"He seems like a strong character with a real personality" - Alex McLeish tells Manchester United to appoint former Premier League coach as new manager

Former Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish has picked Mauricio Pochettino as the ideal manager to lead Manchester United from next season onwards.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, McLeish said the following about United's next permanent manager:

“However, I still really like the thought of Pochettino at Man United. He’s got the experience of managing in the Premier League. I would go for him, because he seems like a strong character with a real personality. It seems like the players really like him and want to play for him. Now that’s not to say that Luis Enrique doesn’t have those qualities, but I just don’t know enough about him. Pochettino is a proven quantity in England – he’d be my choice.”

Manchester United decided to part ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November following a string of poor results in the league. United went on to appoint Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis until the end of the season.

United are in search of a new permanent manager to appoint after the 2021-22 season. Various names have been put forward for the soon-to-be vacant post at Old Trafford.

According to The Athletic, the Red Devils have four names on their shortlist, including Mauricio Pochettino, Julen Lopetegui, Erik Ten Hag and Luis Enrique.

Out of the four names, only Mauricio Pochettino has previous Premier League experience. The current PSG manager was previously the manager of Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur. The 49-year-old tactician guided Spurs to the 2019 Champions League final.

How have Manchester United performed under Ralf Rangnick?

Manchester United had a slow start to life under the management of Ralf Rangnick. However, the Red Devils have started to pick up some form lately as they mount a charge to secure a top-four finish.

Prior to the ongoing international break, United picked up two consecutive wins against Brentford and West Ham United. As things stand, Manchester United have entered the top four of the Premier League for the first time since Ralf Rangnick's appointment. They have accumulated 38 points from 22 matches so far this season.

However, it is worth mentioning that both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are just two points behind United and have games in hand.

It was not all rosy under Rangnick for Manchester United. The Red Devils had disappointing performances recently against the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa. United suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Wolves at Old Trafford before squandering a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 against Aston Villa.