Mauricio Pochettino and Manchester United have a well-established history. One where paths could have crossed long ago, many times, but somehow failed to converge.
Could it be that we are finally witnessing the culmination of this 10-year elaborate dance of irreconcilable circumstances?
The Old Trafford hierarchy have always admired Pochettino from afar. He was on their radar when he was at Tottenham and again when it was clear his time at PSG was coming to an end. The Argentine was eventually lured back to the Premier League but instead returned to London, signing for Chelsea.
Throughout this complicated friendship journey United were in the game. There were many moments of sliding doors. By the time news broke of Chelsea’s interest in Pochettino in 2023, United, coached by Erik ten Hag, had just been torn apart by Sevilla.
The morning after that defeat, all the back pages focused on another humiliating capitulation in Europe. ‘What El was that?’ a read. Another lay in the shortcomings of Harry Maguire’s performance. No doubt both titles have been recycled since then. At United, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Miraculously, it took another 18 months for the button to be pressed at Ten Hag. Four managers of varying stamina followed. Until another chance, a decade after the first, was revealed to follow the one that got away. Is this finally right place right time for Pochettino?
There is no doubt that the 54-year-old is a capable coach for clubs of chaos. He took charge of PSG and Chelsea in times of relative instability and emerged with his reputation for improving players and creating a culture of support still in tact. Unlike anyone since Jose Mourinho, he is also, crucially, Premier League proven.
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Sky Sports News’ Dave Reed looks at what Mauricio Pochettino could bring to Manchester United if appointed as their next boss
Originally backed by Sir Alex Ferguson – no small fact despite the Scot’s retirement some 13 years ago – Pochettino has an influence on football’s elite. At almost every turn of the post-Ferguson era, United have failed to appoint a leader of suitable stature and experience, with Mourinho perhaps the sole exception.
Since the Portuguese’s departure in 2018, United have not had a manager capable of steering such an indomitable ship. Admittedly, the pool of figures who could capture such a vessel is small, especially one that seems to be sinking so willingly.
But Pochettino is a personality. On top of his engaging brand of football and a commitment to the players’ ways, he has proven he can handle himself under pressure, not least in his most recent role as coach of the US national team at a home World Cup where his team’s campaign was overshadowed, in his words, by “politics and manipulation”.
Mauricio Pochettino had to deal with his fair share of drama during the World Cup campaign in the USA
He kept his position separate from President Trump’s frankly outrageous efforts to undermine competitive gaming laws. And he came out the other side with a new four-year contract and a nation in awe of his character and adoptive Americanisms.
But the stop-start cadence of international management was unlikely to satisfy all of Pochettino’s passions. A way back into club football at this moment is certainly useful for a man who hasn’t stopped talking about his openness to a return almost since the day he left.
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Mauricio Pochettino joined Sky Sports’ Gail Davis earlier this year to discuss why he would like to return to the Premier League in the future.
Now to assess the balance of risk and reward. Priced in all his key roles has been a degree of instability that he has been able to overcome, but unlike his most recent Premier League stint at Chelsea, the United gig requires a blind leap of faith in the middle of an already undone season. And it comes with caveats that no individual manager can be expected to catch.
The state of the squad and that of the wider club structure is not a convincing starting point. But maybe that’s actually part of the appeal. For all Pochettino’s managerial credibility, he remains an underrated manager in England. He comes with a point of his own to prove, which is why joining a club near the bottom has its advantages. Quick wins are available.
Installing a level of respectability should buy him some time and the January window also presents opportunities. In many ways, the redeeming element is what makes the bow mutually attractive; Pochettino is unlikely to get another chance to manage a giant. However fallen. He could be the medium and long-term project coach the club needs.
Of course, the soap opera element cannot be overlooked. But assuming a guy fresh off the Trump media storm can handle the limelight, the real question is whether he can inspire a group of players who have already proven themselves utterly incredible on and off the field this season.
Pochettino’s style would at least provide a familiar plan that suits the demands of the Premier League, which is more than can be said for the tactical ambiguity that exists now. And his managerial skills should prompt greater levels of effort and commitment, although he will still be saddled with the same imbalances and inefficiencies that seem destined to unseat Michael Carrick.
This is no ordinary job.
Objectively, that’s what makes this slow burn story so fascinating. Can it work? The truth is, nobody knows for sure, otherwise Pochettino would have been given his chance long ago. A position 10 years in the making. Is it worth the wait?
