Former USMNT goalkeeper Brad Friedel sat down with The Action Network to discuss a range of major talking points across the Premier League and U.S. Soccer — from Liverpool’s title defence and Spurs’ relegation concerns to Christian Pulisic’s future and key USMNT selection calls.
Key Takeaways:
- Friedel calls “worst defending champions” claim premature
Believes it’s too early to judge Liverpool, pointing to potential success in the Champions League or FA Cup. - Backs Arne Slot and dismisses replacement talk
Says he’s “not even entertaining” the idea of a managerial change, stressing the importance of continuity after a turbulent season. - Identifies defensive midfield and centre-back as priority signings
Despite attacking links, Friedel believes Liverpool should focus on strengthening defensively. - Leans Adam Wharton over Elliott Anderson for Liverpool fit
Suggests Wharton better suits Liverpool’s needs, while raising concerns over Anderson’s potential transfer fee. - Questions Spurs’ mentality in a relegation fight
Believes Tottenham have the quality to stay up, but is “not so sure” they have the mindset required for a scrap. - Doubts Igor Tudor’s long-term future at Spurs
Says he would be “very surprised” if Tudor stays, unless results dramatically improve and clear progress is shown. - Insists Europe remains the best place for Christian Pulisic
Maintains that a move to MLS would be a step down competitively, with top European clubs still viable options. - Sees Matt Freese as current USMNT No.1
Says it’s “Freese’s to lose” heading into the World Cup, with the main battle now for the backup spot. - Backs Gio Reyna’s inclusion despite limited minutes
Highlights his “out-and-out quality” and believes he offers something unique when fully fit.
On claims Liverpool could be the “worst defending champions” in Premier League history
Q: Alan Shearer said that Liverpool could become the “worst defending champions” in PL history — what’s your take?
Brad Friedel:“By going into the money spent, that's probably where his comment comes from.
I think you have Blackburn and Leicester up there with the worst defending champions. I don't think it goes down to one of the worst EPL teams in history to back up a championship season.
We can't say that yet. If they get themselves into the top four, and let's just say, for instance, win the Champions League, then that's not such a bad season. The FA Cup is still on the cards too.
So I think it's a little bit premature to make a comment like that. Arne Slot was given an incredible squad and a great club chemistry that Jurgen Klopp left behind.
He’s won one league, made some changes, and the more time a manager like Arne Slot has in the Premier League, the better it is for the club that he's managing.
Every game, every week, every month is another learning experience to really know how to navigate through everything.
This shows you how special Guardiola’s run actually was. Staying on top of the Premier League is a really difficult thing to do.”
On Arne Slot’s future and Liverpool managerial speculation
Q: With rumours swirling around Arne Slot’s position — should Liverpool even be considering replacements?
BF: “I’m not even entertaining the idea of Arne Slot leaving, to be honest with you. I grew up a Liverpool supporter, I played for them, and I’ve played for many other clubs. But if I put my football hat on and leave my heart out of it for a little bit, I’m not one of the pundits or football intellectuals who even think we should be talking about changing the manager.
When you run a football club, you should always have backup plans in place — that’s the norm. But to actually think about pulling the trigger on it? I just don’t see it.
You’ve invested a lot of money in players that he was part of bringing into the club, and I think a lot of those players are very good players.
The Premier League is the hardest league to become accustomed to. There might be one club — Real Madrid — that is harder psychologically to go to, but from a league standpoint as a whole, the Premier League is the most difficult.
Sometimes it takes top-quality players time to settle. If you take one of the best ever in Mo Salah, his early time in the Premier League wasn’t incredible when he was at Chelsea.
I’m just not someone who’s thinking about changes. I think sticking with him and building continuity is the best idea.
If you think back to the summer, spending the money is one thing, but they also had quite a turbulent offseason. There was a lot going on in the media, turbulence with Newcastle around the Isak move, and then he got injured.
There was also quite a bit of turmoil with Mo Salah towards the end of last season, and with Trent as well. It wasn’t all smooth sailing.
When you have a lot of ‘football chaos’ going on, it’s much more difficult to get the squad solidified. I think there were other factors stifling their growth, and going into this summer, a lot of that should be gone.
Of course, there are a couple of positions they should look to strengthen, but I think they should be doing that with Arne Slot and his staff.”
Where Liverpool need to strengthen in the transfer window
Q: Which positions should Liverpool prioritise this summer?
BF: “There are three positions that Liverpool need to strengthen.
I think they should go for a defensive centre midfielder, another centre back, and they will need to add another attacking piece.
