Pep Guardiola as the new coach of the United States Men's National Team? It might be a reality soon, though the former Manchester City manager hasn't said either way. The dominoes that needed to fall for the move to happen have fallen, so a potential Guardiola and USMNT future is possible.
USMNT icon Tim Howard isn't so sure, though, and he has solid reasons for his thinking. The move is risky not because Guardiola would be a bad manager; obviously he would be. But would he be happy being locked into building a national team for at least four years?
Howard said on his podcast, Unfiltered Soccer, "Guardiola has only ever succeeded with Tier One players. The next time I see Pep Guardiola, he might smack me, and I’m okay with that. He’s absolutely not the right manager for this team, and the length of time it’s going to take to get through the next World Cup. I don’t think he’d last four years, I think he’d get frustrated."
Tim Howard isn't sure Pep Guardiola would be happy long-term leading the USMNT
The former Everton goalkeeper wasn't trying to say that Guardiola only succeeded because he had great players, of course, but, as opposed to taking over the French or English teams, the Americans don't have the depth of quality that other nations do. Winning is far more difficult because the United States doesn't have a focus on real football.
Any manager with the pedigree of Guardiola could be frustrated by a lack of immediate or long-term high-end success. A national position isn't one that should be taken with a two-year outlook. The next World Cup is in 2030, which means Guardiola would have plenty of time to get his team in its best position to win, but the talent pool is still naturally lower than that of other countries.
Would Guardiola be happy knowing that four years from now, the USMNT's best hope is reaching the semifinals, and even that seems unlikely? That's a stretch.
At least the pieces have moved to allow the USMNT to make a heavy push to hire the former Man City legend. Michael Carrick has been let go at Manchester United, and former USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino will be replacing him. The US team has an opening, and Guardiola has ties to the nation, at least to a small degree.
Pep Guardiola lived in the United States in 2012 after leaving his manager position at Barcelona, and Guardiola appeared to enjoy living in New York City. That still doesn't mean he would happily go back to the US for several years to lead a team that almost certainly wouldn't win the 2030 World Cup despite the manager's tactical brilliance.
Ultimately, the United States Men's National Team needs Pep Guardiola more than Guardiola needs the USMNT. He could take the position, but Tim Howard is right. Guardiola could have buyer's remorse and want to leave the USMNT well before the next World Cup.
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