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Mark Goldbridge has boldly ranked Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino as the worst of four Premier League coaches while Manchester United's Erik ten Hag topped the list.
Pochettino has been at Stamford Bridge since July 2023 and many expected the Argentine coach to impress. He'd earned plaudits for implementing an exciting brand of football at Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton during his previous spells in English football.
However, Pochettino has come under pressure for failing to lift Chelsea out of their gloomy period in the post-Roman Abramovich era. His Blues who sit 11th in the league are at risk of missing out on European football for the second consecutive season.
Ten Hag has similarly been feeling the heat at Manchester United this season. The Dutch coach impressed during his debut campaign at Old Trafford, overseeing a third-placed finish and a Carabao Cup triumph.
However, the Red Devils have regressed this season and arguably lack a playing identity. Ten Hag won fans over with his exciting playing philosophy during his time in charge of Eredivisie giants Ajax which United have yet to display.
Ten Hag's men are sixth in the league, six points off fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur. The fifth place looks set to grant its finishing team UEFA Champions League football.
Goldbridge was tasked with ranking Chelsea's Pochettino, Manchester United's Ten Hag, Brighton & Hove Albion's Roberto De Zerbi, and Newcastle United's Eddie Howe (via Goldbridge Saves Football podcast):
"I think Ten Hag one. It's tough two, three and four because they're very close together. I think Eddie Howe's done a great job at Newcastle so I'd put him number two."
Howe has transformed Newcastle into a top-four contender and entered the job back in November 2021 while they were relegation candidates. He guided the Magpies to Champions League qualification last season for the first time in 20 years.
Goldbridge ranked De Zerbi over Pochettino by alluding to the past two seasons:
"I'd probably put De Zerbi over Pochettino just on the last two seasons. Pochettino should be the best of all four but I think he's fallen off massively."
De Zerbi has been a massive hit since taking over at the Amex. His possession-based football has earned rave reviews and he took the Seagulls to UEFA Europa League football this season. The Italian has been linked with Chelsea and Manchester United with question marks over Pochettino and Ten Hag.
Manchester United icon Sir Alex Ferguson admired Chelsea's Mauricio Pochettino during his Spurs reign
Pochettino and Ten Hag were the frontrunners to become Manchester United's manager in early 2022. The Argentine was in charge of Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain while the Dutchman was at the helm of Ajax.
The Red Devils eventually appointed Ten Hag whose stock was sky-high from his time at the Johan Cruyff Arena. PSG sacked Pochettino after he failed to deliver Champions League glory.
However, the current Chelsea boss had admirers from Old Trafford including Sir Alex Ferguson. Manchester United's iconic 13-time Premier League-winning manager said in April 2016 (via The Mirror):
"Well, the manager (Pochettino) has been fantastic. They (Tottenham) 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."
Pochettino's disappointing reign at Chelsea thus far doesn't take away from his excellent reign at Tottenham. He took the Lilywhites to the Champions League final in 2019, beating Ten Hag's Ajax along the way. The Argentine tactician oversaw 160 wins in 293 games in charge of Spurs.
