Goodbye Chelsea, hello Manchester United? Mauricio Pochettino‘s surprise midweek departure from London caused uproar amongst Blues supporters, but it also provoked murmurings in England’s northwest as United fans again found themselves being linked with a possible move for the Argentine.
Erik ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford seems to be all but over ahead of their FA Cup final against rivals Man City on Saturday afternoon, with reports claiming the Dutchman will be sacked no matter the result.
Amongst the names mentioned as successors to ten Hag are recently-departed Bayern Munich and ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, England coach Gareth Southgate, free agent Zinedine Zidane and Ipswich chief – formerly Man United assistant – Kieran McKenna. Pochettino’s newfound availability now puts him in the frame as well.
However, this is a road that has often been tread before by the 13-time Premier League champions and United supporters can be permitted to feel like they are going through another cycle of deja vu as anticipation grows that Pochettino could finally arrive at Old Trafford.
Whenever one manager leaves their post at United, Pochettino’s name is usually mentioned as a replacement contender. Now, after a short stint at Chelsea, he is again in the frame. But have the stars finally aligned for him to finally get a chance at England’s biggest club?
Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea departure means he is now perfectly poised to join Man United
Pochettino (right) could succeed Erik ten Hag (left) at Old Trafford if the Dutchman leaves
Pochettino has long been an admirer of Manchester United and is now a free agent
United legend Sir Alex Ferguson (left) previously hailed Pochettino’s managerial ability
United legend Sir Alex Ferguson was the first to tip Pochettino for his former job three years ago.
His recommendation came when the club were searching for their third permanent manager since his departure after sacking Louis van Gaal in the wake of FA Cup title triumph over Crystal Palace . How ironic it would be if they departed ways with another Dutchman following this weekend’s trophy clash.
Rewind to 2016 and Pochettino was one of Europe’s most-wanted tacticians after transforming Tottenham into a team that would later challenge for the Premier League and Champions League, eventually falling short in both competitions.
Ferguson shared a dinner with Pochettino at Scott’s restaurant in the swanky London suburb of Mayfair and while Spurs were aware of the above-board interaction, it came at a time when the United legend had recently raved about the south American.
‘The manager [Pochettino] has been fantastic,’ said Ferguson two months before they shared a meal.
‘They have a bad record of managers, there is no doubt about that. They have had so many over the years.
‘But this lad has composure. You never see him ruffled and the way his team play is a testimony to the work he is doing,’ he added.
The Argentine went on to stay in his position at Spurs and United appointed Jose Mourinho – a relationship that itself soured after just two-and-a-half seasons.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy later decided to sack Pochettino in 2019 less than six months after he guided Spurs to the Champions League final where they were beaten by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and he left English football to take up the reigns at PSG.
The Argentine was previously tipped to join United before Jose Mourinho (right) took the job
Pochettino’s final season at Paris again saw him linked with making the move to PSG
Pochettino left Chelsea in a surprise departure after just one season at Stamford Bridge
The timings never worked out for him to take charge in Manchester until, eventually, a move looked likely when the 52-year-old was in his final season at the Parisian club and United found themselves searching for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s replacement.
It was a confusing time at Old Trafford both on and off the pitch as a team featuring Cristiano Ronaldo endured a miserable season and changes behind the scenes were also taking place as former chief executive Ed Woodward announced his departure and Richard Arnold was tasked with picking the club’s next manager.
Ferguson again voiced his argument that Pochettino could be the ideal choice, despite failing to convince at PSG and struggling to get the best out of the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
Gary Neville also heaped pressure on United to open talks with Pochettino, telling Sky Sports at the time: ‘I think Mauricio Pochettino – although he’d never say it – he’d leave to come to Man United on a five-year deal tomorrow.
‘He’d look at that group of players, he’d look at the club and he’d realise he’d probably be able to achieve more than he wants at Man United in terms of a project.
‘At PSG you are on season by season. ‘You’ve got to win the Champions League or you’re out’ type of model. I don’t think that suits Pochettino.
‘I think he would absolutely come to Man Utd on a five-year deal, with backing behind him. How he’d fit in with the current coaches who are still there and left, I’m not sure.
‘Manchester United have to make sure they get the next one right. Even if that means being patient for six months to wait for managers to become available at the end of the season.’
The 52-year-old has long held admirers at Man United
Arnold eventually ignored the advice of Ferguson and Neville and sided with interim manager Ralf Rangnick who believed Ten Hag was the best available option.
Fast forward to present day and United find themselves in an almost identical position to what they were prior to Ten Hag joining from Ajax.
Now he is the one in the frame for the axe, with many believing not even the FA Cup can save the Dutchman’s future at the club and Pochettino is waiting in the wings as he decides his next move.
If you had mentioned Pochettino joining United midway through the season then it most likely would have been Chelsea fans cheering and Red Devils supporters fuming.
Despite, Ten Hag’s squad being battered by injuries and performing well below-par, they remained above Chelsea for the majority of the season before Pochettino got his stuttering side firing on all cylinders and overtaking United during the end-of-season run-in to finish in the Europa League places.
Pochettino was hailed for his ability to develop young English talents such as Harry Kane
Man United’s current crop of young stars include Kobbie Mainoo (left) Amad Diallo (middle) and Alejandro Garnacho (right)
Now he looks like a serious contender for the job, if United do decide to part ways with Ten Hag.
Pochettino loves English football. He had worked with the likes of Harry Kane, Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher who have all been picked as part of Gareth Southgate‘s provisional squad for the upcoming European Championship and boasts a track record of developing young English talents.
That is one of the must-have skills to succeed as a Man United head coach with the club proud of their ability to turn academy talents into world class stars and something Pochettino has proved he is more than capable of doing.
He also possesses a reputation as being one of the best man-managers in European football and it was no surprise to hear that Chelsea stars who had formed deep relationships with him were stunned after it was announced he was leaving Stamford Bridge following just one season.
Ten Hag’s future as Manchester United manager is believed to be hanging by a thread
In fairness, Ten Hag has also worked wonders with United’s breakthrough stars during an injury-riddled campaign.
Alejandro Garnacho is a first-team regular and part of Argentina’s national team, Kobbie Mainoo has nailed down a starting spot in midfield and is a fully-fledged England international, while Rasmus Hojlund also reached double digits for Premier League goals during his debut campaign.
The reservations over appointing Pochettino mostly relate to his lack of silverware achievements. Should Ten Hag win the FA Cup then he will have won more top honours in two seasons at United than the Argentine has in his entire managerial career.
If trophies are the measure of success then Tuchel and Zidane would be more suitable candidates, but there is an allure at Old Trafford surrounding Pochettino that just won’t go away and that will constantly remain until he is rightly or wrongly given a chance to showcase his skill.