Post-Pellerud - What Now?

[fishman]

Today's QF against the USA marks the end of Pellerud's tenure with the WNT Program. His time with Norway showed great success in the early and mid-90s including a WWC win in 1995 and a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics.

During his time with Canada, he achieved a high-water mark of fourth place in the 2003 WWC; Canada's FIFA world ranking moved to as high as number 9, with a low-mark of 13.

Most posters to this forum believe that his success in the early days of women's football was built on direct play, high-pressure defending, set pieces and team fitness. His philosophy is outlined in detail in his book.

A vast majority of posters also agree that his tactics are no longer viable and that women's football has matured well past the hoof-and-hope stage. Possession soccer with technique and creativity are alive and well around the globe, and we all want to see Canada play with similar flair and confidence. Many believe that we have the players to employ different tactics, so a different coaching philosophy is really needed.

So - what now? The Pellerud-is-gone dance is on, so the questions seem to be these:

• Who will now coach? Who are the obvious candidates?

• What changes will be made to the structure of the WNT program, if any?

• Will the Kerfoot Foundation continue?

• Will the player pool differ?

• What should be the short, medium and long-term goals?

[terpfan68]

All very good questions but I wonder if we can trust the CSA to do the things that are necessary to improve the team's performance.

[terpfan68]

All very good questions but I wonder if we can trust the CSA to do the things that are necessary to improve the team's performance.

[The Ref]

Trust the CSA? no, I don't think so.

For now I will refocus to see how Birarda and his U20 girls do in Chile. Filigno, Robinson and Schmidt from the senior team were in his roster. Wonder how much that will change.

[Guest Ed]

Oh boy. EP certainly got a nice goodbye from Jason DeVos last night on 'Extratime' (GolTV). To paraphrase - 'his football philosophy is totally laid out in his book. The long ball game is a relic, nobody in club or national teams uses it anymore. You cannot beat good teams with it. Our ladies deserve a better system as they have the ability to play a skilled short-passing game but are not allowed to do so'!!

Good riddance EP. Welcome PJ.

[jpg75]

• Who will now coach? Who are the obvious candidates?

I'd guess Ian Bridge, Bob Birarda and Paul James?

• Will the player pool differ?

I'd keep most of the current players, but there'll likely be a few changes.

• What should be the short, medium and long-term goals?

Long-term, to become the #1 Women's team on the planet within 8 years.

Medium, SF appearances at the 2011WC and 2012 Olympics.

Short, to defeat the US in the final of the next Gold Cup.

[Guest Ed]

Well I guess my hat's in the ring. My girls should be ready to go about 2018. On the deck, tic-tac-toe, the beautiful game. Call me in 2016.

[Sam]

I say the number one goal would be to develop players that are used to possession football through the U-17, and U-20 programs. I just hope adapting our current squad to the new style of football won't hurt their early results too much.

[terpfan68]

Who on the Canadian team who make the US squad and who on the Canadian team would start for the Americans?

[Guest speedmonk42]

I am sooooo likin Jason Devos.

Not afraid to say stuff like that, fantastic.

[Vic]

Let the games begin:

1) Pellerud:

"I hoped to see my team play as well as they have done before this tournament. We didn't," he said.

I've heard a lot about the cause of failure over the years from Even Pellerud: the CSA failed, the girls failed, our youth system failed, etc... but the one thing I have never heard him say, even over a simple one game loss, is "I failed."

2) Globe and Mail:

de Vos Gold medal Performance:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080815.OLYTRUTH15/TPStory/TPSports/Television/

3) TSN:

Jason DeVos, a former men's national team member who has been working as a television analyst, said Pellerud's methods are outdated.

Instead of playing a kick-and-run style, the women should play a more possession-focused game, said DeVos.

Pellerud was blunt in his reply.

"He can start to look at my record," he snapped.

Sinclair was more acid.

"The men's team is not at the Olympics," she said. "It's a shame to hear men's players saying that when they are no where."

I think someone needs to tell her the "C" on her chest is for class. She got away with trash talking three of her teammates a few years ago, but I have a feeling that one will be a lot more expensive.

