I’ve done some reading on Berhalter since you brought him up.
He is clearly a system guy and it works but it also requires time to implement and it takes players time to learn it: can be half a season to pick it up.
Her e is my concern. A national team coach just doesn’t get that much time to implement a system.
Can Berhalter simplify it for the national team enough that they can pick it up in the limited amount of time they spend together and, if so, will a simplified version still be effective?
I understand where that concern comes from, but I think that there is ample time to implement a system over the next 4 years -- especially because I think our talent fits what Berhalter likes to do very well.
I think you will agree with me on this one, but Marcello Lippi had one of the greatest coaching performances in 2006 of any soccer coach in recent times. It took him ~2 years to implement a system that had Pirlo and Totti playing well together with Gattuso protecting them and an stout defense that stopped leaking goals like they did in Euros 2 years earlier. He obviously implemented a "system". I think you can argue the same about Low in '14 and Del Bosque in '10. So, I am not sure implementing a system is impossible -- it's really just how a team adapts to a coach's style and whether the personnel fit the way the coach wants to play.
What I like about Berhalter is that he figures out how to play through a talented attacking midfielder/winger. We have seen him do this with both Meram and Higuain. I think he'll have similar success trying it out with Pulisic and potentially Weah (depending on where he settles playing as he matures).
He's taken athletic forwards with average skill and has been able to have them play off his AMs using smart, but simple off the ball movement to create space and scoring opportunities. I think guys like Altidore and Sargent would excel in this style.
His defense is a little like his playing career. Consistently undermanned, but usually well organized enough to prevent disasters. He also has a speedy back -- Harrison Afful -- who he lets get forward and be dangerous similar to what we like to see Yedlin do.
Finally, he's been wonderful in developing Will Trapp. Now, I don't think Trapp is the future captain of the national team like some writers think he is, but when you watch him play for his club team, he's a little like Adams on the Red Bulls. He's just constantly being disruptive defensively, playing the smart ball in possession, in a position to cover a teammate and disrupt a counter, etc. We currently have a few players that will fit into that role well and with Trapp's development I feel very positively about Berhalter's ability to bring them along with the national team.
My biggest concern about Berhalter is the development of Steffen. We all know what Zack can do as a shot stopper. He's always been excellent doing that. But, in league play, Zack is constantly poor in possession, so much so that it costs his team points and goals somewhat regularly (for goalie errors). But the Crew still constantly use him as a method to try to play out of the back or as a soft safety valve under pressure when he clearly doesn't have the skill or long ball distribution to play that role. I'm actually surprised that Berhalter hasn't figured out how to surpass him at all costs during possession.
Anyway, I'm on record. I am not all in on Berhalter (because I think there are a few options out there that we can be successful with), but if Greg is our next coach I am going on record that we have the personnel to be very successful.
I'll be back to eat crow if (when?) I'm wrong (again?).
