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The Argentine is set for his first matches in charge of the U.S. against Panama and Mexico as the road towards the 2026 World Cup begins

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There is a unique scrutiny that comes with being the head coach of the United States men's national team. You're expected to provide the world, even if the tools at your disposal are barely enough to conquer the continent.

It's a hot-seat that has chomped up pretty much everyone who's ever sat in it; now is the turn of Mauricio Pochettino. He may not be the Pep Guardiola or Jurgen Klopp that so many American fans ambitiously craved, but appointing the Argentine is a huge coup and a significant statement of intent.

But what does this say about Pochettino and his goals? What now for his career? Is this but a pit stop or something far greater?

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  Previous victims

  We need to establish the context first. To start with, it's worth stressing that not every manager in the history of the USMNT has been a failure. Far from it, in some cases.

  In recent times, all of Bob Bradley, Jurgen Klinsmann, Bruce Arena and Gregg Berhalter have enjoyed moderate levels of success – usually the odd World Cup appearance and maybe a Gold Cup title – but they have never turned 'soccer' into 'football'.

  Some of those names were more adored than others, though they all eventually suffered the same fate. They were the nearly-men who dared to dream of a brighter America in the realms of this sport.

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  State of play

  Pochettino has hardly walked into the perfect job, but the silver linings are that he relishes such a challenge and most roles in football nowadays are, if anything, designed and contorted to be convoluted.

  The USMNT are coming off a massively disappointing Copa America on home soil, which was largely seen as the team's warm-up for the 2026 World Cup. Their dismal group-stage exit has left the public short of confidence in the playing squad, and Pochettino has work to do in order to reverse that narrative.

  There is undoubtedly quality in the ranks that has underperformed as a collective to this point. But the players have no more excuses with an elite manager at the helm.

  For Pochettino, he is back in a high-profile job only months after controversially being let go by Chelsea. After a nigh-on disastrous start, he managed to steady the Stamford Bridge ship and lay some needed foundations for the Blues' future, only to be relieved of his duties by Todd Boehly & Co.

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  Not worth the risk?

  But Pochettino's decision to take his talents stateside raised eyebrows across Europe and his native South America. Why would he step into international football at this juncture of his career?

  From the outside looking in, Pochettino seemingly still had more to give to the club game. Though his Chelsea stint was far from rosy, he replenished his credit in the bank and would surely have been a leading contender for any major job with a vacancy (looking at you, Manchester United).

  With Pochettino's reputation comes the demand for success and the promise of a brighter future. In USMNT terms, that will come in the form of a deep run at the World Cup and breaking through the sport's glass ceiling in the country.

  It's quite the ask of any manager, even one as accomplished as Pochettino. If he fails to deliver the goods, the prospects of his next job are bleak, while the USMNT will have trouble pitching to successors that their dugout isn't actually cursed.

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  Method behind the madness

  Let's get this straight, though – the USMNT were not in a position to overlook a manager like Pochettino. It's a hire they had to make and one they should have few regrets about even if it all goes up in flames when it's said and done.

  Pochettino, meanwhile, will also view this as a challenge worth getting stuck into. There is a prestige about this job that few others can really rival, while it could merely represent an opportune break from his club career.

  The politics behind Pochettino's last few roles will almost certainly have taken their toll on him. His exit from Tottenham, a club he essentially rebuilt in the modern day, was unfair and undignified considering all he had done for them. At Paris Saint-Germain, he walked into a club run by the star players, while he was caught in the crossfire of Chelsea's 'civil war'.

  The most important person in the USMNT setup now is unquestionably Pochettino, and those upstairs who have had previous decisions questioned need to fall in line. He has that command and that level of immediate respect. Perhaps this is a want he wasn't going to get with any other team.

Chelsea have held talks over signing a potential first signing for incoming new manager Enzo Maresca, with the board already getting prepared to back him.

