How Do I Like Bob Bradley?

...let me count the ways...

No, seriously. There's only one, really.

The Boston Globe produced a sprawling biography of Bob Bradley. Like most biographies, it's about explaining who Bradley is and how he came to be that way.

That's all well and good - not to mention being the perfect length for bathroom reading - but what I really like about Bob Bradley comes with a pair of quotes that were somehow separated between the 1st and 5th pages of the article. Here are those:

"When you are around the game and especially around good players, one of the first things you learn is that it's a player's game," said Bradley. "It is a challenge for a coach to be able to communicate with good players, create an environment where players can get better.

[SNIP]

"Generally speaking, the US player continues to get better; [MLS] has played a huge role in that. But when you look around the world, there are still higher levels for us to set our sights on in all areas."

[SNIP]

"As much as we have gotten better, we have to realize, technically, we still have a ways to go. And that doesn't take into account, if we really raise the bar to the top, the Maradonas and Zidanes and Ronaldinhos. We have not gotten to that point, yet. But, mentality-wise, we have had enough big games to understand what needs to get done. If you go back the last eight years, it's incredible what has been accomplished."


In basic terms, I just think the man has the correct ideas in his head; from there, I extrapolate that he may be able to improve our program. A second piece grows from this: if people are worried about the limitations or inexperience of U.S. coaches, isn't the answer to get them experience by letting them coach, ideally at the highest level and against the best? If that's the case, it seems sensible to me to start with people who seem to "get it." And, based on what he says, I think Bradley is good for this.

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