If the current direction of the march continues, Michael Carrick will be sacked today Manchester United head coach and Mauricio Pochettino set up at Old Trafford sometime next week.
Carrick’s departure will end a fortnight of speculation over his future, along with conferences and media meetings in Monaco, while the man himself dutifully turns up at Carrington to train and try to lead a mutinous team.
Whatever his failings as a manager, Carrick deserved better than this dirty treatment by Omar Berrada, Jason Wilcox and Jim Ratcliffe.
So let’s move on to the next man and his attempts to flip the tanker. Step forward Pochettino, a man who has been approached several times for the United job.
But why on earth would I want to get into that? Here are five reasons why you should stay clear.
WORKING FOR THE THREE GASTRONOS
The chaotic and undignified manner of Carrick’s departure is a neat encapsulation of the way Ratcliffe, Berrada and Wilcox have operated at United. The lack of class is unbecoming of Manchester United and should send up red flags to any newcomer. The trio continue to make the wrong calls with surprising regularity, displaying a level of incompetence that makes you wonder how they ever rose to this level of prominence. From the hiring of Erik ten Hag, after his contract was extended despite interviewing replacements, the appointment of Ruben Amorim, the decision to go with an interim manager at Carrick (when it never works long-term), every call has been wrong. And that’s even before you get to Ratcliffe’s overall tenure which has included sacking hundreds of loyal club staff and alienating fans due to draconian ticketing policies.
GLAZERS SPECTER LOSES AT OLD TRAFFORD
Pochettino is a good manager, his track record shows it. But whatever happens on the pitch, United will never feel like a happy football club until the Glazers are sold. And without that happening, there will always be a disconnect between fans and ownership. As a manager and the man who has to face the media every week, Pochettino will find himself caught in the middle. At the first sign of trouble, the green and gold will reappear and the protests will begin and he will be front and center.
A SCHOOL THAT HAS VISITED ANOTHER PRINCIPAL
You almost stand in awe of the longevity of a group of players who have accomplished very little. Ten Hag came and went after falling out with the likes of Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford. Amorim also tried to get rid of the England striker and reportedly had disagreements with Kobbie Mainoo. Carrick had a very public row with captain Bruno Fernandes, while Lisandro Martinez showed his disdain for the club by blowing up the summer recruitment drive despite producing impressive individual performances on the pitch. Trying to get a locker room of egos pulling in the same direction isn’t easy. You wouldn’t care so much if they could take a look at it with the results, but these players have won a league game this season and sit in the relegation zone of the Premier League.
A SCHOOL THAT IS NOT EQUIPPED TO PLAY THE POCHETINO WAY
Go back to Pochettino’s exciting Tottenham side that reached the 2019 Champions League final and you think high energy and high press. Full-backs Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose bombarded forward, Dele Alli and Son Heung-min pressing high up the pitch and a world-class centre-forward in Harry Kane. Compare that to the squad he will inherit at United. Diogo Dalot and veteran Luke Shaw don’t have the energy or quality of Trippier and Rose, there’s no way Fernandes can press like Son did and United’s expensive number nine Benjamin Sesko is an extremely poor relative to Kane and spends most of his time on the treatment table. This team needs a major overhaul (again), but Wilcox’s record in the transfer market suggests he’s not the man to do it. Pochettino fell out with Chelsea’s owners over a lack of information about transfers. Don’t be surprised if this happens again.
WHY GIVE UP A GOOD THING?
Pochettino signed a new four-year contract with the US Soccer Federation in August that was intended to provide stability and allow him to form a squad for the 2030 World Cup. He was already making great strides with his energetic young group reaching the last 16 of this summer’s event, hosted in the USA, Mexico and Canada. Since then, he has introduced 16-year-old Cavan Sullivan and 17-year-old Mathis Albert, with both youngsters getting their first goals in impressive wins against Chile and Mexico. The future looks bright. Also, Pochettino has a nice lifestyle. He can travel around the States largely unnoticed, and he also has the time and freedom to return to Argentina whenever he wants. Contrast that with the Manchester goldfish and the enormous pressure of coaching a club of United’s stature. There is also the possibility that his reputation will be damaged by the mere association with United. Since Alex Ferguson left in 2013, the club has hired numerous big-name managers: Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal, David Moyes, etc. and they were all damaged, scarred by the experience.
