The era of Mauricio Pochettino is officially underway. With his first roster selection for the USMNT in October, we are beginning to see what this esteemed coach might bring to the table as he leads this talented team forward. However, a question has emerged: did the Argentine manager genuinely curate this lineup? Well, that is a question recently raised by USMNT legend Alexi Lalas.

Notably absent from the squad due to injuries are prominent players like Sergino Dest, Cameron Carter Vickers, Chris Richards, Tyler Adams, and Gio Reyna. Yet there have been minimal alterations overall. The current roster appears quite similar to those previously fielded by Gregg Berhalter and interim coach Mikey Varas.

This topic sparked discussion on the Alexi Lalas Podcast, where co-host David Mosse reflected on the lineup, suggesting that it may not have been Mauricio Pochettino’s doing. He stated, “I’m even wondering if this was Pochettino and his staff, or if Mikey Varas put together this list because Pochettino is still getting settled.”

Alexi Lalas concurred with Mosse’s sentiments. The ex-USMNT star added, “You took the words right out of my mouth. I don’t know how much input Pochettino had.” Nonetheless, he did clarify Pochettino’s stance stating, “But he also made it very clear that with this group and the groups that are yet to come, he wants to be simple in his instructions and very clear, not overloading them with too much information.”

However, there is no evidence or indication to confirm whether this squad was assembled by Mauricio Pochettino or not. The ex-PSG boss has likely drawn on historical data when forming this team. Nevertheless, Alexi Lalas appears to be dissatisfied with the lack of change, as he feels this squad does not evoke excitement in him.

Alexi Lalas’ big problem with Mauricio Pochettino’s squad

In contrast to many others who are enthusiastically supporting Mauricio Pochettino, Alexi Lalas has expressed his doubts and criticisms about him. That’s exactly what he remarked in the podcast by stating, “Until the team actually gets on the field and he is on the field with them in training, we won’t know much about what this version of the men’s national team looks like.”

However, with all this hype around the ex-Chelsea boss and talks of big changes incoming, the lack of change in the roster has left a bad taste for Lalas. In his words, “There’s nobody here or not here that makes me think, ‘Wow, it’s crazy that this person is in or this person is out.'”

Speaking about the squad, it’s not only Alexi Lalas who has been left disappointed but several fans have also raised questions about the selection. The lack of MLS players, which is only 4 in the roster is what has been a big concern for fans. Therefore, fans should certainly mark their calendars for October 12th when this lineup will take to the field to see what Mauricio Pochettino really has in store for us.