This is another in a series in which AJC reporter Doug Roberson will begin to look at Atlanta United’s possible player signings and coaching candidates ahead of their 2017 inaugural season in MLS.
You can follow Roberson for news about Atlanta United on twitter @DougRobersonAJC, and bookmark the paper's Atlanta United page.
Here is the series so far:
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As Atlanta United continues to build its roster with the additions of Chris McCann, and seem to be on the verge of signing Kenwyne Jones and Hector Villalba, attention is starting to turn to who will manage this under-construction squad.
I’ve laid out cases for Adrian Heath and David Moyes, but then this candidate popped into my head during a long drive yesterday. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made.
Of course, making sense of sports, as well as most things in life, can be unnecessarily difficult.
So, here are the pros and cons of …
Bob Bradley
Bradley is currently the manager of Le Havre, which is in France’s second division. Led by Bradley, the team just missed promotion to Ligue 1 last season. He signed a two-year contract in 2015.
I will say that I only think Bradley would come back to MLS, where he has managed Chicago, MetroStars and Chivas, if he is convinced that he’s never going to get a fair shot to manage a top division squad in one of Europe’s more prestigious leagues. Bradley doesn’t seem like the type of person who can be convinced that something won’t happen. He’s that resolute. However, the coaching carousel has once again stopped across the pond, and Bradley again finds himself not leading a team in England, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal or Italy despite success managing the U.S. men’s national team, the Egyptian men’s national team, Stabaek and Le Havre. His overall record is 273-175-94 (W-L-D).
Pros
Hiring a man who has coached two national teams, as well as numerous MLS teams, would bring instant respect in the locker room, credibility within the league and media exposure.
He would likely be able to help with targeting and recruiting players. (Would Michael Bradley come with him?)
He has a strong relationship with Atlanta United technical director Carlos Bocanegra. It was Bradley who tapped Bocanegra as captain of the USMNT.
He knows the intricacies of the MLS, even if the rules have changed since he last coached here in 2006.
He knows the challenges that come with playing in the U.S.: travel, weather, field conditions, time zones, etc.
He has tactical acumen and an identifiable style of play;
Cons
That counter-attacking, identifiable style of play that he used with the U.S. doesn’t seem to fit with what Atlanta United President Darren Eales says he wants. However, as Jason Davis said in our discussion on Sirius XM yesterday, everybody says they want to play attacking soccer. Few are able to pull it off.
What if Bradley were to be offered what would be considered a top-tier job in Europe in 2018? It would be hard to say no.
My biggest reservation about Bradley when he was national team coach was my belief that he became too locked-in with his roster choices, which hurt the development of younger, less-experienced players. No matter the opponent, type of game or situation, you knew exactly who was going to play. I’m not sure that is the best approach with an expansion team that will struggle to find an identity and build chemistry. Some (not a lot) experimentation may be needed. Again, that’s just my opinion.
I would be curious how much control Bradley would want over the roster. I don’t think this would be a huge issue because it’s obvious that he and Bocanegra have a strong relationship.
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