Mauricio Pochettino was unveiled as the new USA head coach on Monday evening and was asked by Gary Neville how it compared to taking the hotseat at Chelsea and PSG
Gary Neville has caught up with Mauricio Pochettino, the newly appointed coach of the United States Men’s National Team for a candid chat on his new podcast “It’s Called Soccer” alongside Jamie Carragher.
During their sit-down, Pochettino shared his thoughts on the warm reception at his unveiling. He immediately spotted a difference compared to his previous roles after turning his back on club football after most recently managing Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
“I think it was really positive, it was so nice. I feel a very warm welcome,” he said. “Yes, I think [the press conference] was completely different than at my last few jobs.”
Before taking the helm of the United States, the 51-year-old Pochettino had an eventful career, managing teams like Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, and Chelsea. His last stint was with Chelsea in the 2023-24 season, where he led a young but expensive squad to finish strong with five consecutive league wins, securing sixth place.
Pochettino’s tenure at Tottenham from 2014 to 2019 was marked by significant achievements, including guiding the team to its highest Premier League points total and its first Champions League final appearance.
Taking charge of the USA represents Pochettino’s first venture into national team management, presenting unique challenges such as a different schedule, no transfer activities, limited training opportunities, and the intense summer heat of America.
“It’s like your first day in the school,” he shared with Neville. “Because we [have] never worked in the national team, I think it’s going to be the most difficult…You accept you are going to be with the players a few days and then (wipes hands).”
Neville was full of praise for Pochettino’s typically daring style of play and questioned how he plans to implement this with the United States.
“It will be a challenge in a tactical point of view, because we need to adapt and be flexible with the characteristics we [have],” he explained. “We are going to be protagonists and when we don’t have the ball we are going to press so high. And the effort is going to need to be there.”
Pochettino expressed his satisfaction that “we are going to have time to prepare for the World Cup,” which will be hosted in the United States in 2026.
“I thought it was a perfect fit for both,” Carragher commented on the “It’s Called Soccer” podcast. “It might be one of those [new jobs] where you think, ‘I kind of want to come a little bit out of the fire’ a little bit.”
Carragher added: “I only see him doing two years, to be totally honest. If those two years culminate in World Cup progress, most American fans will be satisfied.”
