Why Manchester United no longer want Mauricio Pochettino
Long time favorite in the race for the Manchester United bench, Mauricio Pochettino was finally not chosen. The Argentinian technician has paid for his numerous failures with Paris Saint-Germain.
The English press is sure and certain. Erik ten Hag will be the new coach of Manchester United. A big blow for Mauricio Pochettino, his main rival in the race for the Manchester bench. For a long time, the Argentine technician was considered the favorite. With his experience in the Premier League with Southampton and Tottenham, he was very popular with the English managers. Last November, Pochettino was approached by Man U to take over from the dismissed Ole Gunnar Soskjaer.
From priority to plan B
But the Old Trafford residents had thrown in the towel because it seemed difficult or even impossible to get the Murphy native, still under contract and launched in his season with Paris Saint-Germain. And if Ralf Rangnick was appointed to ensure the interim, Manchester United still had Mauricio Pochettino in mind for next season. But little by little, the situation has changed. In just five months, the 52-year-old has gone from first choice to plan B in the minds of United’s decision-makers.
For the Telegraph, which devoted a long article on the subject on Thursday, two reasons explain this. The first is that Manchester United has changed its general manager. Ed Woodward, who for a long time campaigned for Pochettino, has been replaced by Richard Arnold. The latter, who consulted complete files on each candidate for the bench before meeting them, was obviously more convinced by Ten Hag. Although the latter is new to the Premier League, this did not scare Arnold at all.
His failures with PSG have cooled MU
The second reason given by the Telegraph is the terrible elimination of PSG in the Champions League against Real Madrid, after a victory in the first leg. Doubts have arisen about his ability to handle the pressure of a big club with stars. His occasional failures with the club of the capital have visibly disturbed the leaders of Man Utd, who do not want to make a mistake and who believe that despite his very interesting profile, Pochettino is currently on a downward slope. So many reasons that have convinced the English to bet on another colt.
However, Paris Saint-Germain, who saw the approach of MU with a good eye, would not have been a brake on the departure of Pochettino, who should not be maintained beyond the season. The club of the capital, which must pay 20 million euros in case of dismissal of the staff, would not have demanded a large financial compensation to get rid of the Argentine. A technician who, as recently as two weeks ago, was still very close to Manchester. This had also put the clan Ten Hag under pressure. Doubled in the final stretch, Mauricio Pochettino, under contract until 2023, has lost a lot in a few months.
