USA legend Clint Dempsey has claimed Mauricio Pochettino has not ‘progressed’ the country’s national team since his arrival. The Argentine has been at the reins since the summer having surprisingly moved into international management. Despite a bright start to his stint in charge with five wins from his opening six games, results have taken a downturn since. The US were beaten by Panama in the Concacaf Nations League semi-finals earlier this month, the first time they have failed to win the trophy. They then fell to a less than inspiring 2-1 defeat to Canada in a third-placed playoff on Sunday evening. And Dempsey has issued a worrying assessment of the US under Pochettino, claiming they have remained stagnant for almost three years. Speaking on commentary, he said: “I mean the thing that is frustrating for me is that we haven't progressed as a team since 2022. It was looking like we were going on and build from there and we haven't. Especially considering going into a World Cup in 2026. It's not looking good for the US.” And while Dempsey has concerns, Pochettino has attempted to calm fears that his side won’t be ready for next year’s tournament. He claimed that he still has time to work out their issues and fix them ahead of the World Cup getting underway. "It's better [to lose] now because I think we have time," he said after the defeat to Canada. "Because if we will be in this situation in one year time, for sure. I will tell you, 'Houston, we have a problem. SOS.'" "We are all [disappointed] and the fans need to feel the disappointment that we didn't win. But I'm not going to allow [us] to feel pessimistic because I think we have good players. We are going to find a way to perform and for sure we are going to compete in a different way." Pochettino has a contract with the US until the end of the World Cup but already appears to have decided on his next steps. The Argentine has expressed his desire to one day return to former club Tottenham . Who will win next year's World Cup? Share your predictions in the comments below Speaking to Mirror Football , Pochettino said: “I am going to repeat. In the bottom of my heart I still feel the same. I would like one day to come back. Not because of my ego it's because my feeling is I would like one day to win with Tottenham. “I think now Tottenham is a club with an expectation to win because if you see the facilities – training ground or stadium – now you can see it is about winning trophies. That is why I would like one day to come back. “But if that doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. With all the possibilities again to build something special, that is my feeling and it didn’t change. It's six years since we left and it's always going to be a special club for me.” Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.