If YOU were the national team coach...?

[Canadiense]

Hello

Due to the recent results of the MNT in the game vs Jamaica (lost 2-1), many have felt that Canada still has a lot to develop in. They MNT has shown that they can play in Europe (games vs Spain, Luxemburg and Austria) but we also need to be able to play against teams in the CONCACAF region since those are the ones that we have to qualify against.

So if I were to be the MNT coach I feel that I should have the following:

1) Enter the youngesters of the U20 program ASAP into the MNT program: A lot of the player in our current MNT crop will be about 30-31 in 2010 (including De Rosario), thus if we want to have a good youth approach I feel that it would be a great idea to get more player like David Edgar and/or Jaime Peters to play more regurlary for the MNT.

2) For the CSA to release the funds: You only get better with practice and thus the new MNT coach must be of strong personality and be able to tell the CSA that funds are needed to play more than 6 matches a year (not only in Europe but as well as home here in Canada and down in CONCACAF). I would figure that around 10 friendlies per year sounds like a good number (thus it would be 30 friendlies between 2007 and 2010).

3) Take an offensive approach at playing matches. Mr. Hart has shown to be a GOOD INTERN coach since the game @ home (Montreal) Canada created chances but was not able to convert them all (selection issues) and away we created the chances but were not able to defend the lead (again selection issues). Thus the new coach must begin to take a winning mentallity for games, not only to win by 1-0 but to try to put the game as early as possible, this mentallity will aid when it comes to play teams in the CONCACAF region.

4) Have FULL CONFIDENCE: I would 100% behind the players that have been selected, because these are players that want to play 100% for Canada. Thus we have to be going into away games with confidence that we can get a result, just as well as home.

5) Take tournaments into high regard: As a MNT I would set the following goals:

2007: Reach, @ least semifinals of Gold Cup

2007: Reach, @ least 2nd round in U20 (I know that this is the job of Dale Mitchell (U20) but the MNT must also offer support to the youngsters and the youth program in all situations)

2008: Qualify to Olympics in Beijing, this would be very important because it would offer the MNT international exposure in a form of a tournament, getting to this level is important.

2008: MUST, MUST, MUST qualify semifinal stage of WCQ (must win a good number of home games and being able to play away as well).

2009: U20 must build from any 2007 success, at least make 2nd round again.

2009: Reach, @ least semifinals of Gold Cup

2009: MUST, MUST, MUST make @ least 4th spot to qualify to WC2010, with full confidence that the team can make it and use ALL AND PERHAPS EVEN MORE RESOURCES TO HIS DISPOSAL

2010: Win @ least 1 game in the 2010 WC, this would be the culmanation of the efforts and success from the previous years.

6) Good Relations with clubs (specially MLS), in this situation the MNT can see player developement at home and overseas and be able to judge individual results of players.

This would be my VISION. A lot of people say that the CSA has a lack of VISION, but the next MNT that they hire should do something similar to what I outlined and the CSA must be willing to support such a vision. Canada is overdue for international qualification, the CSA must UNDERSTAND that they have to give FULL AND BETTER support to the new MNT coach that is going to be hire and MUST have a similar vision as the one that is name above...

Furthermore the CORE of players that I would be looking at for the next 3 years are the following:

Set up in formation (4-3-2-1):

GK) Sutton Hirschfeld, Begovic (U20)

RB) Serioux Steve Lumley (U20)

CB) Edgar (U20) McKenna (pushing a bit)

CB) Hainault (U20)

LB) Klukowski Ledgerwood (U20)

CM) DeGuzman C. Nunez (U20)

CM) Hutchinson

CM) Bernier De Jong (U20)

LF) J.Simpson Hume

RF) DeRosario Peters (U20)

ST) Friend Johnson (U20), Lombardo (U20), D.Simpson, Occean

You may have noticed that I have dropped quite a few familiar faces. I understand that players like Radz, Stalteri are great players for their respective clubs and might even be better than the players in the list that I have mentioned. But Canada must look forward with a vision of a 5 year plan, as opposed to a day-day basis, and thus the new players must begin to be developed at higher levels of international competition.

WHAT IS YOUR SUGGESTED VISION??

Cheers

[bettermirror]

that the world will experience a rose-coloured lense shortage.

-admirable ideas. but let's face it, they are obvious. similar to a striker always setting themselves the goal of scoring a hat trick every match.

-you need the experience of stalteri and radz not only to mentor the youngsters, but to give our youngsters a psychological boost - "wow, i am playing with EPL players!"

[David C.]

quote:Originally posted by Canadiense

So if I were to be the MNT coach I feel that I should have the following:

1) Enter the youngesters of the U20 program ASAP into the MNT program...

Unlike many, I do not agree with this approach, for various reasons:

i) While youngsters always excite with their potential, none of our guys (maybe Peters) are playing senior soccer yet and need time to mature/develop as a player.

ii) While youngsters can add a spark at a young age, many hit a wall in their progression, if rushed too quickly. I think it's better to wait until they mature and adapt to senior soccer before rushing their development.

iii) One of the big problems with a MNT program is pulling players from their club environment. I think that it's best to minimize this, by letting a player participate in only one program at a time. Meaning, that the U-20's should complete this phase first (next summer), before moving up to the next. Playing for both, just overloads their schedule and interrupts their club development even more (important at this age).

With this in mind, I agree that promoting our last U-20 grads (deJong, Ledgerwood, Gyaki, Wagenaar and Hainault) is long overdue.