
... and probably would have gotten more press if it wasn't for Martinez using the Golden Glove as a fleshlight and whatever the fuck a Salt Bae is.
February 6th, 2023 at 5:47 PM ^
if that's what it took to get them to not renew berhalter i'll take it. though obviously we could botch the whole thing and pick someone actively bad this time! the whole situation was very high school travel team drama, but i was gonna freak the fuck out if they signed berhalter up for another entire world cup cycle. and it at least seemed like that was the most likely scenario before the reyna thing blew up.
February 6th, 2023 at 4:51 PM ^
It has nothing to do with the Reynas.
So Berhalter's contract negotiations suddenly stalling at the same time dear 'ol Danielle dusted off 31 year old dirt is just a coincidence.
Mmmkay.
February 6th, 2023 at 4:59 PM ^
Berhalter sucked
Better than Arena and Bradley.
At least the USMNT can do fundamental things now like moving the ball through the midfield without Michael Bradley giving it away all the time.
February 6th, 2023 at 6:20 PM ^
Arena and Bradley at least had a successful track record before being hired as USMNT manager.
February 6th, 2023 at 6:16 PM ^
It has A LOT to do with the Reynas.
And while they should probably make a change, Berhalter didn't "suck". What does suck is the abhorrent behavior by all the Reynas will end up getting the desired result.
February 6th, 2023 at 6:22 PM ^
Berhalter did nothing great. An argument could be made that this team, and all the young talent, would have done better with just about any other coach. There were many signs of poor leadership.
February 6th, 2023 at 7:17 PM ^
Berhalter wasn't great, nor did he suck. We qualified and got out of group, which is something. I'm skeptical that we could have done better with virtually no World Cup experience, and only one time did we ever win an elimination game.
That said, I think a new World Cup cycle means it's time for a new voice at coach.
February 6th, 2023 at 10:29 PM ^
Not just a new World Cup cycle, but a cycle that culminates with the World Cup in our house. The person who hires the person who hires the next coach has got to get it right (I’m still very much waiting for this “report” to come out. Both Stewart and McBride bailing is a bad look).
February 7th, 2023 at 10:29 AM ^
No -- this team PROBABLY WILL be very good. But the team was young as hell and, yes, some are at big clubs, but not one, single guy at a truly big club gets regular playing time. That's not the talent a top 8 team in the world has. We don't have a single world superstar, let alone several.
Clearly the acadamies in the US are finally paying off and we should really only get much better from this point on, but this team presently does not have quarterfinal talent. If we'd made it to the QF it would have been because of some good luck and/or a lot of things going right.
February 7th, 2023 at 7:35 PM ^
Berhater did suck though. Reynas behavior was awful but the fact that this clown of a coach told his top 3 player that he wasn’t going to be featured in the freaking World Cup is simply inexcusable. You play your best players, and the fact that players like Wright and Morris got more PT than Reyna was laughable. Get a real coach in. Jesse did a good job at Leeds, he would be an upgrade over gregggggg
February 10th, 2023 at 1:44 AM ^
Not only did he not tell him he wouldn't be featured in a World Cup, Reyna played the most out of any non-starting player in the whole tournament.
He told him he would have a "limited role" and apparently that was just way too much for a "professional" athlete to hear. So he pouted and then mommy and daddy had to lob a grenade into the entire program, as the cherry on top.
February 6th, 2023 at 8:32 PM ^
Berhalter is in the Mel Pearson zone.
February 6th, 2023 at 4:15 PM ^
This is just how the US Soccer Federation handles everything: extremely poorly.
February 6th, 2023 at 4:01 PM ^
I understand Marsch is currently the highest-profile American manager, but I believe that the USMNT hiring him would be a mistake. Marsch's style of play (a high-frenetic press) does not lend itself well to a national team environment where the roster is continuously being churned over and team practice sessions are limited to international windows every two or three months.
If you're going to run an aggressive defensive press, every player on the field needs to be on the same page because pressing decisions are made in a split-second, and just one player being half-step late on their rotation can allow the other team to break the press and create a very good scoring chance. Imagine trying to run the soccer equivalent of VMU's "Havoc" press with a team that rarely practices together. Leeds had the ability to practice and learn the system every single day and they were still a disaster defensively...
