Brad Friedel shares American view on Mauricio Pochettino return to Tottenham already
Brad Friedel would love Mauricio Pochettino to stay with the USMNT, but can see him re-joining Tottenham after the World Cup.
Following the sacking of Thomas Frank at Tottenham, Igor Tudor has been tasked with guiding the north London team to Premier League safety this season.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium outfit are just four points above the relegation zone in 16th and haven’t won in the Premier League since 28 December.
If Spurs do survive, former manager Pochettino has been linked with a return to his old club, but for now, he is focusing on guiding the USMNT at this summer’s World Cup.
Now, ex-United States international and Tottenham goalkeeper Friedel has given his perspective on where the Argentine’s future lies.
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Mauricio Pochettino will have options amid Tottenham interest
Pochettino has been in charge of the US team since September 2024, and since then, he has won 13, drawn two, and lost seven of his 22 matches in charge.
The former Chelsea manager has spoken about his desire to return to club management one day, amid persistent links with Tottenham.
Now, Friedel, who played for Spurs between 2011 and 2015, has given his American perspective on Pochettino’s next move.
He said on talkSPORT: “I would love Pochettino to stay at the US and do another four years to really galvanise the mentality of the US player. Do I see that happening? Probably not.
“Do I think he’s good enough to come back to the Premier League? Absolutely. Would it be tempting? Yes. He’s one of the best in the game. It wouldn’t surprise me if he did, and it wouldn’t surprise me if people are already trying to speak with him.”
For the time being, though, Tudor will do his utmost to keep Tottenham in the Premier League. He may also have desires of leading Spurs beyond this season if he does a good job.
Would Pochettino even want to return to Tottenham?
As Friedel alluded to, Pochettino is a big name in football. He won trophies at Paris Saint-Germain, turned Tottenham into a different beast, while just falling short of silverware, and still has a good reputation.
When he thrived at Tottenham, he had players like Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen, Mousa Dembele, and more, as they qualified for the Champions League and reached the final of that elite competition.
While Spurs are Europa League holders and breezed into the last 16 of the Champions League, they are just above the bottom three in the Premier League and are on a nine-match winless run.
The stars of yesteryear left Tottenham long ago.
When Pochettino needed extra backing to help Tottenham kick on to the next level in 2019, he didn’t really get it, and the Argentine was sacked later that year.
He would have a young squad to nurture at Tottenham, but so much work needs to be done to fix Spurs these days.
One, Pochettino definitely won’t come if they get relegated. And secondly, if he does leave the US job, the ex-Chelsea manager will likely have more tempting and less difficult offers at his disposal.
If Tottenham stay up and get their ducks in order this summer, it could happen, but it still seems a long shot.
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