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Poppa Out

As a Leeds supporter I am well aware of the upside of Bielsa. But this video shows exactly why Bielsa is not suited as a national team coach. Contrary to the video he took two seasons to lead Leeds out of the Championship. He can’t get a national team playing his way in a few weeks each year.
At an international level he should be judged by his failure to get Argentina and Uruguay out of the group stages.
What Ange did with Brisbane was similar to the Bielsa philosophy… you relentlessly play the same way until it is automatic … and eventually the opposition can’t stay with you … but as soon as one person, one injury, one transfer interrupts the process/system there is no plan B.
Ange could not replicate this relentless game plan at a national level.
FWIW he did get Chile out of the group-stage in 2010 w/only one loss(against the eventual champion Spain) before being eliminated in the Ro16 by Brazil, which is never a dishonourable outcome.
 
FWIW he did get Chile out of the group-stage in 2010 w/only one loss(against the eventual champion Spain) before being eliminated in the Ro16 by Brazil, which is never a dishonourable outcome.
He didn't achieve as much with Chile as I had remembered in my head. I thought he won a Copa but that was Sampaoli.

It is the profile of side that should suit him. Young side, with a runway via early rounds of qualifying to imprint the philosophy. Would in theory be willing and able to play with his level of energy and intensity.
 
If Italy are willing to do this (great player but nothing on the board as manager)…you can’t help but look at Milligan if he has another breakout season with the Jets and Poppa falls flat on his ass at the Asia Cup.

FYI I still think this is a crazy move by Italy, Pirlo has achieved nothing as a manager;
 
If Italy are willing to do this (great player but nothing on the board as manager)…you can’t help but look at Milligan if he has another breakout season with the Jets and Poppa falls flat on his ass at the Asia Cup.

FYI I still think this is a crazy move by Italy, Pirlo has achieved nothing as a manager;

It helps to have friends in high places 🇮🇹

I didn't think it could get funnier after hiring Gattuso following his Hajduk stint but apparently it can.
 
Well bit of a surprise but tbh under their current circumstances better off having one of their own I suppose.
 
FWIW he did get Chile out of the group-stage in 2010 w/only one loss(against the eventual champion Spain) before being eliminated in the Ro16 by Brazil, which is never a dishonourable outcome.
He was a very real option after his stint with Athletic Bilbao when we were myopically churning through mediocre German and Dutch coaches sucking the last drops of juice from the 2006 generation. He's just too old now and I think if he wasn't already, the Uruguay experience broke him.

I saw one press conference before the WC where he spent almost an hour berating himself, talking about what a failure he was, how he had made everyone around him worse. It was really, really sad.
 
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He was a very real option after his stint with Athletic Bilbao when we were myopically churning through mediocre German and Dutch coaches sucking the last drops of juice from the 2006 generation. He's just too old now and I think if he wasn't already, the Uruguay experience broke him.

I saw one press conference before the WC where he spent almost an hour berating himself, talking about what a failure he was, how he had made everyone around him worse. It was really, really sad.
I presume you haven't met too many Argentinians then?
 
Just in Pirlo won't be Italy Manager due to doing some promotional work for a Russian betting company. They feel it tarnishes his integrity.

A collective sigh of relief for every Azzurri fan out there. They're a complete shambles, Maldini resigning too.
 
A collective sigh of relief for every Azzurri fan out there. They're a complete shambles, Maldini resigning too.
I don't know I can agree on that without actually knowing whats really doing behind the scenes.
Don't think Andrea would have been a bad choice nor a brilliant one but would have been worth the go considering they lost out on Klopp who was always going to steer his own country.
I'd say it all smells too much in the IFF for the heads seem to be the issue.
By the way
Backstory: Maldini and Leonardo felt they lacked autonomy and that the federation "did not want change" after alternative managerial proposals were also rejected.
 
I don't know I can agree on that without actually knowing whats really doing behind the scenes.
Don't think Andrea would have been a bad choice nor a brilliant one but would have been worth the go considering they lost out on Klopp who was always going to steer his own country.
I'd say it all smells too much in the IFF for the heads seem to be the issue.
By the way
Backstory: Maldini and Leonardo felt they lacked autonomy and that the federation "did not want change" after alternative managerial proposals were also rejected.

Didn't know Kloppy was in the frame, thought it was Pep who turned it down for family reasons.

Looks like Thiago Motta is being looked at, which is a far better option than Pirlo in my opinion, if he's given the time and resources for a long-term rebuild.

If they want a win-now, then go back to Mancini.

Anyway, back to Poppa out...
 
Didn't know Kloppy was in the frame, thought it was Pep who turned it down for family reasons.

Looks like Thiago Motta is being looked at, which is a far better option than Pirlo in my opinion, if he's given the time and resources for a long-term rebuild.

If they want a win-now, then go back to Mancini.

Anyway, back to Poppa out...
There was mentions little while back of K but quite far fetched.
Yes I’d like to see Motta also as long as they stand by him all the work that’s needed.
Yep back to Popa though I’m done with till next game.
 
How melodramatic Argentinians are - over anything.
what makes the world go round - emotionally expressive on their sleeve's as you'd know.
Putting aside the terrible post WC game behaviour I luv nationalities who let it out unlike conservative lock it all in types.
 
I couldn't get over how big - tall and bulky, most English players were in Tuchel's squad. On the pitch sometimes most English players were 1.85 or 1.88m tall, or 6 feet 2. I looked up their heights.

Conversely, the Spanish were quite puny, with a greater number of shorter nimble players. Ditto Argentina, shorter, but a bit bulkier.

IMO England have really improved stylistically, but what cost them is they struggled to negate central attacking interplay from France ( second half) and Argentina ( after England scored).

I think the tall Rice and Anderson, to a lesser extent, Bellingham, were too cumbersome to change direction quickly when jockeying and delaying, when trying to screen the defensive line. The one twos and dribbling was a bit quick for them from both Argentina and France later in the games.

I've lifted weights for 50 years plus and recognise gym honed bodies. Most Poms at this WC have spent a lot more time in the gym - Squatting, Deadlifting, Bench Pressing, Incline Dumbbell Bench Pressing, Dumbbell Overhead Pressing and doing Lat Pull Downs, than Spanish players have.

I think England need more players like Saka - shorter, nimble and can change direction quickly. Phil Foden can do this too, but he wasn't selected.

In the early days of the AL I used to watch Argentinian club football on SBS, then watch AL. The AL players were huge and bulky compared to Argentinian club players from Boca Juniors, River Plate, etc.

With a greater number of young domestic players in the AL, I don't think they look as big and bulky as the early AL years in 2005, 6, 7.

I've read articles from the likes of Ray Gatt and Mike Cockerill where some of the early AL imports were almost frightened of the Aussies, even teammates at training, in the AL, because they were so physically rugged and tackled so hard - even at training.
Yeah, it's kind of what I was getting at.
It's a cultural thing, the English prioritise physical attributes above everything, Matty Ryan is to short for a keeper, Messi would never get in an English team because he would be to short. Even though it's their imports that provide the technical abilities in the Prem, they still need to fulfill some crazy arbitrary physical limits.
So their English teams are filled with elite physical athletes who do the basics very well, they lack the flair and creativity of the more technical nations, because of their priority to physicality.
I guess the ideal would be to possess both, but it's a blockage in the English culture.
For us it's become a lucky dip and see what comes out in the wash it seems and in regards to Poppa, it doesn't preference the more technical players, as defensive first rely more on those physical attributes more than not. So the question I think needs asking is, is this coaching philosophy going to advance us, or is it what we want to pursue as a nation?
 
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