February 6th, 2023 at 4:11 PM ^
agreed. I'll pass on Marsch. He's been fired from two jobs now in pretty quick succession.
February 6th, 2023 at 4:22 PM ^
Plus the quick turnarounds between matches in international tournaments makes recovery under this style difficult
February 6th, 2023 at 4:43 PM ^
Excellent point, especially with the USA's lack of depth and how we saw the Musah/McKinnie/Adams midfield run out of gas after running what was basically a half-press the entire group stage.
February 6th, 2023 at 4:22 PM ^
Also if you were going that direction why would you hire the crap version of Bielsa when you could simply hire Bielsa?
February 6th, 2023 at 6:17 PM ^
Bielsa and Marsch were both effectively equal in their end product.
February 6th, 2023 at 6:04 PM ^
Agree
Berhalter is middling and Marsch would be a downgrade.
February 6th, 2023 at 4:02 PM ^
Man, I thought he was doing good for them. I didn't realize they had a bad winless streak. I also have never really understood why there's so much turnover for soccer coaches. Seems like two years is a long time for them
February 6th, 2023 at 4:34 PM ^
I mean relegation exists… Everton & Leeds are both at risk of being relegated for the 2nd year in a row and so they sacked both their managers in year #2. You don’t have the liberty to be patient with the threat of relegation.
And for big teams at the top of the table, going multiple years without Champions League is a huge drag on their finances. You’ll get at max 3 years to show you can consistently finish in the top 4 before you get sacked. Arsenal was praised for being patient with Arteta after finishing 8th & 5th in his first two full seasons, but he too would be under threat of getting sacked this season if they weren’t competing for top 4.
It’s very different than American pro sports where you can be patient with a coach because being bad means you’re at least compensated with good draft picks in the mean time. There’s no reward for being bad in professional soccer.
February 6th, 2023 at 5:09 PM ^
Who would have thought that Ted Lasso would have a longer tenure than Marsch?
February 6th, 2023 at 7:25 PM ^
He did some good stuff and won some big games, but it’s a tough league and he wasn’t getting enough results. I cheer for American coaches and players and want them to show what they can do at high levels like this, but part of the point of that is that it’s big boy football and you either do well or they get someone else.
Leeds lost to relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, and have been looking pretty rough, and face two in a row against Manchester United. It is sad but not surprising. They’re hoping for a bounce with a new manager (see Everton beating leaders Arsenal, and see what Marsch was able to wring out of the club last year to keep them up) and need it soon.
Turnover does seem to be pretty intense in top-level soccer, but that’s the name of the game, and the results suggest that you can get good results by getting a difference voice in there.
February 7th, 2023 at 10:55 AM ^
I would agree with everything you said and would add that the amount of talent in the Premier League from top to bottom was the worst stylistic match for Marsch's philosophy. Most leagues only have 2-4 elite clubs and then everything below them is considered cannon fodder... but the Premier League has mid-table quality almost the entire way down -- and if your system of play is built around pressuring the opponent into making mistakes -- then the most skilled league in the world isn't going to turn over possession at the same rate.
Marsch is still a very talented manager and if he were to move to MLS, where even the best clubs have very obvious flaws due to the constraints of the financial structure of the league, he'd probably turn his side into a powerhouse very quickly.
February 6th, 2023 at 4:04 PM ^
I met Jesse in Brisbane at my hotel in July as Leeds was in Australia for some exhibitions. He is a really personable guy. Yes, that's right, I met an American-born manager of an EPL team in Australia (in the elevator no less).
I know next to nil about soccer. I wish him well.
February 6th, 2023 at 6:18 PM ^
Wrong.
You met him in a lift.
February 6th, 2023 at 6:43 PM ^
Aussies use both terms
February 6th, 2023 at 4:18 PM ^
He's failed at both RB and Leeds now. If we are giving fired US guys a shot I'd go with Matarazzo over Marsch
February 6th, 2023 at 6:18 PM ^
The guy who failed at Stuttgart?
February 6th, 2023 at 5:43 PM ^
Great album!
February 6th, 2023 at 7:17 PM ^
If you can afford it (usually close to $70 new), I recommend the Deluxe Edition CD, but the MP3 version also is okay.
