Coaching Philosophies and the Mauricio Pochettino System

Check out Pochettino’s new coaching staff 🔥

⚽️ Jesus Perez - 1st assistant
⚽️ Miguel “Miki” D’Agostino - 2nd assistant
🥅 Antonio “Toni” Jimenez - GK coach
📊 Sebastiano Pochettino - sports scientist
🏃‍♀️Silvia Tuya Viñasis - strength and conditioning coach

Leveling up 📈 pic.twitter.com/ZhOdlQNiUx

— USMNT NATION (@USMNTvsHaters) October 7, 2024

 

His son looks like he’s the sports scientist of the group.

 

Sebastiano Pochettino, Sebastian Berhalter. I sense a conspiracy of some sort.

 

Yes, I knew the point you were making. I just cringe when people are grouping people by language in their minds. Imagine if 3 guys from Barbados, Kansas, and Kenya were all at a dinner party. And the Kansan says to the other two, "Come here my English speaking brothers and give me a hug!" All 3 have very different cultures, customs, and ways of speaking, but yes, they can probably understand each other to a point. Now extend that scenario to a Salvadorian, a Bolivian, and a Venezuelan.

 

We should at least be able to press as well as we did in 2022. Two things they will improve on that are 1) more depth for when the starters get tired who can play the same way, and 2) more mobile centerbacks compared to Ream and Zimmerman (who both played well in the World Cup but are not the most mobile pairing).

The two things to watch are 1) we better at doing something with transition opportunities once we create them, and 2) are we better at actually doing something when we get to the final third.

The drawbacks of 2022 were we could play the way we wanted all game because we didn’t have the depth to do so and were gassed by the knockout room. And when we did create transition opportunities we didn’t do a lot with them. But on top of that we were really good at getting the ball in the final third but at that point were overly reliant on crossing the ball. Pochettino’s teams play a lot more through the middle so that’s potentially an area for improvement. Fix those things plus better set pieces, and we’ll be in good shape come 2026.

 

I think it's important to note that Pochettino tends to play a counterpressing style, not necessarily a full on, constant high press.

I think that transitions better than most to national team play, because you can fall back for a decent percentage of the game, as well as having a very clear pressing trigger -- a live ball turnover.

I also think the fatigue angle is a bit overplayed, overall. But even so, pressing doesn't have to be all or nothing in terms of when you execute.

 

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GZUYqvtWEAAjBZ7.jpg

Concentration and focus. pic.twitter.com/30pZXHfBGg

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) October 7, 2024

 

In the 2022 era I thought our counterpress was better than our press.

 

That brief clip goes a long way to make me think Poch will quickly be able to improve on something that became a big fault in Berhalter's team--concentration and focus (as is the title of the video). I can imagine, from what Poch said here, that he'll start to weed out players that can't or don't maintain full focus for the entirety of his training sessions. It will be interesting to see who fails at that and who succeeds; who gets called up in November and who is dropped.

 

I hope Sylvi spends some time with Brenden to sort out what they are doing with him at Leeds. I don't trust their work much. (Hope the 49'ers have their shot together). Leeds' 2 dmids are already out with knee injuries. (Luckily they acquired a Jap internat for dmid late in the window and he is now ready and looks really good.)

In the Bundesliga in 2023/24 season, total 34 games, Brenden missed one game on red card suspension, was benched for 2 games and he was out sick one game (flu?) and he played in 30 games. I.o.w., no p.t. lost to knocks. Per transfermarkt
Squad: 32, Starting eleven: 14, Substituted in: 16, On the bench: 2, Suspended: 1, Injured: 1, Absence: 0

in 2022/23, the relegation season in the Prem, Brenden was treated for appendicitis which set him back a bit but here's his record in the prem that season per transfermarkt;
Squad: 38, Starting eleven: 28, Substituted in: 8, On the bench: 2, Suspended: 0, Injured: 0, Absence: 0

While pressing cb's twice his size with good results, Brenden was not injured once in 66 games played over 2 years total in Premier League and Bundesliga. Fans and coaches said he was weak physically and needed to go to the weight room for strengthening because he was getting knocked down so much. on the ball. Crazy world, huh?

In the BL he was fouled 25 times and committed 15 fouls and received 1 yellow card.
In the Prem he was fouled 55 times and committed 16 while receiving 2 yellow cards.(2384')

McKennie by comparison at Leeds for half a season (1439') won 5 fouls, committed 21 and received 7 yellow cards.

let's see how Brenden does with some "strength and conditioning".

 

Competing every moment. pic.twitter.com/KFzJwEuxSC

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) October 8, 2024

Early indications are Pochettino is focusing on getting us to try harder. It seems like a good strategy that in hindsight we probably should have thought of ourselves https://t.co/57LF1oF9KQ

— watke (@watke_) October 8, 2024

next step is teaching them the concept of "score more goals than you concede"

 

Will wait to see how soon the "overtraining" complaints start to come in.

