Originally Posted by
jloome
Absolutely fractured power dynamic. Overpaid players with egos, a father son manager/captain who are equally self-confident and utterly inflexible, a front office not really paying attention.
That Jimenez interview was telling. It just fell apart more each week as each party tried to dig in and ignore the other. The players were trying to get Bob to bend to their will tactically, and he was trying to imprint absolute authority.
Bob was the kind of manager who tells you you can't vape in the dressing room and gives you one strike before a fine.
I suspect Herdman is the type who would start by asking why you vape there, before discussing whether or not it's a good idea.
They're two senior players; even if they weren't egotistical and with previous success, they would probably take umbrage to "my way or the highway" hard-ass, Bruce Arena school of coaching. Heath Pierce and other former Bob players have talked about the fact that he could be so stern and demanding he'd just burn guys out.
So imagine you're an Italian Nat coming of a European championship. Suddenly, a guy whose biggest job on his CV was getting fired at Swansea after 19 games is barking in your face.
He wanted MMA fighters, they're karate masters. He wanted high-energy pressure, chaos in the box to score from the most dangerous spots. They're coming from synchronized offences that patiently wait until a defender makes a small mistake.
It was just a recipe for disaster. Then, into that blender, throw their teammate and captain being his son, and the complete absence of trust that would engender.
Yikes.
