Manchester United are currently in the process of deciding on their next manager, with the final decision to be made on Ajax’ Erik ten Hag and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino, as per reports.
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Manchester United are currently in the process of deciding on their next manager, with the final decision to be made on Ajax’ Erik ten Hag and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino, according to a report by thenationalnews.com. Both the managers are currently under contract with their respective clubs and focused on winning their respective domestic league’s. The Dutch league concludes May 15 and Ajax are placed at the summit with a four point lead over second-placed PSC. Meanwhile PSG also occupy the top spot with an eight point lead and the French league concludes on April 30.
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Erik ten Hag vs Mauricio Pochettino: Who would make the better Manchester United manager? | @LukeEdwardsTele and @JBurtTelegraph run the rule over the leading contenders #mufc https://t.co/8tUnNo3oQN
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) April 6, 2022
The Red Devils have been under-achieving since the legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down at the end of 2012-13 season and the management is determined to employ a manager who can make the club successful again.
Although a survey conducted by United We Stand Fanzine, favours ten Hag (62%votes), several of the former players and managers feel Pchettinoi would be the better fit. Former United striker Wayne Ronney believes Pchettino is better suited for the job
“I think Pochettino has done it in the Premier League,” Rooney said while speaking on Monday Night football. “He knows the Premier League and at Tottenham he brought a lot of players through. He did it at Southampton as well.
“If I’m choosing from one of the two, that’s who I’d choose. He would need to be given time to place his blueprint on the club and on the team. If you give him time, I think he’d do well.”
Let’s have a look at what the Argentine tactician can bring to United.
Pochettino has worked with Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur and therefore knows the league very well. His best time as a manager came at Spurs when he led the London club to the Champions League final in 2019. Although Pochettino’s side lost the title-decider 2-0 to Liverpool, leading a young bunch of exciting footballers to the top of European football was no mean achievement.
The Argentine’s first stint in the Premier League was with Southampton in 2013 and in his first season itself he did an impressive job of taking the Saints to an eighth-place finish. The following season Tottenham Hotspur came calling
Pochettino took charge of Spurs in July, 2014 and helped them achieve Champions League qualification in the next four years between 2015 and 2019. His side finished second in the 2016-17 campaign, seven points behind title winners Chelsea. He was an overachiever at Spurs despite not winning any silverware. Many believed that only an investment in squad depth was needed to cross the final hurdle.
Pochettino has the clarity about what he needs from the team and when given the freedom to make the signings, he can put together a competitive team. Whether his tactics will be capable of getting the better of Manchester City and Liverpool is something we will have to wait and watch. However, compared to Spurs, United has a much bigger purse, which could possibly help him cross the final hurdle before the silverware.
As of now, United look like a bunch of talented individuals who are struggling to play together as a unit. After the 1-1 draw against Leicester city on Saturday, the Red Devils are now placed seventh in the league standings, three points adrift of the top-four. The team has no shortage of quality with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Raphael Varane among many others, but they don’t look like a title-contender.
United have a squad packed with talent, full-back Luke Shaw is a player who blossomed under Pochettino in Southampton. Marcus Rashford is another player who could get better under the Argentine. The 50-year-old has the ability to bring the best out of youngsters and help them achieve greater heights.
He has shown an ability to do this, at Southampton he helped Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez make the next step forward, while at Spurs he played a key role in making Harry Kane a world-class striker and also Son Heung-min becoming a star after a difficult first season.
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