Tim Howard believes that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has ‘ruined football in all ways’ with his tactics.
The former Manchester United and Everton goalkeeper thinks other teams are trying to copy Guardiola’s system and making a hash of it.
Howard, who amassed 121 appearances for the United States, has advised Mauricio Pochettino to focus on a solid defensive structure before fancy football.
The 45-year-old pundit completed a January transfer to Mail Sport, becoming DailyMail.com’s resident sports columnist in New York, and writes largely about football on both sides of the pond.
‘I think what happened was in all ways, Pep Guardiola has ruined football,’ Howard told Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville’s new podcast It’s Called Soccer.
Pep Guardiola has ‘ruined football’, claims former Man United and Everton star Tim Howard
Howard believes other teams are trying unsuccessfully to imitate Guardiola’s teams
‘Not everyone can play’ the ‘expansive football’ that Guardiola has established, says Howard
‘Pep Guardiola has taught everybody that they can play expansive football. They can’t.
‘Not everybody can do it, three teams in the world can do it really well.
‘What Gregg Berhalter did (when he managed the USA) was — you look back at my generation, we were just a bunch of tough, rugged guys. We had a couple of match-winners. He got this team to believe they could compete and be expansive and play well in the forward areas.
‘I think you have to be resolute at times. And when you look at Pochettino’s best teams, on his Tottenham teams it was two banks of four plus two at the top.
‘And then when they broke, they broke with four players, they allowed them to express themselves. Ultimately, they were rock-solid defensively, or at least tried to be.
‘And so I think if [Pochettino] starts to instil that resoluteness defensively, they have enough players in the forward areas where they can be dangerous.’
Pochettino was confirmed as the USA’s new boss on September 10, taking over from Berhalter, who was fired after a disastrous Copa America campaign that saw the USA become the first host nation in history to be eliminated in the group stages.
The former Tottenham, PSG, and Chelsea manager will lead the USMNT into a home World Cup in 2026.
Howard was unveiled as DailyMail.com’s sports columnist in January and has written widely
He offers his opinions on the big talking points in sport multiple times per month
Howard has advised Mauricio Pochettino to ensure the USA are defensively stable first of all
‘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,’ said Pochettino.
‘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.’
With Pochettino hired to run the USMNT, it means both Chelsea’s men’s and women’s first-team managers from last season are now at the helm of the senior US national teams after Emma Hayes was hired to the US women’s national team.
