Why Mauricio Pochettino Tottenham return is not straightforward amid Ange Postecoglou sack pressure

Mauricio Pochettino was on the lips of some Tottenham fans on Sunday as the north London club slipped to a 15th Premier League defeat at the season. Losing 2-0 at Fulham following late goals from Rodrigo Muniz and Ryan Sessegnon, Spurs head into the first international break of 2025 sitting in 14th place.

Ange Postecoglou has subsequently come under intense pressure and his future at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium may well hinge on whether or not he guides his players to Europa League glory come May. As things stand, that appears to be Tottenham's only realistic route into Europe for the 2025/26 season as they currently trail Bournemouth in tenth by ten points with nine games remaining.

Cherries boss Andoni Iraola has been linked with the Tottenham hotseat and so has Fulham's Marco Silva, but the head coach of choice for many fans if Postecoglou departs is Pochettino. The 53-year-old does look destined to return to N17 one day after admitting on a number of occasions that he hopes to take on the hotseat again.

Amid Tottenham fans hoping for a quick return for Pochettino, the Argentine has again indicated his desire to return at some point down the line. "Look, when I left the club I always remember one interview I said I would like one day to come back to Tottenham and that is of course," said Pochettino in a new interview with Sky Sports.

"I am in the USA, I am not going to no, I'm not going to talk about that, but what I said then still after six years or five years, I still feel in my heart that, yes, I would like one day to come back. We see the timing, like Daniel [Levy] said."

Many will want Pochettino to inherit the top job this summer if Postecoglou's time in the capital is to come to an end. However, it perhaps isn't so straightforward and easy as some seem to think it is considering the enormity of his current job in the game.

After departing Chelsea last May following one season at Stamford Bridge, Pochettino was confirmed as the United States' new head coach four months later. Maybe a surprise decision at the time with the former Spurs man turning to the international game despite still having so much to offer club football, it's quite easy to see why he took on the US job rather than opt for another position in Europe.

Thirty-two years on from last hosting the biggest competition in world football, the United States once again have a home World Cup to look forward to. It is huge for the country and huge for the USMNT as they bid to showcase just how far the game has come in the United States since last hosting the competition back in 1994.

Back then there was no professional league in America and it was the first time that FIFA had elected to take the World Cup outside of traditional football environments. It ultimately proved to be a masterstroke. Two years after the 1994 World Cup and the country saw the dawn of Major League Soccer, a league that is now formed of 30 clubs after initially starting with just ten sides back in 1996.

The popularity of the sport has grown to unprecedented levels in the country and it was no shock that the USMNT wanted a high-profile manager to replace Gregg Berghalter as they planned ahead for their home World Cup. The appointment of Pochettino was a huge coup and one that could prove pivotal as they bid for a hugely successful tournament on home soil.

Speaking at the time of signing on the dotted line, Pochettino said: "The decision to join US Soccer wasn’t just about football for me; it’s about the journey that this team and this country are on.

"The energy, the passion, and the hunger to achieve something truly historic here — those are the things that inspired me. The opportunity to lead the US Men’s National Team, in front of fans who are just as passionate as the players, is something I couldn’t pass up.

"I see a group of players full of talent and potential, and together, we’re going to build something special that the whole nation can be proud of."

Pochettino has the chance to create history in the United States, thus highlighting why the opportunity to coach the USMNT at a home World Cup was something he could not turn down. It may even be something that sits at the top of his managerial CV if he can lead them to their best World Cup finish at a time when the eyes of the world are upon him.

That is why a quick return to Tottenham is not as straightforward as some would seem to suggest it is if Postecoglou exits. Realistically, fans may have to wait until after 2026 for the Argentine to step foot inside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on a permanent basis once again.

In his interview with Sky Sports, Pochettino went into depth about his current position and outlined exactly why he and his coaching team opted for the job. He said: "Maybe it's not easy for the people to understand why. I think being the national coach or head coach of the USA with the World Cup in 2026, I think for a coaching staff like us, after too many years working in clubs, I think it was a great opportunity for us to challenge ourselves, to know how to discover and to learn doing things in different ways.

"I think it was a great opportunity and that is why we started to pay attention and when the offer arrived, I think it was easy to say yes.

"I think to host the World Cup is an amazing experience. Then with the country that we are talking about, the USA, I think it's amazing. Too many good things appear in this moment and of course one of the reasons to take the job was because hosting the World Cup is very close. It isn't waiting four years to play the World Cup, it was less than two years.

"I am so excited because I think the decision was good, I am enjoying it a lot and I think it's so exciting to discover every single day different things to work on and different emotions. It's a completely different job than in the past, a mystery because it's a completely different world but I think we are really, really enjoying that situation."

Going on Pochettino's comments ever since his Tottenham dismissal in November 2019, he will return to manage the club one day. Spurs fans will very likely have to remain patient, though, as he leads the USMNT in an historic World Cup for the country 32 years on from a ground-breaking tournament .

Postecoglou falls into a trap, Pochettino's vow and the Bissouma problem - click here to listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham

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