What prospective new USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino's time with PSG says about how he'd approach the U.S. job

The Argentine boss played and coached the French champions to mixed success

Mauricio Pochettino seems set to become the new U.S. Men's National Team head coach after agreeing to succeed Gregg Berhalter after this summer's Copa America debacle on home soil. The Argentine tactician arrives after spells with Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and RCD Espanyol and now must lead the USMNT into the FIFA 2026 World Cup at which the Stars and Stripes will be one of three home nations. Murphy-born Pochettino is now 52, and this will be his first-ever shot at international soccer management with his club future likely to be conditioned by how he fares with this American squad over the next two years.

Given that much of the success on his CV comes from his time in France's Ligue 1 with PSG, what does his stint with Les Parisiens tell us about the new USMNT boss?

Poch's main trophies have been won in France

His return to PSG as head coach between Thomas Tuchel and Christophe Galtier's stints at Parc des Princes was the most fruitful of his career in terms of major trophies. Pochettino's Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Trophee des Champions titles do much of the heavy lifting when assessing his management credentials at the highest level. Although those three successes ended the drought which started with Spurs, it was arguably only half of what the French giants could and perhaps should have won during their time together. However, when you factor in his run to the UEFA Champions League final with the Londoners, him reaching the UCL semifinals just months into his time with PSG arguably merits greater consideration -- especially given the way that Paris eliminated Barcelona as well as defending champions Bayern Munich before being overpowered by Riyad Mahrez-inspired Manchester City. If we are talking continental performances, though, we cannot overlook that one of PSG's major Champions League implosions against Real Madrid from 2-0 up on aggregate came under Pochettino. There was an EFL Cup final run with Chelsea but Pochettino's reputation in management for not winning trophies has not helped by those sorts of near misses and it is his time with PSG which lends the most legitimacy to his elite coaching claims.

Poch coached big stars in Paris

It seems like longer ago than just three years, but it was Pochettino who first coached Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar together in the French capital. The star trio first played together under the South American tactician and it did not take long for his and Messi's relationship to come into question when he moved to substitute his compatriot early on. Politics was a big part of Pochettino's struggles at Parc des Princes -- notably with sporting director Leonardo -- and the Brazilian's successor, Luis Campos, opted against continuing with the Argentine in favor of Frenchman Galtier who had led Lille OSC to the Championnat title ahead of Pochettino's PSG.

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An English-speaking environment suits Poch

Almost immediately, it became clear that Pochettino's Paris return was not going to work out as many supporters and likely the club had initially hoped. A former player -- captain, no less -- turned talented young coach, big things were expected when the Argentine returned to France. However, the reality was underwhelming and aside from a few isolated results and performances, it was clear that the man from Murphy was never truly settled back in the French capital. Distance was an issue with his family back in England and culturally it was not at all the same PSG that he had known as a player, which might be a cautionary tale for others who have taken a similar path to Pochettino, like Arsenal's Mikel Arteta should he ever be tempted to return to Paris. This suggests that Pochettino might actually favor continuing to work in an English-speaking environment which would allow for him to spend at least some time in London, and reports suggest he is not planning on permanently moving to the United States. That said, as former USMNT boss Jurgen Klinsmann found out with South Korea recently, an international head coach is expected to fully immerse himself in his new country's soccer culture which means that Poch will be expected to regularly feature at Major League Soccer games and not just focus on the Europe-based members of the USMNT.

Trusting youth is not Poch's strong suit

Another issue from his time with PSG is that Pochettino is not necessarily the best nurturer of young talent, with Xavi Simons a prime example of that. The Netherlands international is now shining on loan with RB Leipzig after a breakout spell with PSV Eindhoven which prompted PSG to buy him back. The now 21-year-old opted to leave Paris because Pochettino was unable to offer him consistent game time even though there was the Coupe de France and some of the more run of the mill Ligue 1 games in which he would not have looked out of place in. PSG are still paying the price for that, because although they own Simons, the Dutchman appears to have had his confidence in the club broken by that experience under Pochettino. It might end with the former Barcelona youth academy product leaving for a big fee, but Luis Enrique would quite like the chance to build towards the future with Simons but that could be compromised thanks to the young superstar's very awkward experience involving the new USMNT boss.

The USMNT verdict on Poch's PSG stint

Although his record in Paris looks a bit better with time and especially after Galtier's struggles up until the eradication of Neymar and Messi for the arrival of Luis Enrique, Pochettino's return will always be considered below what was expected before his appointment. The combination of his high stock from his time with Spurs and his constant media flirtations with his former club created a level of anticipation that it was always going to be difficult to live up to. That will not be the case with the USMNT and there will not be an expectation either for Pochettino to lead the U.S. to World Cup glory although there are questions about where consecutive spells with PSG, Chelsea and then the Stars and Stripes might leave his elite club management aspirations post-2026.