It's hard out there for a pimp

Best, I thought, to get the subject line out the way right now, before it gets played out altogether. But what can I shoehorn in to this post to match it?

I could complain about how after I did all my weekend work, I messed up the recording and didn't get to watch the Wednesday games after all. But really, I can't complain because it was my fault, and anyway I'm guessing it's really harder to be Jurgen Klinsmann.

Jurgen's no pimp (one trusts), but he has had a rough week. After seeing his German team get mauled in their midweek friendly with Italy, there was talk of a government inquiry into his tactics. (That is to say, the government of the country, not the football federation.) Today it was announced that Klinsmann has the support of the Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, although Schaeuble's remark that he doesn't "see any point in changing horses in the middle of a race" hardly seems like a ringing endorsement.

Additionally, Klinsmann is being criticized by Franz Beckenbauer for not attending a World Cup coaches workshop. This workshops sounds to me like the international soccer equivalent of one of those pointless work meetings in which nothing important is said, so I can't blame him for going back to Cali, but Franz says it's a big deal.

A lot of the Klinsmann criticism has always come down to the fact that he basically telecommutes from California. This criticism seems silly to me; as long as he's watching the Bundesliga matches regularly, there's really no need to spend the whole time there, when the only thing there will be for him to do is to answer silly questions about meaningless friendlies. But bearing in mind how skittish the host nation is about their chances, maybe it would be politic for Klinsmann to work back in Germany more often.

But don't worry about your Cup chances, Germany! Like Baldrick, Klinsmann has a cunning plan....

UPDATE: It's not really relevant to his situation, but the Guardian gives us a fun glimpse into Klinsmann's political leanings: he drives a VW Beetle and votes for the Green party! An anti-Paolo di Canio, if you will.