FanPost

Berhalter ESPN interview = I hate him more & more

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1. Here's the interview with Jeff Carlisle: https://www.espn.com/soccer/club/united-states/660/blog/post/3873878/us-manager-gregg-berhalter-qanda-pulisics-best-positionbeating-mexico-in-the-gold-cup-and-moving-on-from-world-cup-failure

2. I know 'hate' is a strong and it's the exact word that describes how I feel towards Berhalter. Not dislike, not loathing, but pure hate, brimming with rage.

Part of it is the circular non-answers he gives to many questions, often answering questions with questions. A straight answer is rare and when he gives one, it feels like a lie. Example:

ESPN: To what extent does the previous cycle, with the U.S. failing to reach the 2018 World Cup, hang over the program at all? I know you weren't there and I know you had nothing to do with it. But is there even an emotional component that is hanging over the guys at all?

GB: No.

I realize it's a pro's job to move on from defeats & disappointments. And seeing how casually Captain Backpass strolled to take a corner at the end of our last game suggests that this may be true. But I cannot believe that human beings who play football for a living would take their most embarrassing loss ever with no emotion remaining - especially when the opportunity for revenge presents itself in our first competitive matches. It seems highly, highly unlikely with human beings involved.

His response is not believable. He probably thinks Pulisic cried because he was a widdle 17yo, not because he cared. And did he even care, despite not being involved? I have doubts.

But what really enraged me was this:

ESPN: Why do you think Tyler Adams is best suited to this hybrid right-back/center-mid role, and how likely are we to see him remain in that role going forward?

GB: I think that Tyler is an extremely gifted soccer player. I think he has huge, huge potential. We want to put him in a position to succeed. When I think about a guy that is a big part of what we're trying to do, he's one of those guys. For us it's figuring out, if he's going to play there, how can we still utilize his skill set? And his skill set, to me, is more central than it is wide. To me this is a way to bring out his skills, get him on the field and help contribute to the overall success of the team.

The kid who went to the Bundesliga, grabbed a starting spot and played like he hadn't changed leagues, with several MOTM quality performances has POTENTIAL. Ok, maybe Gregg's saying that he can be a LOT better than he already is. Maybe, but I doubt it. (granted, he gets zero benefit of the doubt from me anymore)

But what galls me is him recognizing that Adams is best deployed centrally. And he has to figure out how to get him on the field because ... Trappley ain't going nowhere. Adams is already better than both of them, and he's pushed out of position to accommodate two defensive mids who suck at defense - which in turn displaces our EPL quality RB (who was only injured at the beginning of May, so this experiment was begun while Yedlin was expected to play).

So while his System is important, it's also flexible enough that he can create hybrid RB/MF for one player. Instead of playing him at his best position, along with our EPL quality RB. His system is flexible, but his choice of personnel is NOT. All for a couple of d mids who can't play d, and only 1 of them can play long passes that he seems to believe they can. This calls into question his coaching acumen and who decides which players are immovable.

Also, this jackass thinks that his hybrid positions gives him 'the best of both worlds' in midfield:

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He thinks Trappley is STABLE. Actually, considering their inability to play defense, this is one opinion where he's way more right than he realizes.

(quote from https://twitter.com/JeffreyCarlisle/status/1138846277649571851)

And finally what's our goal, at this universally derided as being a kinda useless tournament Gold Cup?

ESPN: What will constitute success at this Gold Cup? Is it win or bust, or is it more about players getting knowledge about your style and your tactics?

GB: It's about competing. It's about our tactics, the way we play. It's about going through this process and learning together because tournaments are a learning process for a group. So it's about those three things. Then to me, it's ultimately about putting ourselves in a position to win.

We know Mexico is a very good team, probably the favorites of the tournament. We know that's a good team. We know that Panama has an experienced team. We know it's not going to be easy, but it's going to be good for this group to dig and have to compete for something.

Not winning - COMPETING. That's his fn goal. To compete & learn together & grow, presumably for the future. Which begs the question as to why he had to stick to 2 strikers and leave one of our most promising out of this 'learning' opportunity. Because he also said "What we don't want is to have too many players that we don't think will be around in 2022."

On top of it all, it sounds like he's expecting to lose. We're just here to dig in, learn & compete - which would be fine if we were playing with a young squad with more potential than a bunch of MLS starters. But instead of our most promising players, we have a bunch of schmoes who aren't good enough for the international game. (fyi I don't count Bradley among the schmoes, because he's actually looked good when he doesn't have to defend; he just has no business starting over Adams in Gregg's '1 d mid only' system). If we're going to learn, why not bring our brightest, highest potential players and let them take their lumps together?

I do not believe this man knows how to coach. He's a clown beholden to a system that protects him from criticism because it will always be the players and their lack of knowledge/fitness/familiarity/etc and not him. He will NEVER be at fault.

I believe he is a stooge chosen for his ability to be a pleasant, uncontroversial face for for US Soccer while playing specific MLS players for marketing purposes.

I'll never stop supporting our players but I'm done with Berhalter. He gets NO benefit of the doubt or anything.

F Berhalter. F him f him f him. F that POS.

And if you're wondering if changing my mind is possible: yes, it is. And it would take a highly unlikely sequence of events: 1) we flame out of the group stage at the GC; 2) he ditches the schmoes from the team. (admittedly #1 does not need to happen but I believe that's the only reason #2 can possibly occur) I don't care if he keeps his system or not, I just want to see our best players on the field, playing hard and playing like they give a shit.

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