Klinsmann wants us to play... nastier

I think this falls into the big picture he's trying to get everyone to see. The best in the world don't take much of a break. They take a few weeks off and go right back to work. For the American player, it's all working up towards the World Cup it seems. Whether it's moving to get more playing time to keep their spot or whatever else, our players play on a four year cycle, and after it's up, they tend to fall out for a while. They get built up to such a dramatic high that going back to the grind of your club and moving forward is something they put off. The best players in the world have never "made it". Players like Ronaldo, Messi, and hell, even Rooney are never content with what's happened. It's even cause for concern for some of these players. Rooney was clearly exhausted in league play from the past year. Ronaldo's had a million articles about how he risked his career by refusing to sit out and heal up.

I'm not saying our players aren't dedicated or hard working. I just think that they aren't used to being on that stage and competing at that level enough. I believe what he wants is for our players to always be looking to compete at that level. In his mind, the players make it to England or Europe or the World Cup and they think "I've made it." So naturally, that fight and struggle to prove themselves goes away. The World Cup comes around, and that feeling is there for everyone on the team. Afterwards, though, when the world is giving them recognition, they accept it as having made it instead of only wanting to get more and more respect.

I've been up forever so I'm rambling, but my main point is that he wants them to be hungry to win every match like it's a major match. He's been a winner at every level, and he wants that mindset to become something ingrained in our football culture. Watching the match against Ireland, it's like no one really gave a shite. That's what he's talking about.

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he players make it to England or Europe or the World Cup and they think "I've made it."

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That's human nature for the American soccer player though.

Think about this, DeAndre Yedlin made quadruple his MLS salary in the month he played in the World Cup.

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you got all of that from klinsmann saying we need to be nastier?

go to sleep mang

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Nah, I've been lurking more than posting so this is my take on where it fits in with the rest of his recent quotes. It all fits into one basic message. I like the message, but it'll take a ton of work to change the way things are.

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That's human nature for the American soccer player though.

Think about this, DeAndre Yedlin made quadruple his MLS salary in the month he played in the World Cup.

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I completely agree. For the American player, that level of international attention and recognition is unheard of. A lot of American players dream of that experience from day one. I can't say I would be any different. That said, it's something we're going to have to change and work on if we want to ever become a truly elite footballing nation. That's just the way it is. We need players to aspire to more than just playing in the Premier League or World Cup. We need players who want to be one of the best in the world. One of the reasons I'm still incredibly excited that we got Julian is that he has that attitude that he wants to be the best. He wants to compete with people like Ribery and Muller and Robben for spots. I'm not saying that every player needs to be in that position, but when a player signs to Fulham or Sunderland, I want to see them working ten times harder to get a spot on an even better side. That's something we haven't seen much of outside of a few people like Clint, Timmy, and Bradley, and they're our star players.

This is my favorite sports team on Earth, and I want to see these players working to be dominant no matter if it's in the MLS, a meaningless friendly, or the Champions League. It's necessary to move past the scrappy collective of misfits who can punch above their weight to a team that people actually are excited or scared to play.

I expect that anti american bias to change a bit once guys like Rubin, Hyndman, Pulisic, etc start to pull through the ranks.

I seriously do not believe the anti-American bias is all that strong, considering that it would make no sense for those clubs to purchase American players in the first place if they weren't going to play them. The more likely conclusion is much more difficult to discern, but it boils down to American players simply not being good enough for the European top level (as in the top 4 clubs in the top leagues). Which is fine in of itself. Dempsey was the only one who did it right, doing extremely well at a small club so that he couldn't be passed over. Bradley's level is what he was at Roma, a good back up midfielder.

I don't see how the bias somehow applies to this generation but doesn't apply to the previous generation of Americans abroad, when they did have to deal with more shite.

American players aren't good enough, or if they are, they don't show it when they get the opportunity.

I think you're being a bit harsh. Clint was a consensus team of the year pick for the premier league when he lit it up in 2011-2012. That same year both Jozy and Bradley were easy picks for their team's most valuable player, and both in top 5 leagues. Donovan fit in really, really well in the prem. In his first month at the club during his first stint there he was their player of the month. That's a quick adaptation. Our beloved Stuart Holden was one of the best midfielders in the prem in that season before his injuries, and was still named Bolton's player of the season despite missing the last two months.