But you also have to take into account that they’ve paid a lot of money, and put a lot of resources and energy into getting Isak in. So how will he fit in with Ekitike?
Maybe they have to bring in one if Salah goes, and you’re right about Diaz — because he did a lot of work off the ball that went unnoticed. People probably notice that now he’s not there.
So maybe they need someone who does a lot of that extra work, but I’d like to see a really top defensive midfielder and one more centre back come in.
I think that would help the team a lot. They do have a lot of attacking options, but personally I would focus more on those two areas.”
Elliott Anderson vs Adam Wharton
Q: Which midfielder would better suit Liverpool — Elliott Anderson or Adam Wharton?
BF: “I like them. I like them both. I would worry a little bit about the transfer fee for Elliott Anderson, in terms of what they would actually ask for him. Is that necessarily going to be value for money in the end? Because you still have to consider football as a business.
With Wharton, it probably fits the style of what I think they need a little bit more.
But they’re both excellent players. We’re really just picking the bones out of two top players and getting into the finer details.
I don’t know what Nottingham Forest are thinking at this moment in time. I’ve heard some crazy figures — in the seventies, eighties, even a hundred million — things like that. I don’t know where they would end up, but you have to take that into consideration.
I’ve also followed a centre back at Inter quite often. I think Bastoni is a really good player, and I think he could adapt to the Premier League. Would Villa strike a deal for Konsa? He knows the Premier League very well.
On centre backs, I don’t know what all the finances are, but there are some players out there who could do a very good job and join an already excellent squad that Liverpool has.”
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On Spurs’ mentality in a relegation battle
Q: Do Tottenham have the mentality required for a relegation fight?
BF: “Let’s look at it this way: do they have the quality of players to survive a Premier League relegation scrap, or to avoid relegation altogether? Yes. Do they have the quality where they shouldn’t even be in a relegation scrap? Yes.
Do they have the mentality for a relegation fight? I’m not so sure.
I think the away match at Liverpool probably came at the perfect time, because it was more of a ‘glamour’ tie than a ‘roll your sleeves up’ kind of game. I also liked what I saw against Atletico Madrid — they had a different tactical approach, especially being up 5-2 — and at least in the last two games you saw a bit of fight.
However, those were both big global games that these players were signed for.
Now we come to a real three-pointer at home against Nottingham Forest, with a very nervous home crowd. These are the games where we’ll really find out if they have the mentality. For Tottenham’s sake, I really hope they do.
When Tottenham were signing players, they were doing so with Champions League football, Europa League football, and top-six finishes in mind. That’s the mentality of the players they brought in.
When you find yourself in a relegation fight, it’s a completely different, almost chemical, makeup in your mind. The first sideways pass, the first backwards pass, the first mistake, the first foul — you’re going to have the fans on edge. You need players who are used to that, and players who can fight through it.
When you look at the squad, in terms of players who play a lot of minutes, I think Solanke is used to it — he could probably deal with it. Another one is Ben Davies, although he doesn’t play that often. The others — I’m not saying they can’t do it — but it’s largely untested territory for them.
So these are the games that really worry me. They do, because these are the mental matches.
Now, we could be sitting here after the weekend and Tottenham win 3-0, the turmoil fades away, and they finish mid-table — and then everyone asks what all the fuss was about.
The good news is they won their first game under Tudor and stopped a losing run with that result at Anfield. So at least they have some confidence to build on now, because they didn’t have anything to build on over the previous couple of months. It was just turmoil after turmoil, press conference after press conference, and pundit after pundit criticising them.
It was tough. Now they’ve at least had a week of somewhat positive reviews, and hopefully they can take that into the Nottingham Forest match. But these are the matches that really worry me because these are the mental tests.”
Q: Should Tudor stay if he keeps Spurs up?
Q: Should Tudor stay if he keeps Spurs up?
BF: “I would find it very surprising if he stayed. But in any team sport, once a manager gets it and things click, and you see that on a day-to-day basis, that can change people’s minds.
So if he looks back and says, ‘those first four or five weeks, I got it wrong — and this is why,’ and then corrects it… let’s say they go on and win the rest of their games between now and the end of the season, then there has to be an argument to keep him.
We spoke about it earlier — it’s hard for players in the Premier League, but it’s hard for head coaches too.
You have to get used to it. You don’t have time on the ball. You don’t have much rest between matches. There are a lot of fixtures. The television companies don’t care if you’ve got a Champions League game — you’re still playing your Premier League match at the time they’ve set.
There are also differences for foreign coaches that you have to adjust to. The way you speak to the media, the way messages land with English supporters compared to Italian or German supporters — it’s not the same.
