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Just two days have passed since Manchester United parted ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. But reports indicate that United's search for a new manager may not be a long one.
It seems as though it could be third time lucky for PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino. He has been close to joining Manchester United on a few occasions.
Mauricio Pochettino could join Manchester United sooner than expected
Manchester United's recent statement says that the club is looking to appoint a permanent manager at the end of the ongoing season. Zinedine Zidane's availability, though, offers PSG and the Red Devils a chance to change managers earlier than either party would have expected.
Pochettino joined PSG during the Ligue 1 winter break last year. Although the Premier League doesn't halt midway through the campaign, the French league does.
With Pochettino's return to English shores looking increasingly likely, here's a look at why his appointment at Manchester United should be the way forward. Here are five reasons why the Argentinean is the right man for the Manchester United job.
#5 Pochettino has worked wonders with wing-backs
Attacking full-backs and wing-backs have become the template for Premier League success over the last few seasons.
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson put goals on a platter as Liverpool won the Champions League and the Premier League in successive seasons. Guardiola's innovation means Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker offer Manchester City an extra channel of attack even through the middle.
Reece James and Ben Chilwell are threatening to outscore Chelsea's strikers as The Blues sit atop the Premier League table.
Meanwhile, Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have two assists and no goals between them across competitions for Manchester United this season.
During his time at Tottenham Hotspur, Mauricio Pochettino built his team's ball-progression around the movement and delivery of Kieran Trippier. He has coaxed goals and assists out of Achraf Hakimi at PSG.
If Manchester United are to have any kind of success, they need much better attacking output from their full-backs. Pochettino's track record suggests he could be the man to help them achieve it.
#4 Pochettino could fix Manchester United's 'pressing' problem
Watching Manchester United press outside of possession has been a laborious task this season. Bruno Fernandes often wages a solitary, losing battle while pressuring opponents, doing more harm than good despite his noble intentions. Manchester United's record of three clean sheets in their last 25 games is beyond abysmal, and the rot starts up front.
The Premier League's elite teams are all fabulous outside of possession. Jurgen Klopp's 'Gegenpress', N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic's industry, and Manchester City's harrowing press have all led their teams to silverware. Pochettino, though, has learnt from the very best.
The PSG boss had a successful playing career, and was discovered and mentored by a certain Marcelo Bielsa. Pressing is at the heart of the legendary Leeds United coach's philosophy.
His Leeds side run faster, harder and further than any other team in the league. Pochettino is not too different. It is well known that his training sessions are intensely severe, and that he sets his teams up to press from the front.
At Manchester United, he will be tasked with fixing a unit that is disjointed, chaotic and frankly confused about a key element of Premier League football. But Pochettino has the attributes to fix that aspect.
#3 Mauricio Pochettino could be the long-term manager Manchester United are craving for
It is no secret that Manchester United have been looking for a long-term manager ever since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013. However, that has not materialised. The Red Devils have employed four permanent managers in almost nine years, changing them every two seasons.
Mauricio Pochettino has been very vocal about building projects at the clubs he works at. He spent over three years at Espanyol and over five years at Tottenham Hotspur. Sandwiched between the two stints was an 18-month spell at Southampton. There, Pochettino had excellent results and departed on amicable terms.
On paper, Pochettino offers the prospect of a long-term project at Old Trafford that names such as Zidane and Conte do not. It remains to be seen whether Manchester United's notoriously unhelpful board and management would allow Pochettino to bring his plans to fruition.
#2 Pochettino has experience of working with difficult boards
Manchester United's board of directors, which includes executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and owners Joel and Avram Glazer, have often come under scathing criticism. Considered to be obsessed with the commercial aspects of the club, they have been accused of not prioritising football and on-field performances.
The club's hierarchy has also been at odds with Manchester United's previous managers. Louis van Gaal was practically sacked on the spot after winning the FA Cup, while Jose Mourinho accused the board of failing to back him in the transfer market.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was then allowed to spend a significant sum of money that didn't lead to any trophies.
Fortunately for Manchester United fans, Mauricio Pochettino has an extensive history of working with difficult executives. Tottenham Hotspur supremo Daniel Levy is notoriously stingy in the transfer market. His refusal to invest in the Spurs squad eventually led to Pochettino leaving White Hart Lane in 2019.
Meanwhile, Leonardo Araujo of PSG has made it a habit of clashing with his managers, and his relationship with Pochettino is reportedly already strained. The Argentine is one of the few top-level managers who could potentially coexist with a board that is perceived by fans as incompetent.
#1 Pochettino is the best available option for Manchester United right now
Despite Manchester United's disastrous form over the last month, they still boast a stacked squad. While a title challenge is a pipedream now, The Red Devils are top of their Champions League group, and could make a run at the FA Cup. There is a sense that this season is not beyond salvage.
While there has been talk of appointing an interim manager, Mauricio Pochettino's immediate availability could change things. The alternate options in Manchester United's reported list are either not interested (Zinedine Zidane), or unwilling to make a switch midway through the season (Ajax's Erik ten Hag).
Pochettino has prior Premier League experience, a good track record with youth and has been involved in top-of-the-table title races. Most importantly, if reports are to be believed, he is willing to take up the United job immediately. This one feels like a no-brainer for a club that cannot afford to get another managerial decision wrong.
Poll : Is Mauricio Pochettino the right manager for Manchester United?
Yes
No, they should wait till the summer
79 votes
