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Despite taking a remarkably long time to pull the trigger on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United may not need to wait too long for a replacement.
The Red Devils have been linked with a host of names ranging from German tactician Ralf Rangnick to serial winner Zinedine Zidane. However, it looks increasingly likely that a familiar name - Mauricio Pochettino - could take up the role as Manchester United's next manager.
Manchester United have always admired Mauricio Pochettino
In a surprising twist, Mauricio Pochettino of PSG has become the frontrunner to take up the reins at Old Trafford. On paper, it looks like a dream fit. Manchester United have had their eyes on the Argentinian coach since 2016, when he shared a very public lunch with Sir Alex Ferguson. The admiration is mutual, with Pochettino reportedly a huge fan of The Red Devils' legendary coach.
With a solid track record in English football and a desire to be part of a long-term project, Manchester United and Mauricio Pochettino could be the perfect marriage. However, there are reasons for The Red Devils to be cautious before appointing the current PSG boss as their next head coach.
There are convincing reasons why Pochettino should be named the next Manchester United manager. However, the flip side is also true. Pochettino may not be the man Manchester United are looking for. On that note, here are five reasons why that could be the case:
#5 Mauricio Pochettino's trophy haul doesn't inspire confidence
Mauricio Pochettino's biggest criticism is that his teams have faltered at the business end of tournaments.
Despite building an excellent squad at Tottenham Hotspur, his team had no silverware to show for that. Pochettino's Spurs side finished second in the 2016-17 Premier League, and lost to Liverpool in an all-English 2019 Champions League final.
Pochettino lost three of his four semi-finals with Spurs, including the final of the Carabao Cup in his first season with the club. His first trophy came with PSG earlier this year, 12 years after his managerial debut.
It throws up memories of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, whose failure to win a trophy in nearly three years with Manchester United played a huge role in his sacking. The Red Devils struggled in the later stages of tournaments under the Norwegian, losing the 2021 Europa League final along with four other semi-final defeats.
#4 Pochettino's recent track record as manager
Despite five stable and excellent seasons with Tottenham Hotspur, Mauricio Pochettino's reign in London fell apart rather abruptly.
Spurs' run to the 2019 Champions League final often masks the fact that they were in proper relegation form in the Premier League for large swathes. They lost an alarming eight of their last 12 league games, winning only twice in the final third of the season.
Their wretched form continued the following campaign, as Spurs won just three of their first 12 league games to languish in 14th place, and Pochettino was fired.
More recently, his PSG side lost the 2020-21 Ligue 1 title to Lille. However, it is unfair to place all the blame on Pochettino for that, as he came in midway through the season after Thomas Tuchel endured a wretched start to the campaign.
PSG have recovered this campaign, and are currently 11 points clear at the top of Ligue 1. But their impressive league form has been accompanied by criticism about a lack of defined style or structure and a reliance on moments of individual brilliance.
There's a perception that, post the 2019 Champions League final defeat, Pochettino's last 18 months as a manager with Spurs and PSG have not been up to scratch. That is something United will need to be wary of before appointing him as their next manager.
#3 Manchester United's hierarchy could bring back bad memories for Mauricio Pochettino
Manchester United and Mauricio Pochettino both have a history of conflict with club executives.
The Argentinian manager had a massive fallout with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy towards the end of his stint in London. Pochettino was reportedly infuriated after Levy refused to invest in the squad, among a host of other off-field issues.
More recently, the coach has also had a difference of opinion with PSG sporting director Leonardo Araujo, who is notoriously difficult to work with. Meanwhile, Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward hasn't covered himself in glory either after falling out with Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.
Woodward also infamously botched Manchester United's attempts to lure Jurgen Klopp back in 2014 after describing Old Trafford as 'an adult version of Disneyland'. Pochettino has had a bit of trouble with club executives in recent times, and should rightly be concerned about Manchester United's much-maligned board.
#4 Mauricio Pochettino has struggled to manage superstars
Having Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe at your disposal might seem like a dream come true. But it also throws up unique challenges, as Mauricio Pochettino has learned the hard way.
While discussing the challenges of handling superstar players, Pochettino pointed out that off-field baggage makes things challenging.
"We manage people with emotions; everyone's behaviour is not a flat line. It's a succession of ups and downs. One is happy, another is hurt, one is performing well, another not. We must not forget that we have in our hands the best players in the world, but also their families, their media entourages, their followers. It's not easy," he said last week.
"Each of the three can be the king of any club in the world. But you have three kings in the same club, three with different needs and who need different things from the team. Mbappe needs space to run and high tempo in the transition. Neymar needs to have the ball and feel the ball, and sometimes he needs to drive the ball. And Messi needs maybe another tempo in the game. That is not easy to put all together," Pochettino added.
In his decade-long managerial spell, Pochettino's year-long stint at PSG has been his first real taste of managing superstar players. If his recent comments are anything to go by, he's still getting accustomed to it.
Eyebrows were raised earlier this year when Pochettino surprisingly took Lionel Messi off while PSG were chasing a game. The playmaker wasn't impressed, and made his displeasure known when he trudged off.
With big personalities such as Paul Pogba and Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford, Pochettino is expected to handle superstars at Manchester United too. Although the situation at PSG is much more complicated, managing Manchester United's stacked and expensive squad would be anything but easy.
#1 Is Pochettino in the same bracket as the Premier League's elite quartet?
There is no denying that Mauricio Pochettino is a good manager. The problem is that Manchester United are competing against the best in the business.
Despite his impressive stints at Southampton and Tottenham, it is impossible to mention Pochettino in the same breath as Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte. The quartet, along with Diego Simeone of Atletico Madrid and the unemployed Zinedine Zidane, are the world's premier club managers.
The Frenchman has been mentioned as an option, but has shown no interest in taking up the job at Manchester United.
Yes, Pochettino is the best option available at the moment, but football is a funny game, and things can change in the blink of an eye. However, Manchester United do not seem to have much choice as things currently stand.
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