Maresca reaches agreement to join Chelsea

After guiding Leicester City to Premier League promotion last season, winning the Championship in pole position, it is reliably believed that the former Man City backroom coach is now on the verge of replacing Mauricio Pochettino.

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Talks have been held and the likes of reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano have reported that Maresca wants to join Chelsea in the next few days. The 44-year-old, an understudy of Pep Guardiola, is also now Chelsea's unanimously preferred managerial candidate behind-the-scenes (Ben Jacobs) – with Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna out of the running and likely to remain at Portman Road (David Ornstein).

With Maresca already green-lighting a move to Stamford Bridge, the only obstacle in Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali's way right now is compensation with Leicester. Chelsea and the Foxes are currently in negotiations over the financial package to release Maresca from his King Power duties and grant the Italian a move to west London.

Journalist Ben Jacobs, sharing detail on why Chelsea opted for Maresca, claimed that co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley were left impressed with the tactician's squad knowledge and viewed him as the standout candidate after conducting interviews.

"Chelsea like Maresca's fit with their model and have been really impressed by his squad knowledge," wrote Jacobs on X.

"Both sporting director, Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley viewed him as the standout candidate. And the fact he's learned off Pep, obviously another bonus."

It's looking extremely likely that Chelsea finalise the appointment of Maresca soon, as their search for a Pochettino replacement reaches a swift conclusion – coming after they parted company with the Argentine this time last week.

Attention now turns to the transfer market, and how Chelsea will back their prospective new manager. The Blues need a successor for veteran defender Thiago Silva, who waved goodbye to supporters on the final day of the season and has joined Fluminese following the expiry of his Chelsea contract.

Chelsea hold talks with Tosin Adarabioyo over joining

Now, according to inews and journalist Mark Douglas, Silva's heir could well be 6 foot 5 Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo.

The £2.1 million-per-year giant is free to leave Craven Cottage for nothing on June 30 when his contract expires, and it is believed Chelsea have held talks with Tosin over joining the club on a Bosman deal.

The 26-year-old was a key player under Marco Silva at Fulham over the second half of 2023/24, and could be a pretty astute signing at zero cost if they beat the likes of Newcastle and Man United to his signature.

Real Madrid's Champions League loss to Lille has Carlo Ancelotti worried about Los Blancos' playing style through the start of the season.

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• Real Madrid lose 1-0 to Lille in UCL
• Ancelotti worried about playing style
• Admits Los Blancos are having trouble

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Canada star Jonathan David's first-half injury-time goal was enough for Ligue 1 side Lille to down Real Madrid as the reigning Champions League winners fell to their first defeat in all competitions in 37 matches. Despite being the first loss of the season, the warning signs have been blaring at Santiago Bernabeu as Ancelotti's side have failed to replicate their dominance from last season, despite having added Kylian Mbappe to their ranks. They drew three of their opening eight matches in La Liga.

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  While Real Madrid's squad has barely changed overall since last season, there have been a number of key changes. Toni Kroos' retirement seems to be Ancelotti's biggest problem at the moment as the side seems to have lost the ability to play vertically, something that had been their biggest weapon last season thanks to the German's ability to find players from deep.

• WHAT ANCELOTTI SAID

  Speaking to the media, Ancelotti said: "It's difficult to evaluate the game, everything went quite badly. It was difficult for us to do everything. We don't have to throw everything away and we have to keep a cool head. The feeling is that we are having trouble generating, creating, and possession has been slow, with few ideas… today it is obvious that things have not worked out. We have forwards who need us to play more vertically.

  "The sadness is because the feeling has not been good, you can lose because this is sport, but today we did not give a good feeling. I am worried. We have all the resources to learn and improve, we have to fix things quickly.

  "Bellingham is glued to the sideline when we don't have the ball, but for the rest, it's the same as last year, it hasn't changed. I think it's not enough to talk about the issue to fix it, if it were that way it would be easier. There is a dynamic that needs to be improved, it's not enough just to talk. I think the team was improving and this is a step backwards."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  The 15-time Champions League winners are now winless in two straight games and their next match is unlikely to be a walk in the park as they host Villarreal at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, October 5.

