Right. Let me get this straight. The United States of America are hosting a World Cup in a few months. Their golden boy, Christian Pulisic, can't hit a barn door. They've just lost back to back matches. And we're supposed to sit here nodding along while Pochettino tells us it's all fine because they're "not far away." Not far away from what, exactly? Another defeat?

Portugal rolled into Atlanta on Tuesday night and did what any half decent side would do against this American team. They outclassed them. 2-0. Comfortable as you like. Not even a particularly strong Portugal side either, let's be honest. And Pulisic? Anonymous. Again. The goal drought stretches on like a bad motorway roadwork. No end in sight.

In my day, if your best player wasn't scoring, you didn't stand in front of the cameras and say everything was nearly there. You said what needed saying. You pulled him aside. You had a word. You didn't wrap it up in cotton wool and marketing speak.

Look, I like Pulisic. I do. He's a talented lad. Works hard. Does his bit at club level more often than not. But international football is different. It strips you bare. There's nowhere to hide when the crowd's expecting miracles and your touch is off. And his touch has been off for a while now in a USA shirt. That's not a small detail. That's a big, screaming, flashing neon problem.

That's the problem with modern football. Everyone's so terrified of saying the obvious thing. Pochettino knows the truth. He managed Tottenham. He managed PSG. He's been around the block enough times to know when a team isn't clicking. But he can't say it, can he? Because the moment he says "we've got real problems," the American media machine goes into meltdown. So instead we get "not far away" and "small details." The same phrases managers have been using since the dawn of time when they haven't got a clue how to fix what's broken.

I managed a side that went 14 games without a win once. Kettering Town, 2009. Grim stuff. You know what I told the local paper? "We're rubbish at the moment and we need to sort it out." And you know what? We sorted it out. Because honesty is the first step. Not this "nearly there" nonsense.

The worry for America is that this isn't a one off bad night. This is a pattern. They're hosting the biggest tournament in the world this summer. The eyes of the planet will be on them. And right now their talisman looks like a man carrying the weight of an entire nation's expectations on shoulders that are starting to buckle.

Don't get me started on the defence either. Portugal carved through them like a Sunday roast. Two goals conceded and it could have been more. The midfield offered nothing in terms of protection. The whole setup looked like a team that's been told to "express themselves" without being given any actual structure to fall back on when things go wrong.

Home advantage will help. The crowds will be incredible. But you can't ride vibes all the way to a World Cup semi final. At some point you need goals. You need your best player firing. You need a system that doesn't collapse the moment a proper international side presses you.

Pochettino's a good manager. I'll give him that. But good managers tell the truth, even when it hurts. And the truth is this USA side aren't "not far away." They're miles off. And pretending otherwise won't change a thing.

Sort it out, Poch. The clock's ticking.