Americans can't hack it when given the chance? I'm not sure I believe that either (though I'm sure in some cases it's true, just as it is for talented players from every country). What kind of chance is the EPL purgatory Jozy has been put in? Hull and Sunderland? Those teams blow.

Sunderland last year lost their racist-arse coach (who still wanted Jozy) early in the season and got Poyet, who is also an idiot. In spite of Poyet they became the only team in PL history to be last at Christmas time and still avoid the drop. After losing 8-0 to Southampton (a game in which Jozy took no part, I gladly add), he went ahead and started 9 out of 11 players involved in that fiasco. The only two changes he made was adding two attacking players who were on the field for a thirty minute stretch in which Sunderland had five goals scored on them. This is a team who through that game had only crossed the ball four times and attempted three through balls all season. Tell me Jozy doesn't do better if an actual decent team with reliable service were to buy him. So what that he's shown he can compete at the World Cup? No one succeeds in dumpster fire teams like that. That's why they are dumpster fires. I'm not convinced Messi would even flourish on that team. It's because of this that I hate when people say that so and so has reached their peak. We can't even know that.

Drogba didn't play in a top five league until he was 25. The first team he had moderate success with was a team with this logo:

If he was American our fans would have said he sucks dick and will never see the field for a top side. Seriously, how much did Guingamp pay a crackhead to design that thing in MS paint? So maybe Jozy has peaked. It's possible. Maybe he has room to grow. Either way, none of us can know. That's why we discuss shite like this, because speculation can be fun sometimes. But the pessimism bugs me so much sometimes. It's soooooo... UnAmerican of us, it seems.

Just some more examples:
Steve Cherundolo is a Hannover legend.
José Mourinho can't understand why Bradley's not playing for a top team. But screw that guy what does he know about talent?
Geoff Cameron consistently looks like Stoke's smartest, and at times most technical player, even from the right back spot. I hate to out myself here as someone who watches Stoke, but hey, I do sometimes.

What's my point? My point is that I think if given the chance to play at better teams these guys could do so and do so well, assuming the fit was right.

These guys who supposedly aren't good enough to compete with the best got out of a World Cup group that included a Ghana side stacked with champions league players, Ronaldo and company, and the future world cup winners... Without the best player in our country's history and without the player around which we had molded our attack the entire four year cylcle.

So do I agree with you, Crazy? No. But I don't really disagree with you 100%, either.

Our overarching problem seems to be consistency. We have players who can do it at a high level, but can they do it consistently? Jurgen seems to be saying no, we can't right now. And that's alright. We are playing catch up by about a hundred years on some nations and we're not doing half bad. I'm glad we have a coach who can push our players and our team in ways that can be uncomfortable at times, but I think it's a push this team has been needing. I just hope he gets his tactics and team selection figured out because it's stressing me the frick out.

Rant: [OFF] | ON

American fans, like any, can be pretty knee jerk when it comes to our team. I really don't want to become England. Some people are so quick to shite over all of our players. In regards to Jozy, one has to wonder how he would be doing if he went to a better team than Sunderland. I wonder how Drogba's career would have played out if he had gone to Hull instead of Marseille, or Sunderland instead of Chelsea. I'm not saying Jozy is on Drogba's level (or ever will be), but the caliber of team one plays for certainly helps.

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Tell me Jozy doesn't do better if an actual decent team with reliable service were to buy him

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cwill's entire philosophy: If Jozy fails, it's never his fault.

There's a reason Jozy can't get a game for Sunderland. There's a reason that nobody came in for him during transfer season. He's not good enough.

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He's got a good head on his shoulders

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I think so, too. I don´t know if he´s laser focused enough, however.

Villarreal was a great opportunity for him, and I know they were very high on him. It also is an absolutely top notch club, with respect to developing players.

He was gone, with the quickness. Still a head scratcher, but you certainly can´t point to Villarreal as the culprit (as many were wont to do, including myself, years ago).

To be fair, I believe he was fairly expensive at that time (for a Villarreal), and I´m sure they saw him as a project which would take muuuuuuch less time to develop and come to fruition.

I would take Baby Brads at Arsenal in a heart beat, if it meant Flamini would never play again.