Arsenal are on the verge of completing their first signing of the summer, according to a new report.

So close, yet so far for Arsenal

It was another case of having to settle for second for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal as they watched Manchester City clinch their fourth successive Premier League title win on Sunday.

Taking it to the final day, the Gunners did their job with a win over Everton but City's 3-1 win against West Ham ensured that the title remained at the Etihad once more, despite Arsenal breaking plenty of their own club records in pursuit of the Cityzens.

Arsenal have promised to be back though. Speaking to the fans after the game, Arteta demanded that they return better after the summer.

"We’ve been fighting so long for the big dream. We were so close. I’m so proud of the boys, so proud of the team, the fans. I'm so proud of the progress we are making.

"We’ve changed the club and I think you all believe in us now.

"But we are on the right path, the right journey and to see the evolution so quickly happening, I haven't seen it before. So, we're on the right trajectory and now we need really to pull the teeth and bite into it because we really want more."

Some changes to the squad will be needed before that though, with the likes of Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Aaron Ramsdale expected to leave this summer, while Cedric and Mohamed Elneny's contracts expiring in north London. Now, the first fresh face of the summer may be on his way.

Official planning trip to finalise deal

That comes in the form of Fenerbahce star Ferdi Kadioglu, who is fast becoming the "superstar" that talent scout Jacek Kulig predicted back in 2020.

Arsenal were linked with a move for the defender in January, while Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester City have also all shown interest. However, it was reported just last week that talks between the Gunners and the player's entourage were at an advanced stage, with only talks with Fenerbahce still to take place.

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Now, Turkish outlets back up those claims, reporting that Arteta's side are "at the negotiating table" and "pushing to finalise" a deal for the 24-year-old defender. Kadioglu himself is keen on the move, and it is added that an Arsenal official will travel to Turkey in June to "start official contacts" with his club, who value the defender at 30m euros (£26m).

Capable of playing on either side of defence, Kadioglu's arrival would provide yet more competition at fullback for the Gunners, who welcomed Jurrien Timber back in the final game of the season after the Dutchman missed the whole campaign with a knee injury.

Lionesses star Hannah Hampton has opened up on the battle with Mary Earps to be England's No.1, after seeing more opportunities under Sarina Wiegman.

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• Earps has been England's No.1 under Wiegman
• But Hampton is providing big competition
• Now Chelsea star opens up on Lionesses' battle

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Earps has been her country's first-choice goalkeeper ever since Wiegman took over in September 2021, starring in the Lionesses' European Championship triumph in 2022 and their historic run to a first Women's World Cup final in 2023.

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  However, she is now facing increased competition for her place from Hampton, who has started four of England's last five games. While one of those was due to a hip injury sustained by Earps early into a May clash against France, she was back for the Lionesses' most recent Euro qualifiers and Wiegman instead selected Hampton for both.

• WHAT HAMPTON SAID

  Asked about that battle to be England's No.1 at the Women's Super League season launch media day last week, Hampton said: "Everyone’s dream is to play for England and to be given any sort of opportunity, you’re always going to relish those moments and take the opportunity as best you can. I have no idea whether I’ve done that or not and what Sarina is thinking, but whenever I have the opportunity to put on an England shirt, whether that be training or playing games, I’m beaming with a smile from ear to ear. It’s such an honour and proud moment for me. You’re always going to cherish those moments.

  "There’s so many more things I want to achieve in an England shirt and I want to be able to play in big games, so to be able to have that opportunity in the last couple of international camps with the qualifiers, it was a special moment. To say that I’ve helped the team qualify for the Euros, nothing comes better than that really. My next step is to keep playing as many games as I possibly can and keep making Sarina’s decision really difficult on who she’s going to put down on that team sheet first. At the end of the day, I’m just going out and enjoying my football. If I enjoy it, I play my best, anything else that comes with it is a bonus for me."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The competition between Earps and Hampton is particularly interesting going into the 2024-25 season, as both are battling to be England's No.1 at next summer's European Championship. The Lionesses will be the defending champions at that tournament in Switzerland.