 

I really appreciate that you're approaching this hire with a big ole spoonful of skepticism, while most of the rest think some god has arrived on the doorstep offering their services. Your perspective offers a balance.

 

I can only imagine that the list of those who find fair reason in player injuries after USMNT camps under Pochettino will also be those who blamed Berhalter for similar injuries.

 

I'm very happy with the Poch hire, it's about as well as we could have done (barring Klopp). That doesn't mean I'm not going to criticize decisions (even if it's end of the roster barely matters stuff like Steffen and Zendejas, as it was at Copa America under Gregg with SJohnson and SMoore)... I do think it's pretty useless for the media to ask players how training has improved under Poch after just a few days, what else are they going to say? That the trainings are a joke and no one is taking it seriously? It's no more real journalism than asking players if they want Berhalter to be re-hired. I'm reminded of all the stories beat writers submit about how X player reported to spring training in the best shape of his life because in the offseason they carried bales of hay on some farm... reporters have to write something I guess. It could very well be the case that training has improved, just not sure asking current players to comment on it is the best indication one way or the other... If there's really improvement we'll see it soon enough in the results.

Training hits a bit different under new USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino 😮‍💨🇺🇸 [Via @ByDougMcIntyre] pic.twitter.com/7NyZp8DJ6p

— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) October 9, 2024

So in the end American soccer got Poch AND Klopp lol

🚨🧨 Excl | Jürgen #Klopp will become the new „Global Head of Soccer“ at Red Bull ✔️

.. starting on January 1, 2025. Klopp has already signed a long-term contract.

⚠️ Additionally, Klopp has secured an exit option allowing him to become the head coach of the Germany national… pic.twitter.com/eBzXKSQ85V

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) October 9, 2024

 

I'd like to believe that none of our better players would fail to impress Poch on that regard in such a way that he decides to just leave them behind. I trust and hope that he exercises discretion in how and when to use the axe.

(A guy like McKennie I can honestly see pissing him off, and I hope he's come ready to stay focused and impress, because he's a guy that we can't really go without talent-wise. Especially not if there are injuries.)

 

I'm hoping Poch gets Juve level effort out of McKennie and not what we've seen of him with the national team over the last year or so. If he can do that, the team will be significantly improved. What I'm seeing from all these little snippets is Poch wanting the US to become difficult to play against again. That was a strength of the team for some time, even through a lot of the WC in 2022 where we underperformed on a technical level in many ways but were still a tough team to deal with. We've gotten to be an easy touch lately. I'm hoping that turns around.

 

Had the same thought, but McKennie has made a habit of ultimately winning over new managers.

 

I don't think there will be an issue with McKennie. I know he was terrible at Copa, but it's not like work rate is a serial issue with him -- he's inconsistent, not low work rate.

That's exactly the type of talent Poch will want to develop, not abandon.

 

ok

THE OBJECTIVE IS TO WIN 💪

The goal is clear for #USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino pic.twitter.com/YnTrLYvu9g

— SiriusXM FC (@SiriusXMFC) October 4, 2024

 

As some continue to work out their feelings about the GB wars, I am really excited about the Poch hire. It sounds like an overdue culture change, and I am optimistic that it will improve performances and dispense with the Horseshoe of Sadness.

 

call me an optimist but I think this is all great ... I can see us absolutely shredding Panama and Mexico this break ....

1. new manager - players want to impress - a new start enroute to WC2026
2. manager who is proven
3. intense training - good - train like you will fight ....
4. dream big ..... love that mentality .... you don't enter the fray to earn second place ... there can be only one ...

I think he could be an outstanding manager for Wes and Christian ..... I think part of the reason for Wes's iffy national team performance was Berhalter - Wes needs someone he respects and I just can't see any question of that from our players with Poch.

long term IF Tyler and Gio ever become healthy he could get the most out of both of them ....

our goal keeping and defender is a major issue and hope Poch has a good plan for that ....

 

I hope the team has come in with their own sense of excitement and urgency for this camp. I don't really think that much of what Pochettino may change culturally is going to be seen this camp. It's all pretty much the same as we've heard before, and unless there's stories of unending wind sprints when someone commits a mental error, most of the talk feels like fluff.

I also don't necessarily expect a great performance. A short camp, an injured group. But we better come out with intensity and fire. If you can't get up for a new coach of Poch's caliber, and you couldn't get up for Copa ... I mean, what can you get up for?

I am interested to see what initial tactical changes there are. I expect the build out to look a bit different, the attack to push more centrally and the defense to look a LOT different.

 

“It’s INTENSE…the longest training session in my 14 years.” 🇺🇸

Tim Ream on the 1st #USMNT camp w Pochettino. pic.twitter.com/EXCw16v7FP

— PLAYER / MANAGER (@Player__Manager) October 9, 2024

 

A whole two hours? Geez.