February 6th, 2023 at 11:11 PM ^
Saw them at Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands
- Set 1:
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
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(Pete Townshend song)
Play Video -
(Pete Townshend song)
Play Video -
(Bo Diddley cover)
Play Video - Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Set 2:
- Play Video
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Mary Anne With the Shaky Hands
Play Video - Play Video
- Play Video
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(Pete Townshend song)
Play Video - Play Video
- Play Video
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(The Everly Brothers cover)
Play Video - Play Video
- Play Video
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(Pete Townshend song)
Play Video - Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Play Video
- Encore:
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(The Leaves cover)
Play Video - Play Video
- Play Video
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(Eddie Cochran cover)
I don’t know if these links from the set list I copied are worth clicking
it was a fantastic show
February 7th, 2023 at 10:40 AM ^
When I saw The Who at Boston's Commonwealth Armory on October 10, 1969, their setlist was much like the setlist for Live at Leeds. LINK (Yes, I'm old and to this day, it remains one of the best concerts I've ever attended.)
FUN FACT: Boston's Commonwealth Armory, designed by same architect who designed Fenway Park, now is the site of Agganis Arena at Boston University where I saw a Michigan-BU hockey game on October 25, 2014 that featured Dylan Larkin and Jack Eichel.
February 6th, 2023 at 6:50 PM ^
The “powers that be” and spoiled players on the USMNT set US soccer back by 20 years when they got rid of Juergen Klinsmann.
The US will continue to pay a price in the World Cup, my guess - for a generation.
February 6th, 2023 at 8:35 PM ^
Jurgen Klinsmann was hot garbage as USMNT manager. What the hell are you talking about.
February 7th, 2023 at 8:45 AM ^
We obviously have different perspectives. My view of Klinsmann is that he tried to introduce a system to US soccer that could be employed from youth - through the national team levels. He emphasized that players should aspire to play club soccer in Europe, where in my opinion, the highest quality of soccer is played.
There were players on the team who preferred playing MLS, and staying close to home - and, these were players who were “veterans” of the USMNT.
Cruyff established a “national” approach for Spain decades ago, and it served them well.
The US has enough youth playing the game at an early age to develop into a strong side. My view is that the actions and direction of the USMNT are tactical, rather than strategic. And, to compete at the highest levels - which I would define as reaching the knockout round of the World Cup - more strategic thinking and actions are required.
February 7th, 2023 at 10:33 AM ^
You don't have to be a soccer oracle to know that Europe has the top 5 leagues.
Also, most of our players DO play in Europe. Also, also, MLS is MUCH better than most American fans give it credit for (not to mention it had the most World Cup participants outside of the top 5 Euro leagues).
While I agree Klinsmann did some good things to the development process, he was a HORRIFIC manager and is the primary reason we missed the World Cup in '18. Notice he's had one managerial job since being fired from the US in 2017, which lasted all of 3 weeks.
February 6th, 2023 at 7:31 PM ^
I’m sorry he got the axe. Pulling for Leeds has been fun this year (they’re not “my team” or anything, but they are a spunky underdog with Americans to root for) and his style of play is entertaining. But I don’t think they had much choice after the loss to Forest. Marsch knows the business.
I find M9tt’s arguments persuasive. The game Marsch teaches may be a real challenge to execute properly in a national team context, and as it stands he had a hard time getting results at the club level. It’s hard to get that kind of thing together nationally.
If they hire him I’ll get on board. But I kind of hope he gets a soft landing on a decent staff somewhere and gets another chance somewhere in Europe, perhaps in a second division or lower-tier league.
February 6th, 2023 at 10:22 PM ^
Unfortunately this thread was started with the story about him potentially becoming USMNT manager, instead of just his sacking, which struck the wrong cord because he is not qualified. I too was pulling for him to be successful at Leeds and if successful become manager after 2026.
February 7th, 2023 at 12:04 PM ^
I agree with all of this. I also don't think it's a particularly good career move for Marsch at this point in time. Until the next WC, there are few opportunities for Marsch to significantly improve his reputation by coaching the USMNT and a lot of opportunities for him to fall flat. I think he's better off taking the best professional job in Europe that he can get and trying to prove himself there.