Sunderland will be looking to keep a firm grip on some of their young starlets ahead of next season, even if recent reports suggest that this could indeed be a tall order for the struggling Black Cats.

16-year-old midfield sensation Chris Rigg looks set to be in the middle of a major bidding war in the summer despite still only being a teenager, with the likes of Manchester United and even Sunderland's arch-rivals in Newcastle United sniffing about for his services.

Jobe Bellingham is another who could also have his head turned by the allure of a higher-up suitor soon, with Serie A titans Lazio reportedly keen on the former Birmingham City gem.

Sunderland will just be thankful that they've had some great luck with their current crop of young stars to try and forget about their significant blunder in 2011 with this flop, who would never settle in at the Stadium of Light after being hyped up to be the next best thing.

Connor Wickham's transfer to Sunderland

Joining for a bumper £8m 13 years ago, the world was expected of Connor Wickham when relocating to Wearside under Steve Bruce's watch, after bursting onto the scene at former club Ipswich Town at a rapid speed.

At just 17 years of age, Wickham would win Young Player of the Year for the Tractor Boys at the EFL awards after proving to be a goalscoring menace for the Suffolk club whilst still learning the ropes as a youngster.

His final season with Ipswich would see him tear up second-tier defences, leading to that coveted accolade being picked up by the then-teen striker before Sunderland came calling.

Sunderland must have thought gambling on a major move for Wickham would pay off, with the imposing 6 foot 3 forward becoming a reliable source of goals in the Premier League after initially taking time to get used to his new top-flight environment.

Instead, despite Wickham terrorising Championship defences as an up-and-coming gem with Ipswich, he would never truly fit in at the Stadium of Light with wasteful performances becoming more commonplace over his previous blistering best in Suffolk.

The now 31-year-old striker would only score once during his debut season for the Black Cats in the Premier League, with his best tally for a campaign coming in at a meagre six from his four disappointing years situated in Wearside.

Looking at TotallyMoney's Transfer Index, this £8m deal would look even more like a colossal waste of money when you examine today's inflated costs.

Sunderland will just hope they can recoup some money if the likes of Rigg and Bellingham do end up walking away, rather than setting it alight in this example.

Wickham's transfer value in 2024

If this same disastrous move went through in 2024, Wickham would have cost Sunderland and Bruce even more of a bomb at an eye-watering £21.5m, as per Totally Money.

That would push the misfiring forward up to being the most expensive signing in Sunderland's history, ahead of Didier NDong's excessive £13.6m fee, further reinforcing his tag as a huge flop.

Former Sunderland legend Niall Quinn even dubbed Wickham as having the potential to be "Sunderland's Alan Shearer" in 2014, only to be very much proved wrong by the injury-prone attacker's forgettable time playing for the Black Cats – hardly getting close to Shearer's return of 260 Premier League goals, it's fair to say.

Crystal Palace also suffered as a result of taking a punt on Wickham after his Sunderland exit, with the 31-year-old – who is now without a club after most recently turning out for Charlton Athletic – missing a ridiculous 999 days of action for the Eagles owing to injuries.

The Black Cats will aim to purchase more raw gems in the summer to boost their squad, hoping to not have a repeat of this cursed deal which never lived up to the Shearer-esque billing.

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The start date for Manchester City’s 115-charge Financial Fair Play (FFP) case has been set, with the Premier League giants set to learn their fate.

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• Blues accused of monetary mismanagement
• Deny all allegations of any wrongdoing
• Fighting case before judgements are delivered

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The reigning kings of English football discovered early in 2023, following a long-running investigation, that they would be charged with supposed monetary misdemeanours. The charges against them date back to 2009 – shortly after Sheikh Mansour completed his takeover of the club.

