Tyler Adams wants next USMNT coach to be ‘ruthless’ like Premier League managers

Last updated: 2024/08/07 at 6:59 PM

BigP Published August 7, 2024

The United States Soccer Federation is currently in the process of searching for the next head coach of the men’s national team after relieving Gregg Berhalter of his duties in July, after failing to lead the U.S. past the group stage at Copa América.

U.S. Soccer Sporting Director Matt Crocker, who’s spearheading the search, has identified qualities he’s looking for in the next men’s national team head coach, which includes someone with a long track record of success or, in Crocker’s own words, a “serial winner.

But Tyler Adams, who captained the U.S. at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, is looking for something else in his next head coach: ruthlessness.

“For myself and the young team and kind of where we’re at, I think we need someone that’s almost a little bit ruthless,” Adams said on his podcast “The Captain,” which is co-hosted by Roger Bennett. “Coming in and putting everyone in their place and understanding that, listen: this is what needs to be done and this is the way that we’re going to do it, and there’s no if ands or buts. It’s not really a conversation. It has to be more of a decision that’s made and this is the way we’re going to play.

“You have to find a manager that obviously suits the playing style that a lot of the players play and how we are and the attributes that we have, but there are managers out there, I’m sure.”

Adams used the vicious cycle with managers in the Premier League as an example of how managers with a specific style can find success in a short amount of time, which, according to Adams, is the timeline the U.S. is on.

“If everyone wants to focus on the 2026 World Cup and getting the best result possible, you have to get someone that’s gotten results. How else do you guarantee that?” Adams said.

Fortunately for Adams, the USSF is focused on attracting “the most accomplished international manager possible,” according to the latest reporting from FOX Sports. Mauricio Pochettino, Gareth Southgate, Luis de la Fuente and Pellegrino Matarazzo have all been linked to the USMNT job.

The USSF is hoping to have a new head coach named by the September international window, as previously reported by FOX Sports. The U.S. will play Jesse Marsch’s Canada on Sept. 7 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience