Comments on: Harsh but right, Jurgen Klinsmann sends a message to his stars

By: pensfan603

pensfan603 — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 00:36:09 +0000

Ok im gonna force all of you to exercise each day of the week and get you set to play a game every Sunday where you run on average 7 miles and have to play your heart out and see how you do after doing that 10 years straight with no break, and see how you do

By: kch08

kch08 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 07:18:27 +0000

This is definitely what the program needs and Klinsmann might be looking to the longer-term, bigger picture as much as the immediate future. From his perspective, if you aren’t going to try to be the best,what is the point of even being a player or having a team/program?

The US has all of the raw materials to be great, but the entire US soccer world has to reorient it’s focus.

By: mvktr2

mvktr2 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 05:35:14 +0000

The best teachers are those that ask the most and maintain the highest standards, that is all Klinsmann is doing and it’s wonderful to see! Bill Belichick, Nick Saban, Alex Ferguson, etc. all set extremely high standards and it’s up to the players to live up to that standard. Additionally one of the keys to each of those 3, and their maintained success, is the organizationally focused approach that has 2 goals every day, get better and excel.

I think it’s less than 3% of people whom ever realize ‘self-actualization’ or reach their full potential. Among the chief contributors is reaching a level of satisfaction and not pushing onward.

By: mvktr2

mvktr2 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 05:30:15 +0000

^This post is spot on.

By: weremoose10

weremoose10 — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 04:01:51 +0000

I don’t think so. Any player that takes it that way is really fragile minded and it makes me question their manlihood. Man-up and never be too satisfied with where you are at, or else begin to decline.

By: surly1n1nd1anapol1s

surly1n1nd1anapol1s — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:59:21 +0000

Klinsmann is spot-on.

By: pensfan603

pensfan603 — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:48:34 +0000

Can we fire him??
I get him message but to me it just seems like he is pissing off his players, ya it maybe get some of the ones that are real high up to dig deeper but really isnt this just telling the other ones you will never be anything to me, because they cant be the messis of the word?

By: oldharmony

oldharmony — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:32:57 +0000

Harsh but ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!! I’m tired of this Landon Donovan saga!! The big fish in little pond saga has gotten old quick. If you want to be the best, you have to prove it!! Win the big trophies, play in the big leagues, compete against the best! US Soccer and MLS need to realize this!! If this sport is going to grow and thrive in the US, then its best and brightest must play abroad and prove themselves to the world. This isolationist mentality of MLS (as we see being played out this week with the Brek Shea transfer attempt to Stoke) will do more harm than good in the long term.

By: arjanroghanchi

arjanroghanchi — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:58:25 +0000

This should have been said for years, problem is the soccer writers here love these guys (Dempsey, Howard, Lando) way too much.

Nobody in our set-up is good enough to warrant an automatic selection, much less starting role. Including Tim Howard.

By: jpan007

jpan007 — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:47:32 +0000

well Messi hasn’t accomplished anything with Argentina. I would say Christiano Ronaldo is more succesful in his national team than Messi.

By: charliej11

charliej11 — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:24:32 +0000

I think the US needs LD badly…..but I agree with JK. If his head is not in it, then pick others. Not fair to people that are willing to give everything to be there, to take an unknown ( known talent level, unknown focus level ) no matter how great.

I completely disagree with the idea that US players need to play more. At some point all sports, especially an endurance type sport like soccer, need to balance quality with quantity. Just throwing quantity at it shows a lack of confidence to me.

What is missing from US soccer is one thing, and pretty much one thing only…………$$$$.
It would attract some massive talent to the sport ( away from other sports ) and it will be game over when that happens.

By: tylerbetts

tylerbetts — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:18:54 +0000

It seems like the overall message is “Don’t feel like your arrived”.

It’s a good place to be. For everyone. Avoiding plateaus is something we should all strive for.

It makes me wonder if he’s had similar conversations with Tim Howard. Yes, it’s great that you’re the well-entrenched #1 for a top-half-of-the-table EPL side. Now, can you be the same for a Champions League team?

If Klinsmann is truly going to reshape American soccer, this is one of the best ways to do it. I think we all agree that we want to get to the point where we don’t celebrate on of our young stars getting a transfer offer from a club in a major league (like Shea to Stoke), but we expect it, and we’re shocked when it doesn’t happen. The best ways to make the next generation even better is to set the bar as high as we can. McBride set the bar high. Dempsey has eclipsed it. How has Dempsey gets that bar will dictate how high the next superstar has to aim.