There are so many Tottenham Hotspur fans clamoring for a reunion with iconic manager Mauricio Pochettino, and if it were up to them, Spurs would convince him as soon as possible to leave the United States men's national team and rescue them from Premier League relegation.
Obviously, that is a pipe dream, because with the World Cup just months away and Pochettino set to lead one of the host nations in a politically charged tournament, there is no way in the universe Poch abandons the United States team right now. There is no Fernando Hierro twist here.
However, even if Spurs have to sit through more Igor Tudor or roll the dice on Adi Hutter, the fans want to see Pochettino back on the bench for the Lilywhites in the 2026/27 season, and Poch has already made it clear that he would be loyal to Spurs and consider joining them even if they were relegated this season. And that's exactly the kind of character Spurs need.
Mauricio Pochettino got it handed to him
The thing is, Tottenham Hotspur supporters lost in the illusion of nostalgia and all that Mauricio Pochettino accomplished about a decade ago have to get a reality check. Poch may not be as effective now as he was then.
Over this international break with his A team in a key tune up match before the World Cup, the United States were blown to pieces 5-2 by Dodi Lukebakio and Belgium in a rematch of a World Cup knockout match from 12 years ago.
Pochettino is obviously not to blame for a malaise in United States soccer that has existed for years and years where overrated players are hyped up and then mocked when they inevitably fail, youth coaches are rewarded for incompetence, and player development is summed up in a bunch of failed Bundesliga stints.
At the same time, Pochettino hasn't exactly turned things around for the United States, and if he can't get a squad of unperforming, ego inflated players in a dysfunctional organization to win, then, boy oh boy, is he going to love what is in store for him at the 2026 version of Tottenham.
That being said, even if Pochettino is as lousy as he was for PSG or Chelsea, he is still going to be ten times the coach that Thomas Frank was, he is going to have a much better pedgiree than Igor Tudor, and he is going to have a much higher character than Roberto De Zerbi. He's still the best option. But Spurs fans have to avoid making that very same mistake of overhyping someone just to relish in their failure and realize that Pochettino is more flawed than savior nowadays.