Ex-USMNT player Tab Ramos’ harsh words for American talent development: ‘The coaching has to be better’

Former U.S. men’s national team player and youth coach Tab Ramos said there’s room for improvement as it pertains to developing American coaches, one of several pain points U.S. Soccer has fielded in recent years as the nation aims to break into the upper echelons of the men’s game.

Coaching has been a particular area of focus in recent months for the USMNT, who swapped Gregg Berhalter for Mauricio Pochettino over the summer after the team’s group stage exit at the Copa America forced a rethink ahead of the 2026 World Cup on home soil. For former U-20 USMNT head coach Ramos, though, coaching issues also exist at the youth levels because of a rigid mandate from those at the top.

“The coaching has to be better but you have to remember, coaches in this country are as educated as anywhere in the world,” Ramos said on the latest episode of Kickin’ It, CBS Sports Golazo Network‘s interview show. “It has to get better but when your general direction is, ‘We have to play out of the back no matter what. We have to play 4-3-3 no matter what,’ you’re very limited.”

Ramos’ criticism was more focused on the limited encouragement for innovation rather than the actual tactical vision for the youth and senior national teams.

“At the youth national teams, we used to have a style of play and it was, in general, a 4-3-3, high press because high press, I felt like it fits the kind of people that we are,” Ramos said. “I continue to feel that, by the way. If it were me, I’d high press the whole game, all the time and yeah, sometimes you’re going to lose 5-0. Yeah, you’re going to lose, but most of the time, your players are going to be happy because the American player is willing to work and willing to go after teams and in particular, the American player loves to be the underdog and so I think that really fit our personality.”

This is the latest batch of constructive criticism from Ramos in recent months, most notably in the wake of Berhalter’s firing. He was one of many who suggested that U.S. Soccer hire a foreign coach to replace Berhalter, which the federation did with Pochettino. The Argentine manager will be coaching a national team for the first time after a decade-plus coaching in the Premier League, Ligue 1 and La Liga.

“I hope we go after an international coach,” Ramos said, per Soccer America. “We just need somebody to come in for 18 months who knows the World Cup and can prepare this team the best he can to give this team the best shot at having a great World Cup. That’s it. No learning-on-the-job person. Someone who has been there and done that. Win as much as possible at the World Cup, and then we will see what happens. After the World Cup, if U.S. Soccer chooses, we can embark on another ‘project’ with analytics, presentations, and all of the new buzzwords that there will be in 2026 to show how we will develop into the future. But, right now, with a World Cup at home we need to win games.”

The USMNT return to play on Oct. 12 against Panama, when Pochettino will take charge of the team for the first time since he was officially hired this month.