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  City stand accused of failing to provide accurate information regarding their overall finances, as well as player and manager payments. Those at the Etihad Stadium – who made history last season when securing a fourth successive top-flight crown – deny any wrongdoing and are defending their case at an independent inquiry.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  It had been reported for some time that City’s FFP hearing would begin in September, and be completed by the end of the calendar year, and it has now been revealed that proceedings will be begin on Monday the 16th.

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  TELL ME MORE

  Once all relevant evidence and arguments have been presented, heard and considered, a final judgement will be made. There has been talk of City being stung with points penalties – similar to those handed out to Everton and Nottingham Forest last season – hefty fines or even demotion out of the Premier League.

After succumbing to Bayern Munich and Aston Villa in quick succession midway through April, Arsenal are well and truly back in form after dispatching Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in the space of five days in the Premier League.

There were several standout players from the club's two London derby victories, such as Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice, but one star who was benched for both was Gabriel Jesus.

The former Manchester City ace has not had quite the impact he would have hoped to have this season, and based on recent reports, he might soon find himself replaced in North London.

Arsenal's search for a striker

According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal have maintained their interest in Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee and are now considered the player's 'preferred destination' ahead of a potential move this summer.

The report has revealed that, alongside the Gunners, several Serie A sides, such as Juventus and AC Milan, are keen to add the former Bayern Munich ace to their squads in the summer, but the Italian clubs are now worried that the marksman is himself eager to hold out for the north Londoners to make an offer and not to join a domestic rival of Bologna.

The good news keeps coming for Arsenal, as according to a report from ESPN in March, the Rossoblu currently value their star marksman at around £51m, and while that is still a hefty price tag, it isn't absurd in the current market when, for example, Rasmus Hojlund joined Manchester United for £72m last summer.

Everything seems to point towards a relatively straightforward transfer for the north Londoners if they do wish to sign the Dutchman. While that's great for Edu Gaspar and Arteta, it could spell trouble for Jesus, especially after it was revealed earlier this week that the club are willing to cash in on him this summer.

How Zirkzee compares to Jesus

So, if the North Londoners were to press ahead with this deal and bring Zirkzee to N5 in the summer, would they be making the right decision, and how does he stack up to Jesus?

When looking at the pair's pure output this season, the 22-year-old comes out comfortably ahead of his potential competition, scoring 12 goals and providing seven assists in 35 games to his eight goals and seven assists in 33 games. Therefore, the Brazilian averages a goal involvement every 2.2 games this season, while the Schiedam-born dynamo averages one every 1.8 games.

What about their underlying numbers, then? Does the vastly more experienced Arsenal man have the edge over his potential replacement in this area?

Well, it's a bit of a mixed bag here. While he does come out ahead in more metrics than not, it isn't by very much, and he comes out second best in a few crucial ones, such as goals-to-shots-on-target, actual goals, and things like progressive passing. In essence, he has the better underlying numbers overall, but not significantly so.

So, with the prospective replacement beating out the four-time Premier League winner on actual output but coming up second best regarding underlying numbers, what else can separate them? Injuries.

In the last two seasons, the former Palmeiras gem has missed 33 games for Arsenal – a third of the games he could've played – whereas the "complete" Bologna star, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has missed just eight, making him the far more reliable player of the two.

Ultimately, if Arsenal have the chance to sign Zirkzee for around £51m this summer, they should go for it. His record this season is seriously impressive, and while he might need a season or two to match Jesus' underlying numbers, he will likely be far more reliable and, therefore, useful for Arteta as the club continues their search for a Premier League title.

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Vivianne Miedema admits to dreaming of being “up front with Robin van Persie” in the men’s game when professional women’s football “wasn’t a thing”.

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• Limited options for striker as a youngster
• Has reached the top of her chosen profession
• Pays little attention to breaking records

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As a starry-eyed youngster, the prolific Dutch forward never imagined that the day would come when she could strut her stuff at the very highest level and get paid for the pleasure. In order to achieve that, teenage Miedema believed that she would have to prove her worth alongside the men.

