Three reasons Mauricio Pochettino will be Manchester United's next manager
Mauricio Pochettino is being strongly linked with the Manchester United role as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s replacement.
BBC Sport report Pochettino could even leave PSG immediately if approached, rather than wait out until the end of the season.
Whether that proves true or not, one way or another, Pochettino to United seems like the most likely scenario, now, or later.
Here is a look a three reasons why Pochettino to Manchester United is the most likely outcome.
RONALDO NEEDS TO STOP WHINING.
Pochettino’s stint at PSG was never built to last
PSG is the ultimate short-term job for managers, such is the club’s insatiable demand for a missing Champions League title.
This creates an almost impossibly high bar to achieve, and Pochettino is already under pressure after failing to win the Ligue 1 title last season, even though they are top of the league this season.
It was reported earlier this month by The Telegraph that Pochettino harboured ambitions to return to the Premier League
The Mail report Pochettino’s family are still based in the UK, which itself shows a lack of faith that the PSG job would ever be a long term solution.
Zinedine Zidane is a ready-made replacement for Pochettino at PSG, and he has the Champions League track record of success the owners crave, and may even be able to persuade Kylian Mbappe to stay.
Pochettino does not have control over transfers at PSG either, with sporting director Leonardo taking the decisions.
Sir Alex Ferguson has been an admirer for years
Pochettino to United has been speculated on for years. The Independent reported back in 2016 how he was actually ahead of Jose Mourinho as a candidate to replace Louis van Gaal – but Tottenham made sure a move was impossible.
The Argentine was then strongly linked in 2018, but was unavailable, and United never felt the timing was right when he was out of work.
United’s long-standing interest is backed by Sir Alex Ferguson, who still has a sway at the club, whether you like it or not.
Eurosport reported in 2017 how Pochettino and Ferguson had met privately for lunch, while the former United boss described him as ‘fantastic’ in an interview with The Evening Standard in 2016.
Ferguson’s admiration of Pochettino’s management and methods is likely to go a long way when it comes to discussions behind the scenes.
Pochettino is the right fit for United
Pochettino ticks many of the boxes United need, firstly with many years of Premier League experience.
His pressing style of football works in the modern game, and he will make sure United play with intensity.
Pochettino has a track record of bringing through young players, and this will fit in with United’s ethos.
He knows many of United’s players, having managed Luke Shaw at Southampton, and previously trying to sign Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes.
Pochettino would be a manager United could get behind on a long-term basis and really build around, and he also has a lot to prove. That hunger should motivate him to be successful.
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