Players React to News Bruce Arena Could Be Next Galaxy Coach

After speaking with the Galaxy's Landon Donovan and Greg Vanney about Bruce Arena tonight it's clear Arena is perceived very differently by the players he coaches than the public face fans and the media see.

Here's what the pair, who have both played extensively for Arena as members of the national team, had to say about him taking the Galaxy helm. (Rumors were swirling in the Home Depot Center corridors Thursday night that Arena has already signed a contract with the Galaxy).

Donovan:

"In my opinion Bruce is a great coach. I have a lot of respect for Bruce. I always hold a place in my heart for Bruce because he gave me my first chance with the national team at a time when he didn't really have to. So I think there's always been mutual respect there.

"He manages games, he manages situations, he manages teams, he manages administration, he's always ahead of the curve, he always knows what's coming next, what to expect, so you never worry about that from a preparation standpoint - you're always prepared. Bruce is as hard-working and dedicated to what he does as anybody I've ever met and he takes pride in it. ... He has everyone's respect always. ... You didn't always have to like his decisions, but you respected them and that's not always the case with coaches.

"You guys probably see a different Bruce than I've always seen. He's always been very respectful of me and vice versa. If he's been critical at times (of me), he's usually right."

Vanney:

He's going to bring experience and experience in this league. He knows the players, he knows the league. He's managed at the highest level so hopefully he'll bring some expectations, some experience, everything he's learned from the day this league started to now. And we need a little bit of that. Maybe the previous coach didn't know a lot about this league. .. I think he'll be stepping into a job where his skill sets, his knowledge and his coaching ability should probably be felt pretty quickly.

"Potentially he's a stabilizing figure and again given his experience and stature he comes in and he immediately garners a certain amount of respect.

"He was a player's manager. He would stick up for his players. And he would work with his players. ... He was just a guy people genuinely liked to play for. He was a good manager. I don't know if that's something he slipped away from in some of those latter stages with the Red Bulls and in the (2006) World Cup.

"He likes to play with the media. I think it's a mind game with him. ... He doesn't necessarily enjoy the media game, it's fun for him to do that kind of thing. He doesn't bring that sarcasm and that approach to the training field. He's very straight forward and cut and dried, very respectful of the players and the players' position and the work they're doing. ... His (training) sessions are usually short, sharp and to the point, very competitive. He's a good defensive coach, which will be good for us in terms of working our back four and getting our team defending on the same page and that was one of the highlights, I think, of the early D.C. teams. People obviously recognized the Etcheverry's and Moreno's, but they were a great defensive team in terms of team pressure and being on the same page and I think that's something we desperately could use.

"He's respectful and he's fair. Bruce does not have a problem telling you like it is and he's not going to tell you just what you want to hear, but that's all we ask as players that you're 100 percent honest with us.

"Bruce in the past hasn't been a West Coast guy. He's always tried to keep the national team away from the West Coast. ... This isn't really his lifestyle. I don't even know if he knows what guacamole is."