USMNT's winners and losers after Mauricio Pochettino hire | Pro Soccer Talk | NBC Sports

okay Nick and Andy the huge news around the US Men's National Team this week of course is that maritzio pochettino is the new head coach of the US men's team he's got a contract through the end of the 2026 World Cup on home saw we all know that's the big project the big hope the big aim for pochettino to do well at that tournament and now he's got two years in the runup to that to get it right and yeah some of his comments was pretty exciting um I think we look through it Nick and Andy it's it's quite interesting how much he has already been studying and watching the growth and development of US soccer close I just want to read out his comments on taking the job and he said the decision to join us soccer wasn't just about football for me it's about the journey that this team and this country are on the energy the passion the hunger to achieve something truly historic here and those are the things that inspired me the opportunity to lead the usmnt in front of fans who are just as passionate as the players is something I couldn't pass up I see a group of players full of talent and potential and together we're going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of Nick what do you think what do you make of that oh man what do I make of it I don't know I he could have literally it's great let me say that so I don't mean to dismiss anybody's enthusiasm because I'm enthusiastic but he could have come out and said hi I'm Mauricio pochettino I'm the new manager of the national team let's get going period end quote and I would have been like let's go so uh you know I'm just I'm excited on the whole and so when you hear someone who who has been paying attention to the team or at least to the landscape around here to some degree it does feel which is nice for us as a as a nation as a Soccer Nation it doesn't just feel like lip service but to me he again he he could have said anything uh this is something I'm just terribly excited about Andy do you EO those views mate yeah he's a he's a romantic about football and having you know a fan of a team that he managed for for quite a while you you hear the way that he talks about the game and the sport um and winning W winning is the thing that that that means the most to Macio pochettino and and I know he's not done maybe a ton of that uh as a manager at the club level obviously he had some success with PSG uh but but he loves the game in a way that I don't not to say that Greg berhalter didn't not to say that Jurgen Clansman didn't um but he loves it differently I think than anybody that we've had in that chair before now I don't know how much that's going to matter for results on the field uh I I think the impact of the manager at the international level is is probably overstated just a little bit and it's true the US probably now has one of the what three four five best managers in the international game at the moment I think it'll matter a little bit uh on the edges uh if you will where you know maybe there's a moment um and and and he can bring that belief back uh to the team I I think is the number one most important thing that he can do now it's not about the style it's not about the way they play it's about giving them confidence um and and a little bit of they need some Cockiness I I I think to go out there and play with uh to be as good as this generation of players can potentially be and almost to feel uneasy right the the main note that we've taken from a lot of the players after Bill halter was fired was that yeah things were a bit too comfortable and we need someone to push us and make us feel uncomfortable to reach the s we hope and we kind of know that we can reach individually and as a team as we enter our Prime so it does seem like the kind of perfect fit a really crucial time for this group and US soccer as a whole heading towards this 2026 World Cup and the view from over here in England is that how on Earth have they pulled this off and I think it's it's kind of around the rest of the world it is a great job it's it's a job that you most coaches want to take but I think everyone around the world is now set up and take notice like okay you Men's National Team they mean business now ahead of this World Cup on home s this is this a different feel and I think different kind of almost respect level internationally that they're going to do this thing right and Nick you want to jump in one more point then I I do I mean I think this is the perfect storm it it's 20 21 months and no one like Mauricio portino was going to take this job for 23 months I mean that that's obviously I'm being a little bit exaggerated there but this is the perfect window to get someone like that and I I don't disagree with what Andy's saying philosophically everything he says about the international game is right but what's been missing for me is um is a game by game approach is a real meaningful we might out Fox the other manager we might have and more importantly we may now have a proper understanding a proper philosophy a proper mindset about where this country is because not this country but this generation is because it's fantastic talent wise but it has so much work to do and while I do want there to be more arrogance more Cockiness I would rather say I'd like them to be Brash and I'd like them to be humble as well I'd like them to understand the game and not that because they won a Nations League that they're going to go win a World Cup now that they've completely you know closed the gap between these major Nations and I think there's I hate saying this because Andy's going to not roll his eyes but he's going to feel like oh no uh they