Jesse Marsch: CanMNT manager

[CanadaFan123]

27 minutes ago, kacbru said:

Just to be clear - I'm ok with Marsch, not ok with MLS Canada Men's National Team Head Coach™ branding.

All kinds of potential conflicts of interest...

Don’t worry, I’m sure Westhead will give us unbiased perspective and call that out. /s

To be honest, I’m not upset about it. Want power in Canada soccer? Put your money where your mouth is. Better than the cowardly undercutting backroom BS. 

Edited May 13 by CanadaFan123

[jonovision]

6 minutes ago, Sal333 said:

An excellent explainer. We selected the wrong coach for the players we got. As you said our strengths are out wide. Marsch's system needs more top-notch midfielders than we can provide. It'll be great watching Davies, Buchanan, Millar and all our other wide players being neutered in midfield.

If Marsch has a single, inflexible system we made the wrong decision for manager. Doesn't matter what the system is. 

I'm certainly not ready to write him off.

[SoccMan]

1 hour ago, SpursFlu said:

I wonder how the CPL coaches who interviewed for the job feel about it

Booby Smyrniotis we've got some good news, bad news for ya. The good news is we've secured a new "philanthropist" arrangement with MLS teams. The bad news is ahh...

Bobby needs to get out of his comfort zone if he really wants to progress in coaching . However, how bad does he really want it? Gets payed a decent amount coaching Forge and gets to stay home and watch over his business Sigma Academy. Moreover, maybe he is content with the setup he has now and in the end there is nothing wrong with that.

[Gian-Luca]

One of the first things he mentions is that a CPL owner was part of the hiring process, lest anyone think that Kevin Blue is farting all over the CSB/CPL and is now in a monogamous relationship with MLS. Maybe the guy is trying to bring all parties to work together?

 

[SpursFlu]

I actually thought the MLS Head Coach thing was a joke someone created here. Interesting 

Edited May 13 by SpursFlu

[Watchmen]

54 minutes ago, kacbru said:

Last one (probably not)... Will someone have to explain to our MLS Canada Men's National Team Head Coach™ what this strange pro/rel thing is in Nation's League?

Based on his time at Leeds, he's very familiar with how the relegation system works. 😉

[An Observer]

2 hours ago, Tyson M said:

The thing I like most about this is if we are going to press we certainly have the speed to do it with. 

I wanted the risk of Bobby but I'll take Marsh now as opposed to watching Biello for even one more game!

I guess Akinola won’t be recalled anytime soon 

[Unnamed Trialist]

1 hour ago, Sal333 said:

 

 

Well, count me as one of the few who will bash him and it has nothing to do with passports. I'm from Montreal and I was happy when he left and hoped never to have him coach another team I rooted for.  Besides CF MTL and the NT, I also root for Napoli.       

 I copied a post from X that expresses exactly how I feel.   

"Leeds fan here. This is not good. Prepare for someone with an ego who puts himself over the team. He plays a very narrow system so the Alphonso Davies conundrum will be even more complicated than ever. He talks way more than he actually walks."                                                          "

When the only major naysayers are Leeds United fans, I feel a lot better. Someone has to tell those guys they are not exactly the standard setters for anything. Well except for Ian Harte having been one of the biggest divers in the history of "English" football".

[eramosat]

Well. 

 

I'll be counting on the players themselves for the upcoming matches.  Not putting anything on the coach,

[Watchmen]

We've all known (or could reasonably have assumed) that the MLS teams have made philanthropic donations to the CSA. This just pulls it out in to the open more. We've all wanted more transparency from the CSA, and now we're getting it.

I don't think it's so much a case of "the MLS clubs wanted more" as it i Kevin Blue wanting to formalize something, so that they're not having to go back constantly and hoping the owners will be generous again. Just like the $3m from the CSB, the CSA will know what they're getting each year. And frankly, the MLS teams are probably getting less out of it. There's no possibility of a revenue stream from this for them, it's a (minor) bit of advertising none of us will actually use (ie no one here is going to be referring to the MLS CMNT manager).

[gkhs]

29 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

Don’t worry, I’m sure Westhead will give us unbiased perspective and call that out. /s

To be honest, I’m not upset about it. Want power in Canada soccer? Put your money where your mouth is. Better than the cowardly undercutting backroom BS. 

This is a how-the-sausage-gets-made moment; and yeah it’s pretty gross, as it turns out. Blue is a realist of a very specific type, if he thrived in the NCAA, an organization absolutely rife with ugly-if-you-look-too-close deals.

He had a number he needed to get to and he got there.

In an ideal world we would have a properly funded and administered national team. That’s not where we live.

[Unnamed Trialist]

23 minutes ago, Gian-Luca said:

One of the first things he mentions is that a CPL owner was part of the hiring process, lest anyone think that Kevin Blue is farting all over the CSB/CPL and is now in a monogamous relationship with MLS. Maybe the guy is trying to bring all parties to work together?

 

It was already reported that Friend and Simpson were consulting and involved in some interviews.

[kacbru]

14 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

Based on his time at Leeds, he's very familiar with how the relegation system works. 😉

I have no doubt that Jesse the coach understands all of these things.  I'm pointing out the foolishness of the MLS Canada Men's National Team Head Coach™ branding.

[An Observer]

4 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

It was already reported that Friend and Simpson were consulting and involved in some interviews.

Could also be Bob Young

[An Observer]

I am less worried about more MLS players getting called to the national team; I am more worried that less MLS players get called to the national teams (senior and youth) as the clubs ask Marsch to leave some players with them when there are calendar clashes. 

[reggietfc]

i can see it now mls canada v arg  raposo and franklin are starting ahead of davies and tajon 

[Watchmen]

10 minutes ago, kacbru said:

I have no doubt that Jesse the coach understands all of these things.  I'm pointing out the foolishness of the MLS Canada Men's National Team Head Coach™ branding.

I know you were.

[kacbru]

Or CMNT home games are exclusively in MLS stadiums.

[Watchmen]

6 minutes ago, An Observer said:

I am less worried about more MLS players getting called to the national team; I am more worried that less MLS players get called to the national teams (senior and youth) as the clubs ask Marsch to leave some players with them when there are calendar clashes. 

But I mean, that already happens. Ahmed wasn't called for the March games this year because the Whitecaps had a discussion with Biello about it. There's always a discussion, with every club, with every manager.

[CanadaFan123]

9 minutes ago, An Observer said:

Could also be Bob Young

Funny how we went from CSB involvement to MLS now stamping their name on the damn coach. I wonder if MLS was prompted to get involved because a CPL coach as the alternative was getting close. It would be a disaster for the anti-CSB stakeholders to have a CPL coach lead the team and succeed. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

A few takes:

1-I was indifferent before about him, nervous about taking so long until yesterday, and now, with his hire, I'm a bit worried all over again.

2-The main reason is that I am not sure how well he's analysed our team. Or my suspicion that he must think he knows, when we all know that hardly anyone knows. The key for Canada is not figuring out the best 5-6 guys, it is the rest, the 7-18th players. Unless he proves he can get the broader player pool in his head, we are going to have problems. If he doesn't know who Kennedy is, or Jayden Nelson, or Paton and Bair, then we have a problem. You have got to leverage those guys and be ready to take them when they prove deserving.

3-Related, I hope he makes his own choices. LIke if he brings Borjan back in, really any choice that he is convinced is the right one. He should owe

nothing to anyone.

4-Agree with others here the giddy-NCAA style banter is nauseating. Someone tell me he is really a hard ass SOB at heart, I'll feel better.

5-I have no question about his motivation and that he wants to succeed.

6-I think the players will only be lukewarm about him and I don't really think our squad will connect. Or at least it will take some time. 

