“Camps are going to be tough,” remarked Gaga Slonina earlier, one of Mauricio Pochettino‘s former disciples who has seen what life under the Argentinian tactician would be. Up until now, it has mostly been the US Men’s National Team players who have been warned about how things will unfold under their new potential manager. However, a red flag has now been raised for Pochettino, who may also be in for a ‘surprise.’

The warning has been given by Liverpool icon Steve Nicol. Speaking in one of the segments of ESPN FC, the former defender warned the 52-year-old of building a narrative in his mind that coaching USMNT is a ‘No pressure’ job. Nicol said, “If he thinks there’s no pressure [coaching the USMNT], he’s in for a surprise if things don’t go well. If he thinks he’s coming over here to have a nice fat cigar, as soon as he starts losing games, there will be a little bit of dissent.”

Though Pochettino’s resume speaks for itself, having coached the likes of Chelsea, PSG, and Tottenham, things are all the way different in America. “It’s not Argentina but the public in this country wants to see silky soccer.” Nicol continued, “If Pochettino takes over and doesn’t get results. It will be like wait a minute, this guy was supposed to churn out our ‘golden generation’. What is he turning them into?”

Nicol, a former New England Revolution coach, also didn’t hold back on criticizing the players either, asserting that calling the current USMNT squad the “golden generation” is also absurd. Either way, looks like it’s going to be a long journey for both the USMNT and the players. They might be forced to go the extra mile to get the results they have been looking for.

Interestingly, this is completely different from what USMNT insider Mark Ogden said about Pochettino’s initial thoughts on agreeing to manage the Stars and Stripes. He shared that the former Premier League manager feels it’s a ‘no-pressure‘ job. Even though they are hosting the 2026 World Cup, there are ‘no expectations’ from them to actually win it. A decent finish, like going beyond the knockout stages like semi-finals or quarter-finals will also do the job for the MNT.

Then again, why settle for less as the American boys can at least dream to win it? But surely, that won’t be an easy task as they shall figure out a way to improve. For that, Pochettino may face another key challenge!

Here’s how Mauricio Pochettino can bring out the A-game of the USMNT

A reliable goal-poacher is what Mauricio Pochettino may not get to see at the US Men’s National Team. “There’s no Harry Kane in this US pool,” remarked Alexi Lalas on his podcast, emphasizing that current players like Folarin Balogun and Josh Sargent may not be enough to match the impact Pochettino’s former star delivered at Spurs. Notably, Lalas isn’t doubting the quality of the current USMNT strikers.

Kane himself required some fine-tuning, which Pochettino provided, to become one of the best in the world. Instead, Lalas suggests that Pochettino should either discover a standout striker or ensure the entire striker pool performs better than in the past. This advice could be crucial for Pochettino, given his attacking style of play relies heavily on effective forwards. Talk about managing USMNT is a ‘no pressure’ job!