need he needs to look at the United States like Spurs were looked at 10 years ago right in in comparison to the rest of the Premier League we have to we we have the talent to hang in every game but can we maximize that talent and approach the game with respect and humility for where we stand in it no exactly the great point there I think that's what this is all about this this appointment is okay when you get to the World Cup last 16 or quarterfinals hopefully or further hope hopefully how do you get past that and pochettino I think thrives being the underdog and his work that he did at Southampton at Tottenham um and that kind of mentality that oh we're gonna prove you wrong we're gonna run through brick walls and we're gonna you know find a way like he did against Man City and Pep Guardiola over and over the the years and those kind of tournament situations in the Champions League Etc he somehow Andy right can find that extra few percentages or just make the big boys feel uncomfortable and that they're coming for them yeah he he's great at punching up if you will you know we we we kind of we take away from from teams or players or coaches that that you know that beat the Lesser teams he's always traditionally maybe struggled a little bit with those and done well against some of the big boys teams that you wouldn't expect them to go on and beat and and it is the mentality he's poach as a manager kind of a mentality monster we talk about that with players sometimes who are just really smart and and and hard workers and just committed to the C and understand the game and read it and everything we talk about all these kind of you know things that you intangible things that you can't really point to and and say well that's that happening right there that's kind of what he specializes in it does feel like uh to kind of go back to your point from earlier Joe as as uh how he fits with this group of players and what's needed at the time it is all about the mental game the more that we sit here and talk I listen to you Joe I listen to you Nick it's the mental things that have been uh the the most Salient points that you guys have made but it's also the thing that has popped up time and time again for this team and I think bitten them and and it's certainly what we saw at Copa America we saw uh a mental weakness for Tim WEA to do what he did and then we saw mental weakness I think from the rest of the team for the next game and a half to really just kind of pack it in and accept what was going to happen to them at the tournament and that's not what we're here for from this generation and so if anybody can take them to that next level mentally um and and toughen them up and make them I know if they need to be made to believe because I think they believe I think they've been told long enough that they're good enough and that they can do this but somebody that's going to push them to actually do it I don't think that was Greg berhalter no and now Maro poino is in charge let's kind of focus on the big winners and losers from a playing perspective Nick there's a few players I feel like will really suit his style and and just be pochettino's cup te and it'll love working with them and there's a few other players you think H maybe they won't have that big of a role on his team as they have done previously I've listed a few names and um I think I'll run through a couple Tim ree I think may you know we may have just seen sort of the end of his national team career um he's a great player great veteran to have around but I think there are now likes of Chris Richards Carter vickas good center backs coming through where maybe he'll be in squads just to help out um the transition almost between coaches but I I think we saw in some of the mistakes recently maybe the winding down of his International CR we all love Tim R great guy great player wonderful servant to US soccer over the years um and and I also think Tim weer you mentioned him there andy um unbelievable talent but when you look at pochettino's teams over the years he never really has had like out andout Wingers like weer um he likes to have players cutting inside um getting involved in the play that way fullbacks pushing on and I'm just not sure if we really fits the plan and this is a loose one because I know he's going to be the main man but I I'm actually a bit concerned about Christian PSC and how he fits into a pochettino team and style because if I I look at the players and The Playmakers he's kind of worked with Adam Lana did great for him at Southampton Deli Alli and Christian Erikson in slightly different roles great at Tottenham even recently at Chelsea the evolution and the rise of Cole Palmer pochettino played a huge role in that but kind of slightly different players than pulisi it feels to me and I just don't know if it'll be like we'll be having a discussion every camp or every round of international games like ah how's he gonna get the best out of P where's the best position for him I feel like we've been having that conversation a lot but we might be having it a lot more under pochettino Nick I can already see you shaking your head so I don't think you agree on the politic Point um he's a great player but I just have a slight concern about the style fit for him under pochettino so what about you mate who do you think are going to be some of the players who might be on the outside looking in on the PCH yeah I mean I think you're you're potentially right on ream but that writing may have been on the wall based on just the mistakes he made in general um the center back and the center forward pool are the most interesting ones to me that's not to say the Fuller and balagan is going to be on the outs or um or