Mauricio Pochettino has long been overlooked by Man United since his ‘dream’ lunch with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2016… now, with Erik ten Hag’s future hanging by a thread, the Argentine is closing in on his Old Trafford destiny

Hello Chelsea, hello Manchester United? Mauricio Pochettino’s surprise departure from London caused an uproar among Blues supporters, but also caused murmurs in the north west of England as United fans were once again linked with a possible move for the Argentine.

Erik ten Hag’s future at Old Trafford appears to be all but over ahead of the FA Cup final against rivals Man City on Saturday afternoon, with reports claiming the Dutchman will be sacked regardless of the outcome.

Among the names mentioned as successors to Ten Hag are the recently departed Bayern Munich and ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, England coach Gareth Southgate, free agent Zinedine Zidane and Ipswich chief – former Manchester United assistant – Kieran McKenna. Pochettino’s new availability now also puts him in the picture.

However, this is a path the 13-time Premier League champions have been down before and United supporters may feel like they are experiencing another cycle of deja vu as expectations grow that Pochettino could finally arrive at Old Trafford.

When a manager leaves his post at United, Pochettino’s name is usually mentioned as a replacement candidate. Now, after a short spell at Chelsea, he is back in the picture. But have the stars finally aligned for him to finally get a chance at England’s biggest club?

United legend Sir Alex Ferguson was the first to tip Pochettino for his previous job three years ago.

His recommendation came as the club look for their third permanent manager since his departure after sacking Louis van Gaal in the aftermath of the FA Cup title win over Crystal Palace. How ironic would it be if they left with another Dutchman after this weekend’s trophy match.

Rewind to 2016 and Pochettino was one of Europe’s most sought-after tacticians after transforming Tottenham into a team that would go on to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League, but ultimately fell short in both competitions.

Ferguson shared a dinner with Pochettino at Scott’s restaurant in the posh London suburb of Mayfair and while Spurs were aware of the excessive interaction, it came at a time when the United legend recently raved about the South American.

‘The manager [Pochettino] It was fantastic,” Ferguson said two months before they had dinner together.

‘They have a bad reputation for managers, there’s no doubt about that. They’ve had so many over the years.

“But this boy has calmness. You never see him flustered and the way his team plays is a testament to the work he does,” he added.

The Argentinian remained in his position at Spurs and United appointed José Mourinho, a relationship that soured after just two and a half seasons.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy later decided to sack Pochettino in 2019, less than six months after leading Spurs to the Champions League final, where they were defeated by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and he left English football to take charge at PSG.

The timing for him to take charge at Manchester didn’t work out until eventually a move looked likely as the 52-year-old was in his final season at the Parisian club and United were looking for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s replacement.

It was a confusing time at Old Trafford, both on and off the pitch, as a team with Cristiano Ronaldo endured a miserable season and changes also took place behind the scenes as former CEO Ed Woodward announced his departure and Richard Arnold was tasked with player to choose. the club’s next manager.

Ferguson reiterated his argument that Pochettino could be the ideal choice despite failing to convince at PSG and struggling to get the best out of the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

Gary Neville also put pressure on United to open talks with Pochettino, telling Sky Sports at the time: ‘I think Mauricio Pochettino – even though he would never say it – would leave tomorrow to join Man United on a five-year deal. .

‘He would look at that group of players, he would look at the club and he would realize that he could probably achieve more than he wants at Man United in terms of a project.

‘At PSG you are informed season after season. “You have to win the Champions League, otherwise you’re out.” I don’t think that suits Pochettino.

“I think he would definitely come to Man Utd for five years with support behind him. How he would fit in with the current coaches that are still around and left, I’m not sure.

‘Manchester United have to make sure they get the next one right. Even if that means being patient for six months and waiting for managers to become available at the end of the season.’

Arnold ultimately ignored the advice of Ferguson and Neville and sided with interim manager Ralf Rangnick, who believed Ten Hag was the best available option.

Fast forward to the present and United find themselves in an almost identical position to what they were in before Ten Hag joined from Ajax.

Now he is the one in line for the axe, with many believing not even the FA Cup can save the Dutchman’s future at the club and Pochettino is waiting in the wings as he decides his next move.

If you had said Pochettino joined United mid-season, it would most likely have been the cheering Chelsea fans and the angry Red Devils supporters.

Despite Ten Hag’s side being ravaged by injuries and performing well below par, they stayed above Chelsea for most of the season before Pochettino got his stuttering side firing on all cylinders and overtook United in the late-season run-in . finish in the Europa League places.

Now he looks like a serious contender for the job if United decide to part ways with Ten Hag.

Pochettino loves English football. He has worked with the likes of Harry Kane, Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher, all of whom have been picked as part of Gareth Southgate’s preliminary squad for the upcoming Euros and who has a track record of developing young English talents.

That’s one of the skills you need to succeed as head coach of Man United, with the club prided on their ability to turn youth academy talents into world-class stars and something Pochettino has proven he is more than capable of doing. is capable of.

He also has a reputation as one of the best man-managers in European football and it was no surprise to hear that Chelsea stars who had built a deep relationship with him were stunned after it was announced that he was leaving Stamford Bridge after just one season would leave.

In fairness, Ten Hag has also done wonders for United’s breakout stars during an injury-riddled season.

Alejandro Garnacho is a regular in the first team and is part of the Argentina national team. Kobbie Mainoo has secured a starting spot in midfield and is a full England international, while Rasmus Hojlund also reached double figures for goals in the Premier League in his debut season.

Reservations over Pochettino’s appointment mainly relate to his lack of silverware achievements. Should Ten Hag win the FA Cup, he will have won more top trophies in two seasons at United than the Argentinian has in his entire managerial career.

If trophies are the measure of success then Tuchel and Zidane would be more suitable candidates, but there is an attraction at Old Trafford around Pochettino that simply won’t go away and will remain perpetual until, rightly or wrongly, he gets the chance to show his skill.