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  WHAT MIEDEMA SAID

  She did just that at youth level, as doubters were silenced in spectacular style, and has told of childhood ambition that saw her targeting a spot alongside a former Arsenal and Manchester United star in Rotterdam: “Playing professionally with other girls wasn’t a thing back then. I thought I’d be up front with Robin van Persie at Feyenoord one day. I remember a game where the opposing team said: 'They have a girl, this should be fun.' We won that match 11-0, I scored six goals and provided five assists. Who’s laughing now?”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Miedema went on to make her professional debut for Heerenveen at 15 years of age, before taking in memorable stints at Bayern Munich and Arsenal. She is the Netherlands’ all-time leading scorer, boasts the most goals ever scored in the WSL, won the Golden Boot at the 2021 Olympic Games and has three Ballon d’Or Feminin nominations.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Miedema does, however, consider records to be little more than “nice to have”, adding on her exploits: “Records are there just for others to break. Ultimately, I play for the team’s results and to keep growing myself, both on and off the field.”

There could well be a summer of major change at the Stadium of Light on the horizon, not just with a managerial switch taking place.

The powers that be at Sunderland could well look to freshen up the playing squad here and there as well, especially if the likes of Jack Clarke depart for pastures new in the Premier League after being a constant ray of light for the Black Cats this turbulent season with 15 Championship strikes.

There might also be a clear-out of some high earners on Wearside who might not fit into next season's new-look identity, with one out-of-sorts winger in danger of being sold on soon to free up more space on the wage bill.

Patrick Roberts' numbers at Sunderland this season

Patrick Roberts has had a frustrating season in truth to match his side's overall underwhelming campaign, only picking up a pitiful two assists from 31 Championship matches with zero goals also registered.

That is a major decline in form from last term under Tony Mowbray, where the ex-Manchester City man helped himself to five goals and seven assists to steer the Black Cats to a playoff finish.

The 27-year-old attacker hasn't been blessed with the best luck when it comes to injuries this campaign, however, with the experienced forward missing for large chunks of 2024 to the detriment of his youthful side who could have done with a more seasoned head up top in big games.

Still, with Sunderland looking at appointing a new and exciting manager to replace Mike Dodds, Roberts' days could be numbered as a figure of the Black Cats camp that has, arguably, become stale.

Roberts' high wage will also be a factor as to why Sunderland could look to get rid soon, with the diminutive winger earning four times Trai Hume's wage despite the Northern Irish defender being a more settled part of the Black Cats team all season long.

Roberts' wage compared to the Sunderland squad

The ex-Celtic loanee finds himself in the top five earners of Dodds' camp still remarkably, all whilst the forward has only been fit for action eight times this year in the Championship.

Raking in a sizeable £12.5k-per-week, according to Capology, Roberts is currently sitting pretty as the fourth highest earner at the Stadium of Light despite other more notable first-team faces earning far less.

Anthony Patterson is earning £2.5k-per-week less than Roberts when scanning the top earners table above, with the first-choice goalkeeper feeling a little harshly done by considering he's been an ever-present figure for Sunderland this season under the various managers that have been in and out of Wearside.

Hume only earns £3k-per-week compared to Roberts' far heftier £12.5k-per-week wage too, even with the 22-year-old defender being on the radar of Leeds United once upon a time after starring in patches for the topsy-turvy Black Cats in the second tier.

The Northern Irishman could well be demanding a pay increase for next season, therefore, to keep him around at the Stadium of Light with Roberts being let go of potentially enabling Sunderland to mess about with pay packets more.

It would be a very sad severing of the ties if Roberts was let go of in the off-season, having once been referred to as "magic" by ex-boss Mowbray, but one that could allow Sunderland more freedom to strengthen next campaign.

Sunderland could appoint an “unbelievable” John O’Shea alternative

Sunderland could look towards this John O’Shea alternative as their next manager.

By
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