Ex-Chelsea coach, Mauricio Pochettino, is being linked with the USMNT job but does he have what it takes to please one of the stars of the team as he lays his demands bare for the 52-year-old Argentinian manager?
Tyler Adams, who currently plays for AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League, made the call as Team USA looks to select the figure to lead them into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted across North America.
But does he care about the style of play? No, it’s a personal quality he’s looking for in the next coach at international level as he calls for a strong leader with a “ruthless” spirit and assertiveness.
“For myself and the young team and kind of where we’re at,” Adams told Men In Blazers. “I think we need someone that’s almost a little bit ruthless coming in.
“And putting everyone in their place and understanding that, ‘Listen, this is what needs to be done and this is the way that we’re gonna do it.’
“There’s no really ifs, ands or buts, it’s not really a conversation, it has to be more of a decision that’s made and this is the way we’re gonna play.”
Why did Pochettino leave Chelsea?
The Athletic currently reports that the USMNT is in “advanced talks” with the ex-Chelsea boss, who also coached Tottenham Hotspur to the UEFA Champions League final as well as Paris Saint Germain when Kylian Mbappe played for them.
He’s currently out of job after leaving Ted Boehly’s Chelsea team after just one season in the job after the Argentinian clashed with the club’s sporting directors over squad management, despite guiding Chelsea to the EFL Cup final and European soccer.
The ex-Espanyol boss wanted to add more leadership to a very green squad, but this was rejected by Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley so as a result they mutually agreed to part ways.
Pochettino could strike up a good relationship with executes for the American international soccer team almost immediately, as he worked with Matt Crocker, the sporting director, when they were both at Southampton.