"Can clearly get the best out of players" - Kevin Phillips talks up Mauricio Pochettino's credentials amid rumors that he could swap PSG for Manchester United
The Manchester United board have been following current PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino for quite some time now and are huge admirers of his work.
Reportedly, the Glazers and United Board want to appoint Pochettino as the permanent manager of the Red Devils this summer. In a recent interview with Football Insider, former Premier League player Kevin Phillips spoke about how signing Pochettino could be the right move for United.
Mauricio Pochettino made a name for himself during his stint with Premier League side Tottenham. Before the arrival of the Argentine, Spurs were inconsistent in the league. However, with Pochettino's appointment in 2014, Tottenham improved by leaps and bounds even though the Argentine wasn't able to win any silverware in his five-year stint with Spurs.
Spurs quickly transitioned into a dangerous team who would quite often end up in the top four and were even very close to winning the Premier League during the 2016-17 season where they finished as runners-up. After being sacked by Spurs in 2019, Pochettino joined PSG in what was considered a huge step and also an enormous risk for his career.
It's been more than a year since Mauricio Pochettino joined Les Parisiens but the journey hasn't been that smooth. In fact, the Argentine's job is under scrutiny right now and a decision could be made if the French heavyweights end up getting knocked out of the UEFA Champions League in the round 16 by Real Madrid.
There have been multiple reports suggesting that Pochettino could be relieved of his duties at the end of the season. Regardless, there is a suitor waiting for Pochettino to appoint him as their permanent manager and it is none other than Manchester United.
Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino are the leading candidates for the #mufc job. United want a manager who can challenge for trophies, blood young players and play attractive football, and both managers fit the bill #mulive [@hirstclass]
The Red Devils, who are currently in search of a new permanent manager, could either choose Mauricio Pochettino or Ajax manager Erik ten Hag for the role. Pochettino seems to be the favorite right now.
Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips, in a recent interview with Football Insider, decoded how appointing Mauricio Pochettino could be a game changer for Manchester United. Kevin stated that Pochettino has a reputation for getting the best out of his players, which was very evident during his Premier League days. The former PL striker then added that the Argentine will be backed to sign players, something he didn't have at Spurs.
"I don’t know where I sit with it. The Premier League is a completely different ball game. United have been used to winning trophies, but not so much of late. The obvious accusation is that he never won any trophies at Tottenham, but he did mould them into a good side. I think he would have big funds to go out and sign the players he wanted. At Spurs, he didn’t have that because of the money spent on the stadium. He can clearly get the best out of players, we saw that at Spurs. When you do that at United and the players you can bring in, they will win trophies. When you consider his style of play as well, it makes sense to me.” said Kevin Phillips.
What does Manchester United fans think about Mauricio Pochettino being the favorite to be the next manager of the club?
Manchester United fans are certainly divided over Pochettino being the favorites to be the club's next permanent manager. Many have shown great support for the Argentine and have pointed out how signing him is the right move for the club.
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@bethTmufc says out of Pochettino and Erik ten Hag, the latter would be a much better appointment as manager. What are your thoughts? 👇
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However, there are many fans who are not very impressed with Pochettino, especially after analyzing his current season with PSG. This section of fans argue that the Argentine is a bottler and the fact that he has lost many finals during his career doesn't help him at all. Only time will tell if Pochettino will be appointed as the new permanent manager or not for Manchester United.