The USMNT is in turmoil ahead of a home World Cup – after Jurgen Klopp said no, here’s why US Soccer must go for Mauricio Pochettino or Gareth Southgate… there’s no turning back

The clock is ticking. We’re 24 months away from a home World Cup and the USMNT is in a sorry state. Gregg Berhalter has been fired and now the bosses at US Soccer must find a replacement to lead the team into 2026. The stakes couldn’t be higher.

They only get one chance: there is no going back, no reevaluation in six months. This is it: they have a short window. They have to do it as hard as they can. And they have to do it right.

That means no dollar is too much. No stone is left unturned. No settling for your third or fourth choice coach.

For me, Jurgen Klopp remains the most attractive candidate in the world. He has the name, he has the experience and he is free. For a while it looked like the stars were aligned. But it would be a tough task anyway.

So the bad news is that Klopp turned the role down. The good news is that US Soccer tried. It’s a sign of their intent. They’re in a tough spot – everyone knows they need a manager, everyone knows they need to do well at the next World Cup. And everyone knows they’ve got the money. You put that behind the ball.

DailyMail.com columnist Tim Howard

So maybe Klopp is smart. Or maybe no really means no. Fortunately, there are other world-class managers available who would be a good fit.

I have always liked Mauricio Pochettino. His teams have a real identity and attacking flair. He would fit in with this USMNT, which is set up for success – young, dynamic and full of skill.

Gareth Southgate could be available beyond this weekend, understanding the demands of working in the spotlight that will follow the next American manager to this World Cup.

Other names have also been mentioned, including Steve Cherundolo and Wilfried Nancy of MLS.

The key is to bring in someone who is proven, someone with the ability to organize a team quickly, because the USMNT’s next game is against Jesse Marsch’s Canada.

Marsch was passed over in favour of Berhalter and after leading Canada to the semi-finals of the Copa America, he wanted nothing more than to beat the United States.

The players have to be prepared for that. Yes, Gregg paid the price for the recent results. But so much of this failure was down to the selection. They are just lucky that it is always easier to replace one manager than 22 players.

Gregg Berhalter was fired after the US national team’s disappointing results at the Copa America

Former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is among those linked with the role

They can’t hide anymore. Gregg has done a lot of good work to change the USMNT in terms of mindset. He’s put it in the heads of young American players that we can be progressive, that we can compete against some of the best teams in the world.

He put this team in a great position to get results. But they never came. This golden generation didn’t have those trademark victories that make players think: we may be the underdogs, but we can punch above our weight.

That requires a new mindset shift. Gregg has done a great job of starting that process – showing the USMNT that they can play in a different way. Now these players need to take the next step.

Southgate has shown that it can be done. He has changed the culture of playing for England. I played for 13 years in the division era, with team-mates – at Manchester United and Everton – who went on international duty and sat at different tables to Liverpool players.

I thought it would be impossible to break that cycle. But Southgate has done phenomenally. He has created an environment where players can perform under pressure.

Gareth Southgate has led England to their second consecutive European Championship final

Early in his reign, Southgate took his England team to a training camp with the Royal Marines. When I played for the USMNT, we visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

We met wounded soldiers who represented our country at the front. It was humbling to see what true service meant. It made you realize that we also represent our country. So fly the flag with pride.

Those experiences off the field can help. They build chemistry between the group. But what really matters is trust and responsibility among the players. That’s what this team needs.

We had a lot of that, both when I was young and coming up through the ranks of the US national team, and when I was a senior player.

But it wasn’t built for long days. What made the difference was six, seven, eight guys sitting in each other’s rooms until 4 in the morning. Talking about the right way to play the game or whatever internal problems we had.

Howard helped American teams of the past punch above their weight at the World Cup

We didn’t have to be pushed by the manager or taken to a team meeting. It happened on our own. And that’s why I say it’s down to the players.

Team building exercises just give you the chance to build trust, which allows you to go out on the field and really go for it. Or really hand it over to a teammate and hold people accountable.

We hear a lot about how this current team is doing. That sounds great. But are you afraid of each other? Do you have enough respect for each other to challenge each other? Working together is great.

But that doesn’t mean there are leaders within the group. Sometimes it’s okay to not like each other. Sometimes you perform better.

The manager can try everything off the pitch to keep you together. But then it comes down to the players. To have both respect and difficult conversations. Time is ticking.