Soundoff: What Next for Your National Team?

July 26th, 2010 | by: Daryl |

tulips The World Cup is oh-ver, but international football continues. There’s the Asian Cup, Copa America, Africa Cup of Nations, Euros and then – before we know it – qualification for World Cup 2014 will begin. Maybe more importantly (at least for the purposes of this post) is that the immediate post-World Cup period is usually a time for change and rebirth.

International stalwart names like Thierry Henry, Fabio Cannavaro and Gio van Bronckhorst have all hung up their national team boots to make space in the changing room for new names. There’s a changing of the coaching guard too with Raymond Domenech, Marcello Lippi, Dunga and many many more moving on. The post-World Cup period is like spring, except it comes right after summer.

So here’s my question: What’s next for your national team?

Do you want a new coach? If so, who? Do you already have a new coach? Or is your old coach staying? If so, what do you want to see from them? Do you want a change in playing style? (Looking at you Dutch fans, Brazil fans.) Which new players do you want to see wearing the national team jersey?

I’m an England fan. Fabio Capello is staying on as manager and I’m OK with that. But I want to see a gradual phasing out of the old guard like John Terry and Steven Gerrard and an infusion of younger faster and fresher players like Theo Walcott and Gabby Agbonlahor. I want to see a little more flair and a little less ball in the air.

So, please share your hopes for your national team by letting us know:

1. Who is your team?
2. Keep the manager or replace him? (if replace, who with?)
3. What changes would you like to see on the pitch?

Tags: Soundoff, World Cup 2010

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So Cal. Southern Dutchman

1. Oranje
2. Keep
3. Just replace the voids being the left by the older player retiring.. As the saying goes; out with the old, in with the new and improved...

Hup Oranje Hup in 2012, 2014 and beyond..!!!
VictorPY

1. Paraguay
2. Delighted Martino is staying on for the Copa America and will more than likely continue through the next World Cup.
3. We are deficient in play-making and ball possession. Martino has tried to improve this, but in this World Cup we have seen more of the same than in previous editions. Martino has said he wants to change this, but it will be difficult without a truly creative midfielder. Cabanas played this role during the qualifiers, and Santa Cruz also attempted this role by playing out of position. Still, Spain made past us by the skin of their teeth and I think we are title candidates for the upcoming Copa America.
H_e_l_l_o

Japan will meet Paraguay in Copa America Final!
Jake Gold Lion Westergaard

1. Germany
2. Löw is staying and i am delighted with that
3. I am very pleased with the progression of the DFB. The right youngsters are coming through at the right times, and no established players are not being shown too much respect by not having to work for their spots. the only change i really want to see on the pitch is that Mario Gomez never be allowed within 11.4 km of his international teammates. does anybody in England want him? actually he is probably more suited for the Myanmar leagues
Stuart

"only change i really want to see on the pitch is that Mario Gomez never be allowed within 11.4 km of his international teammates. does anybody in England want him? actually he is probably more suited for the Myanmar leagues"

ROFLMAO!
Sean Finnegan

1. USA.

2. Keep Bob Bradley unless Jurgen Klinsmann is available and announces that he wants the job. Bradley has instilled an emotional, aggressive, winning attitude and style of play - he has found a way to integrate the natural athleticism and physicality of Americans into a very solid and formidable style of play that is attack oriented. The next step is establishing a mental strength and a defensive competence, which the lack thereof in the World Cup cost the USA dearly - we can not continually concede early goals and expect to win.

3. I'd start seeing whether or not Landon Donovan can play more of a dynamic playmaker role - by the time the next world cup rolls around he'll be 32, which means his pace and athleticism will have decreased. I like to see more Hercules Gomez, Stuart Holden, and Benny Feilhaber and of course Michael Bradley will be a key component in the next tournament.
Aidan

1. England
2. Capello stays.
3. The team needs a bit of an overhaul in personnel and attitude. Some are too old and a bit slow, but there is a lack of quality replacements coming through. There are a few good young 'uns though, and they need to be given an opportunity. The likes of Young, Agbonlahor, Milner, Johnson, Dawson, Hart need to be given a few games in England colours to show what they can do rather than sporadic opportunities and then being discarded of they don't do the business in their 20 minute cameo appearance.
brentonwalters

Here's some shitty info: your two replacements for Ashley Cole are Stephen Warnock and Leighton Baines. Warnock has one cap at 28, Baines is 25 and has two.
Aidan

True about those two, but no real need to replace Ashley Cole just yet - he's by far the best left-back available.

But neither Warnock or Baines will be the replacement for Cole when he finished - by the time he does need to be replaced far more likely than Warnock or Baines is Kieron Gibbs of Arsenal who will most likely have developed more by then.

Had Gibbs not been injured late last season it would have been him rather than Baines or Warnock that would have been in the World Cup squad (after Bridge ruled himself out). Warnock/Baines only got a look in firstly because Bridge was not going, and secondly because Gibbs was injured. Can't see that changing.
Aidan

1. Japan
2. A new coach is a definite since Takeshi Okada finished after the World Cup to become a farmer! (yes, really). No real word on who will replace him yet, but there's been lots of speculation about Marcelo Bielsa or Jose Peckerman, but general consensus over on the Japan blog would prefer someone with at least Japanese connections, possibly Kashima Antlers (3 times champions and top of the leaguea s we speak) boss Oswaldo de Oliveira, who is Brazilian but knows Japanese football inside out.
3. A few of the older players will be gone, but the squad is largely quite youthful with star man Keisuke Honda just 23. The team should be built around his talents at the moment. The defensive style of the World Cup will probably disappear for now as Japan's focus shifts to the Asian Cup which is in January in Qatar. Japan are obviously one of the favourites and so a more attacking style will be necessary against Asian opposition.