Jurgen Klinsmann isn't getting fired for losing to Mexico. He won't get fired before his contract expires, unless he fails to qualify for the World Cup. U.S. Soccer owes him millions of dollars and they don't want to pay him and another coach at the same time.
That's fine. He's not any more or less successful than the last two USMNT coaches and he's done a solid job with his duties outside of being the senior head coach. But despite this, he makes USMNT fans really, really mad.
So why do so many people want this seemingly adequate, if unspectacular coach to get fired?
It's because of the absolutely absurd things that come out of his mouth. American soccer fans have listened to a steady stream of trash for four years, and they're really tired of it. Here's a selection of reactions to his press conference after Saturday's Mexico loss, including my own.
So, like, make a sub? https://t.co/GPc9lvVczZ
— Kevin McCauley (@kevinmccauley) October 11, 2015
This is fireable. https://t.co/wKHmzQuO5v
— Andy Glockner (@AndyGlockner) October 11, 2015
The guy is a con man. https://t.co/wCeyctqFnH
— Chase Woodruff (@dcwoodruff) October 11, 2015
This is very Brendan Rodgers like for Jurgen https://t.co/O5Zum7WQK9
— Mohamed Mohamed (@MoeSquare) October 11, 2015
Jurgen Klinsmann: "I felt the game was very even." pic.twitter.com/xYhGF4yX2D
— Trevor Hayward (@HeyHayward) October 11, 2015
Which game? https://t.co/e1uOpi3Grb
— Nick Rogers ⚽️ (@_NickRogers_) October 11, 2015
No, I know, but what if you don't do either thing? https://t.co/vNPZtZzoxt
— Pablo Maurer (@MLSist) October 11, 2015
1. Klinsmann "innovates" 2. US gets 4th in Gold Cup 3. Klinsmann goes with old guns 4. US loses to Mexico 5. Klinsmann blames referees
— Andrew Helms (@andrew_helms) October 11, 2015
I need Jurgen Klinsmann to educate me on this one. (After all, I'm an American so I don't understand soccer, right?) https://t.co/ztHDTGyu3p
— Caitlin Murray (@caitlinmurr) October 11, 2015
His presser after the USMNT lost to Jamaica in the Gold Cup was probably worse. He said that his team did well to get through the group (!?!?!??!!), that this is all a process and that they'd learn lessons from the experience. What lessons they were supposed to learn when he blames the referees for the loss and insisted he wouldn't make dramatic changes ahead of the playoff against Mexico isn't clear.
More from our team sites
More from our team sites
And then there's the thing we always come back to: His introductory press conference. Here's what Klinsmann said about changing the USMNT's style of play and integrating a Latino influence.
"There's so much influence coming from the Latin environment over the last 15, 20 years that also has to be reflected in the U.S. national team. Soccer in a way reflects the culture of a country. Having studied the U.S. culture over the last 13 years, it's quite a challenge, because you have such a melting pot in this country. One of my challenges will be to find how a U.S. team should represent its country, what should be the style of play -- is it more of a proactive, forward-thinking style of play or is it more of a reacting style of play."
Of the 14 players used on Saturday, zero identify as Latino or are of Latino descent. The United States had 37 percent possession, had 445 passes to Mexico's 756 and completed 92 final-third passes to Mexico's 244. Good job with that Latin influence, buddy!
This is the problem with Klinsmann. Not necessarily the mediocre results or the boring play, but the consistency with which he talks out of his ass. He's had the team for four years and 76 games, they've made no progress towards playing the style he's talked about implementing, and yet he keeps talking about the "process." First-year coaches get to use the "process" excuse. When fourth-year coaches trot it out, there's some (well deserved) backlash. When they also outright lie about how well their team is playing and blame referees from previous games for bad results, fans bust out their torches and pitchforks.
Forget results, tactics and youth development for a second. For four years, Klinsmann has been saying things that are indisputably false. He says them over and over again even though no one believes him.
Four years is a long time to listen to a coach lie. It's grating. Bob Bradley and Bruce Arena had lots of flaws and none of Klinsmann's pedigree, but they said things like "we weren't good enough" and "we know we're not going to create many chances, but we have to finish the ones we get" once in a while, and we respected them for that.
Klinsmann is everything people hate about Arsène Wenger and everything people hate about José Mourinho rolled into one person. It's not clear if he's genuinely delusional or totally disingenuous. I'm not sure which one is worse, either. But I do know that we're stuck with the garbage that comes out of his mouth for three more years, for better or worse.