Just three months after signing a contract extension through to the 2030 World Cup, Mauricio Pochettino has answered Manchester United‘s distress call.
The Red Devils have won just one of their 10 Premier League matches so far this season, going into the current international break languishing in the relegation zone.
It’s the owners and those in the boardroom taking the flak from supporters, but Michael Carrick has paid with his job, and Pochettino has been swiftly sounded out as his replacement.
But beyond the Man Utd headlines, there is a nation looking to pick up the pieces after their plans for the next international cycle were thrown into disarray.
Pochettino will remain in charge of the United States for the Concacaf Nations League double-header against Haiti, before arriving at Carrington to begin the unenviable task of dragging the 20-time English champions back to relevance.
But what about the job he’s leaving behind?
Was Mauricio Pochettino a success or failure with the United States?
Pochettino was hired in autumn 2024 following a rocky period in which they exited the 2022 World Cup disappointingly at the Round of 16 stage and failed to make the biennial Concacaf Gold Cup final for the first time since 2015 — only making the semi-finals in 2023.
The Argentine was brought in with the explicit remit of making the USMNT competitive for the 2026 World Cup on home soil, developing and adding to the talented group of players that had been coming together in recent years.
From a talent development perspective, there’s no doubt that Pochettino has given a lot to the United States. The former Spurs manager handed at least one cap to 75 players during his reign, while at the World Cup, he took 11 players aged 25 or younger.
Perhaps most importantly, moving forward, Pochettino gave debuts to a host of incredible teenage talents who have the potential to usher in a new era for the Stars and Stripes, including Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall, Neil Pierre and Mathis Albert.
On the pitch, however, it was a mixed bag. Pochettino’s first taste of competitive action saw the USMNT lose 1-0 to a last-minute goal in their Concacaf Nations League semi-final against Panama in Inglewood. His side then went on to lose 2-1 against Canada in the third-place playoff in a competition they’d won the only three previous editions of.
There was a distinct lack of attacking cohesion in the USA’s performances, alongside unforgivable defensive lapses, and it was clear that Pochettino had work to do.
Another two defeats against Turkey and Switzerland — the latter 4-0 — in friendlies followed, before the United States finally kicked into gear. A five-match winning run saw them reach the Gold Cup final before losing 2-1 to Mexico, while friendly wins against the likes of Japan and Uruguay — the latter 5-1 — in the following months built optimism.
That optimism was tempered as Belgium, Portugal and Germany all beat the USMNT in the lead-up to the World Cup, but they started the tournament well by seeing off Paraguay 4-1 and Australia 2-0. A rotated side even gave Turkey a serious run, losing 3-2 in a thoroughly entertaining game.
Beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in the Round of 32 represented their first World Cup knockout win since 2002, but only served to set up a 4-1 thrashing by Belgium in Seattle that was, frankly, an embarrassment.
That said, Pochettino wasn’t helped by the political storm around Folarin Balogun‘s red card against Bosnia. What’s more, their 11 goals scored dwarfed their previous World Cup record of seven, set in their 1930 run to third place and matched in 2002, and it was also the first time they’d won three matches at an individual World Cup tournament.
What next for the United States?
It feels like Pochettino is leaving a job unfinished, and for that, he’s taken a fair amount of criticism from supporters.
To his credit, the manager was extremely emotional explaining his decision at a recent press conference, breaking down in tears.
“It’s difficult to talk now,” he said. “I’m a very emotional guy. It’s a very sad decision. But we are professionals, and we are trying to make our dreams come true.”
Asked about his U-turn just months after signing a new deal with the US, Pochettino said: “I never said I wanted to go back, but they know there aren’t too many opportunities that happen in your career like Manchester United. When it arrives, it’s difficult to turn down.”
What Pochettino’s appointment has certainly done is increase expectations about the calibre of manager who should be in the role.
His initial arrival was met with a wave of excitement throughout the fanbase thanks to his achievements in Europe, not least guiding Tottenham to the 2019 Champions League final.
U23 boss and former LAFC manager Steve Cherundolo will take over on an interim basis once the Haiti double-header concludes. The search will then be on for a new man to lead the way to 2030.
The Federation has banked around £7.4m in compensation for Pochettino’s departure to Man Utd, and already, the likes of Pep Guardiola, Julian Nagelsmann and Thierry Henry have been linked with the role. But alongside those giants, Cherundolo will feel like he is now getting an audition, while there is Real Sociedad‘s Copa del Rey-winning American manager Pellegrino Matarazzo to consider.
Does the US Soccer Federation return to its modus operandi of hiring American coaches from Major League Soccer, or does it once again attempt to attract an elite manager from European football, despite the flight risks that come with it?