[Guest Ed]

They've been living la vida Pellerud for two years, what do you expect any of those women to say?

[CoachRich]

#1 & the only one that will answer all the other points except Kerfoot is if the Women's Program gets money to exist. It's not going to come from the CSA based on their current track record.

Kerfoot is over. IMO it might reappear in moving the U20's forward & into a Seniors program over the next 2 - 4 years. The money will be needed to get the overall Women's Program into the next era & level as this Seniors program/era is over. Hence a majority of the Senior players will not be back as they move on to work, university, pro soccer (WPSL & Europe)& get on w/ life.

[terpfan68]

So a former male national team member can be critical of the women but they can't return the compliment?

Too much would of, could of, should of from everyone.

[jpg75]

I think the problem is it's a former Men's Team player making the criticism, and his criticism is of the coach, not the players.

Her comments don't stop at hitting back at De Vos, she's lashing out at Men's Team with those comments and none of those players have ever said anything negative to her or her teammates (publicly).

[Guest Ed]

FFS, if the men's team had only 1 rival they had to beat in CONCACAF to get to the Olympics or the WC, I would still not be waiting (24 and 22 years now, resp.) for another appearance. Devos didn't criticize the women as you mistakenly put it, he criticized their STYLE (i.e THE COACH), not the players. Let's see EP or CS defend that STYLE of play.

Pre la vida Pellerud, we failed to advance out of group stage in the 99 WC in USA.

In la vida Pellerud, we failed to advance out of group stage (China 2007) and placed 4th (thanks to Hooper and Latham) in USA 2003.

Are these great results? Missed out on 1 really quite unmissable Olympic tourney as well in 2004.

[Vic]

• Who will now coach? Who are the obvious candidates?

I would think James the women and David the U20's would probably be on many people's minds. Pellerud is on until December and after that who knows.... he is being sought by US colleges though.

• What changes will be made to the structure of the WNT program, if any?

Residency is finished. They will go to long mini-camps as professional league schedules allow it (i.e. in the off-season). They will still be together many times more than the men.

• Will the Kerfoot Foundation continue?

It came with too much baggage and had no effect on results at all. We actually performed better without it. I don't see it as a big factor at all.

• Will the player pool differ?

Yes, quite a bit by the next major tournament. Age will reap a few, a number of the youth team players will excel and push for spots, and a more dynamic style of play will bring it's own changes.

• What should be the short, medium and long-term goals?

jpg75 did a pretty good job here.

[The Ref]

quote:Originally posted by Ed

They've been living la vida Pellerud for two years, what do you expect any of those women to say?

I expect them to apologize and retract all the garbage they said about their 3 teammates. Also to come out in the open.

[VPjr]

I'm curious...what makes everyone so sure PJ is the next WNT coach?

I'm pretty certain there are other candidates, some obvious, some not so obvious.

I'd like to see the residency end...I'd rather see our women find jobs playing pro in Europe or in that new league that is starting out. Getting together for a 1 month camp prior to a big tournament works well enough if the women are playing at a high level throughout the year.

[Bxl Boy]

Short term :

We have to become less Sinclair and Lang dependant. And we know, at different levels, players like Tancredi or Wilkinson can also make the difference.

We have to rebuild our defence. Our weakest link at the olympics, because firstly of its lack of speed (only Wilkinson was really fast but she's so much more useful as an offensive player).

We have to play difficult games to get some players (I think primarly at Schmidt and Zurrer) get the experience they need to perform in such a tournament.

Motivate the “I love Even” girls, like Sinclair, to play for another coach (and hope the coach can control her and she doesn't say thinks like her remark to Devos).

Mid-term :

1/2 final 2011 and 2012, I totally agree

Long-term :

Having our own style, stopping to be “the USA, but weaker” son we can beat them and beat the teams that know how to beat the Americans. Having after the departure of Even a team of coaches that all work in the same way, and - if possible - in concordance of the culture of most of the clubs the girls play. The whole led by or beloved technical director

Roster :

That one is quite young and talented. It hasn't to change so much but we have to open doors to young talented girls that are coming and the new trainer also has to make a round-up to see which good girls can play for the team with the style he wants and Pellerud didn't select because they didn't match with his style.