So it takes some getting used to.
Right now, if you’re asking me whether he stays, I’d say no. But if he gets it, things click, and you start to see real building blocks, then you keep him.
The only people who really know that are the ones inside the training ground every day.”
On Christian Pulisic’s future
Q: You called a Pulisic return to MLS a "terrible idea." Where should Christian Pulisic be playing?
BF: “I believe that comment I made was in reference to before the World Cup — is that accurate? So I’ll stand by that.
Christian is one of the players — when I was head coach of the Under-19 national team, he was already up with the senior team under Jurgen Klinsmann. I was also an assistant with the Under-20s. I’ve never actually come across Christian in a camp, so I don’t know what he’s like personally, other than watching him play.
And he is a very, very good player. He seems to have had a lot of injuries, so I don’t know where his body is at. But the best football is in Europe. That’s where the best football is.
Coming back to MLS, if he did, would maybe be an easier league mentally and physically. I’m not trying to be harsh on MLS, but that’s just where it is at. I really don’t know, after the World Cup, where his mind and body will be.
If he wants to play at the top level, I think there are plenty of teams in Europe that would want his signature. If he mentally wants to do it, then I feel he should stay in Europe.
I think his performances in Italy have been far better than his performances on a consistent basis compared to Chelsea. So maybe he wants to come back to the Premier League and prove himself, and show that he can do it there consistently.
One of the comments he made was that life off the field in Italy was a little bit easier, so that’s something in England he would have to adapt to again.
With someone as technically gifted as him, it’s all about what’s in his heart and soul — what he wants to do.
If he does want to give it another go, I’m sure there are some top teams in the Premier League that would really look to sign him. If he’s a free transfer, then there’ll be even more teams interested.
So let’s see how the World Cup goes. But as far as the individual, unfortunately I don’t know him personally, so I don’t know where he stands.
I’ve played with a lot of players where, at an early age, their bodies were already breaking down and you knew they were heading towards an easier league or retirement.
I’m not suggesting Christian should retire, by the way — I’m just saying that sometimes bodies don’t withstand it. Hopefully that’s not the case, because he’s one of the US’s best players.”
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Matt Freese vs Matt Turner
Q: Who should start in goal for the USMNT at the World Cup?
BF: “This latest camp — you have Matt Freese, who I believe at this stage is the number one.
You have an outstanding young goalkeeper, Chris Brady, who over the last two seasons — the last 18 months especially — has gotten better and better.
The way that I read this situation is that they also called in Celentano for the latest camp. There aren’t too many other camps going into the World Cup, so I think it’s Freese’s to lose.
The fight is on for who the number two would be — that’s how I read it.
I could be wrong, and there are obviously injury concerns that could always creep up, but that’s how I look at it at this moment in time.
I don’t think, for the number one spot, it’s much of a talking point right now. But you never know.
Toni Jiménez, the goalkeeping coach, and Mauricio — you have to stay on your toes all the time. You can come out of favour quickly as well. So that’s how I read the situation.”
On Gio Reyna’s inclusion despite limited minutes
Q: Is Gio Reyna’s lack of club minutes a concern?
BF: “Gio — this is one of the most unfortunate cases. From the U15 national teams and when he was at NYCFC, he has always been one of the best in his age group that the US has had.
Truly unfortunate injuries have really taken their toll on his consistent playing time. He continues to get contracts with good clubs in top-five leagues because he’s good — he’s a really good player when he is fully fit.
And he offers something different to the other players that could be involved in the squad. This is an assumption, but normally Mauricio would want his players to be playing and getting consistent minutes.
There are going to be a couple of exceptions to that rule, I would think, based on leadership and just out-and-out quality. Gio has the out-and-out quality.
Someone like Tyler Adams has the out-and-out leadership, so even if he has injury concerns — because Tyler is hugely influential off the field — he can still be involved.
So if there’s a spark that Gio is at or near his best, I could definitely see him included, because he has a quality that a lot of other US players don’t have.
I hate seeing him get injured, because you can just tell in his game — when he is fully fit, he glides around the pitch. He’s really graceful to watch, and fun to watch.
It’s just a shame that injuries have taken their toll. So hopefully for him, I really hope it goes well. I hope he gets himself into the squad, because he also had that unfortunate situation off the field with the parents, and he didn’t need any of that going on.
Gio’s a nice kid. I’m sure he just wants to be injury-free and play football. So let’s see — let’s hope it happens. He’s a good player. He’s one of the best we have in the US when fully fit. So let’s see what happens.”