7-The MLS money tells us a few things. First, we have been looking at guys who are asking more for themselves and staff than what Herdman was making. Second, I wonder if we went to look for the money after hearing what was requested, or if we already knew we'd fall short and then had it to offer. 

8-Probably they've asked for 150-200k from each club, this year, and next. Because we had half a million to 7000k to spend but soon found that was not enough. The clubs can get it back via friendlies organised for the NTs, perhaps. 

9-Wonder if he has any responsibilities in the Canadian soccer landscape.

Edited May 13 by Unnamed Trialist

[reggietfc]

1 minute ago, CanadaFan123 said:

Funny how we went from CSB involvement to MLS now stamping their name on the damn coach. I wonder if MLS was prompted to get involved because a CPL coach as the alternative was getting close. It would be a disaster for the anti-CSB stakeholders to have a CPL coach lead the team and succeed. 

lmao...the boogie man is under your bed,this cpl/mls paranoia is stupid

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

1 hour ago, InglewoodJack said:

Good explainer on how he set things up at Leeds. He plays very narrow so I’m curious what he sees in our roster since we’re strongest out wide. 

Not sure I agree with most of that video.

Weird time to make it: after the season, before a managers first transfer window with a club. 

Some of my issues: 

The lazy "counter press people play 4-2-2-2" when Marsch was always fiddling around a 4231.  I can't remember him starting at Leeds with 2 strikers ever, maybe I'm wrong. 

You look at the attackers he brought in Gnotto, Sinestra, Aaronson, all play that formation, the first two wide. Sommerville got a bunch more minutes and Daniel James comes back and gets a few when healthy.  Again very much wide players, so I don't buy this narrow thing.  They played inverted sometimes but I think Buchanan and Davies (and others) can do that fine. 

I think of the games they did well and they counterpressed specific fullbacks (he is explicit about that in things I have seen from him) not sure how that jives with always looking central.

(If there is an issue, it is one we already know we already have and its filling 3 central midfield spots.  He brought in Roca, Adams and McKennie )

But I would agree that Marsch doesn't look for possession and that's not what we should be looking at either given our talent base. 

 

Edited May 14 by WestHamCanadianinOxford

[The Real Marc]

It's not an exciting hire, it's not an intriguing hire, and he won't command any more respect from the players than any other run of the mill pro coach - although maybe he can connect with some of the guys that spent time in MLS or an NCAA system.

I was hoping with a World Cup on offer and a couple of top players to ride we'd have been able to hire someone that instills a bit more confidence.

I'd have preferred someone with more national team experience - it seems like such a different job than club football, with different demands and skills needed. Christiansen seemed a good bet. Kuntz appealed but maybe that's just my Euro biases taking over - to be fair, his record as a manager really isn't all that impressive and who knows if he would have connected with our top guys.

I feel like this is a mutual compromise - like dating at age 38, you've got a job, a set of teeth? You'll do - we probably wouldn't have taken Marsch a year or two ago but we really just aren't that attractive after a 'honking' WC, and Marsch similarly with us but he probably got sick of turning down MLS while waiting for top tier European club calls - not to mention its better than moving his family to join a club side in the middle east or a national team in central America.

But it could be worse - it's not a CPL coach, it's not Mauro Biello, it's not someone from the CSA well or someone with two years MLS experience.

Question is will he leave us for a club job part way through? I can't see us firing him.

Upside - maybe he'll learn to swear in French like he did in German.

Edited May 14 by The Real Marc

[Gian-Luca]

So Marsch actually did another episode of that podcast earlier today (or at least, it was released today). I'm assuming this is the last time he will be a member of this podcast. Unlike the episode about Canada, this one you can actually watch in Canada, although it doesn't appear to discuss Canada at all (except for all of the comments in the video which are about his coaching hire to Canada). Given that he was announced to the Canadian players as the coach before today (according to the interview he gave that I posted earlier) and thus was actually hired before today, I do find it a bit bizarre that he still bothered to do this podcast.

 

Edited May 14 by Gian-Luca