that any any other player is going to be on the outs but I just think when a new manager comes in and the position isn't solidified other than potential so this goes for Chris Richards or Cam Carter Vickers whoever it comes about who you can trust and when you're gearing up as quickly as he's going to have to gear up there's going to become a guy that he's going to have his own and I say this in no way to try and you know blight former players or whatever but he's going to have his what Greg berhalter had with Jesus Ferrera or with Ricardo pepy where it's like I this guy's done it for me so you know I know Wrights having a better time of it right now with the club but I just I I see something here yeah and that so I mean I don't have any worry about pulisic style-wise a little bit maybe but he'll figure it out he's a competitor he's the guy you want leading that mentality change even as you mentioned talked about it I don't if worries about you know Anthony Robinson or that that he'll sort out centrer Midfield because he had so many people but if I'm a center back or a center forward right now I'm thinking I could become the starter at the World Cup or I could be out of this thing in a couple months yeah great point right Andy I mean when we look at the big winners from potina coming in I think K ofas is going to be one of the big winners in terms of he's someone that pochettino raved about coming through the academy at Tottenham gave him his opportunity in the professional game didn't quite work out but he had Yan vuong and Toby alavar out ahead of him for many years at Tottenham so there kind of this PA was blocked there but I think he's someone who's going to fit poino style perfectly um Weston McKenna as well I just see that kind of all action heart on the sleeve Central midfielder bombing on from Midfield someone kind of similar I know it kind of reminds me like Musa dembele and that role he had for Tottenham and sort of the destructive can get on the ball and make things happen um and then I have Gio Raina but I know he's got an injury right now but I feel like when we talked about Christian Erikson um and that kind of mold and poch loves those players who can I'm not going to say drift through a game and then make something happen but I just they have that extra quality and he's okay with having nine other guys who are working their socks off it there's that extra bit of quality that one could provide and I think Gio this could be kind of a pathway back in for him given some of those other silky Playmakers I talked about Deli Alli Erikson Lana Palmer that he's had in his teams over the years and he's willing to kind of find a role for them somewhere man I feel like we all could use a fresh start with the US Men's National Team right about now right but I probably nobody more so than Gio Raina there it's in hindsight bit strange that Greg berhalter was was back in as coach of the team with him on the team after everything that played out following the World Cup um you know that's just fact of life around us soccer I I I guess so yeah bringing pochettino bringing anybody else in uh going to be kind of a new lease on life I think for Raina and it and it is that kind of um the aggressive attacking number eight spot that I really want to see him settle into long long term uh for the national team because I mean we've seen him enough on the wings and uh one where pisc wants to play uh and two I just don't think he's uh he's not a One V one player and you're spending a lot of time going One V one against the fullbacks out there and and he struggles with that a little bit and so when he's in the middle he's one of the smartest players at reading the game that we have in the National Pool he's certainly one of the most creative and he's one of the most audacious one of the most confident uh type of players that maybe will have a hit from long range and there was a couple instances in the game uh over the weekend or this week against New Zealand where Unice Musa let a couple shots go from and I thought well until the US gets a reliable number n or even a number 10 who's going to create a lot of scoring chances I think they could do with someone who's going to have some shots from that range to pull the defense out just a little bit create a little bit more space because teams right now not respecting us whatsoever defens and then they're just sitting in deep and saying you can have the ball pass it around and and and we don't think you can break us down Gio is probably that player in the pool who in the right rule in the right role I I I think can can impact games in that way so fingers crossed for Fitness fingers crossed for health and fingers crossed that when he meets pochettino they get on really well that would be great and I think to wrap this up other big Winners like Nick mentioned is the fullbacks they are so important in the way Postino wants to play and Anthony Robertson seems like a perfect fit and when he is fit Serino d as well that that seems to be absolutely perfect perfect fits for the way poch wants to play all right in terms of when he does play head of the pro soccer talk MBC sports.com will keep you updated his first games as usmnt manager is coming up against Panama at home in October and then away against Mexico so couple of big games for Postino to get things kicked off cannot wait to see how this all unfolds and the early signs are very exciting to the US Men's National Team under pochettino hi there I'm Rebecca Lo Studio host of NBC's coverage of the Premier League don't forget to hit subscribe to watch more videos all season long and if you want even more Premier League content from original series to live matches head over to Peacock