Coach :

I can imagine the logical of the CSA will be the same that it was for the men : whire hire someone abroad with a big salary when we can hire a canadian that we judge competent. So... probably someone in charge of a youth girls national team.

[JamesW]

Jason de Vos for coach!

[The Beaver]

I'd love to see a coach from one of the top US colleges come up and rehaul our program. Maybe guys like Hart and James could do this, but I'm skeptical.

I don't think the Kerfoot residency was a failure. In fact, if we have a coach willing to evolve our game, and knowing that it will take a fair transition for us to adapt before we flourish with the new style, I'd say a residency is more in order than ever before.

If we do hire a coach who employs a more sophisticated brand of socceer, we may see some players fall from the program, especially those who do not have the tools to play that sort of game. We may, however, see the return of Latham and Nonen (getting old?) and Kiss, as well as a few others.

As for the players, can they play a possession style of football? I don't think they have a choice really. We will be left in the dust if we don't adjust, and quickly. Mind you, with all our young women playing in US colleges, you'd think Pellerud's style would be the foreign one.

I feel we need to play a 4-4-2, or a 4-5-1, something that allows structural cohesion, the ability to explode down the wings, and the ability to play a possession game. Our women are fit; just imagine how effectively they could shut down the oppositions midfield with a more traditional formation.

[CoachRich]

quote:Originally posted by jpg75

I think the problem is it's a former Men's Team player making the criticism, and his criticism is of the coach, not the players.

Her comments don't stop at hitting back at De Vos, she's lashing out at Men's Team with those comments and none of those players have ever said anything negative to her or her teammates (publicly).

There is some past history here -

1. Linford statement about the Men's Program being the only program.

2. The WNT speaking out publicly out about the $150K funding last season from the CSA. They get no where & have to lobby Sports Canada, COC & others to make up the rest of their $1M budget. Same for this season.

3. The WNT speaking out publicly about the lack of home games....2+ years to get a home game.

4. WNT not getting the qualifier in Canada.

5. Globe & Mail, May 29/08 - "De Guzman says the CSA would rather hedge its bets on the continued success of the women's national team, which has appeared in four consecutive FIFA Women's World Cup tournament since 1995, than take a risk on the men, who have not qualified for the World Cup since 1986.

“The women qualify for every World Cup that there is and I think the CSA feels it is a much safer investment for them to support the women,” de Guzman said."

----

"To qualify for the World Cup, De Rosario says the men's team will need the lion's share of the CSA's budget. But without increased support, he knows talent will take the men's team only so far."

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080529.soccer-can30/GSStory/GlobeSportsSoccer/home

[The Ref]

CoachRich

I was just wondering how long it was going to take for you to make it all about money. Their failure was their former coach Pellerud and la vida Pellerud they carried on. If you truly believe that had they had 10-20 million dollars that they would have won the WC and the Olympics, you know nothing.

[Gian-Luca]

quote:Originally posted by CoachRich

There is some past history here -

1. Linford statement about the Men's Program being the only program.

2. The WNT speaking out publicly out about the $150K funding last season from the CSA. They get no where & have to lobby Sports Canada, COC & others to make up the rest of their $1M budget. Same for this season.

3. The WNT speaking out publicly about the lack of home games....2+ years to get a home game.

4. WNT not getting the qualifier in Canada.

5. Globe & Mail, May 29/08 - "De Guzman says the CSA would rather hedge its bets on the continued success of the women's national team, which has appeared in four consecutive FIFA Women's World Cup tournament since 1995, than take a risk on the men, who have not qualified for the World Cup since 1986.

“The women qualify for every World Cup that there is and I think the CSA feels it is a much safer investment for them to support the women,” de Guzman said."

----

"To qualify for the World Cup, De Rosario says the men's team will need the lion's share of the CSA's budget. But without increased support, he knows talent will take the men's team only so far."

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080529.soccer-can30/GSStory/GlobeSportsSoccer/home

While I don't necessarily agree with those comments from De Guzman & De Rosario they are squarely aimed at CSA, not the women's team, and not in any way an excuse for what are some disappointingly childish comments from the leader & captain of the women's team.