"He met with INEOS about the Nice job" - David Ornstein suggests Manchester United could target PL rivals' manager if he's sacked
David Ornstein has suggested Manchester United could look to replace Erik ten Hag with Mauricio Pochettino if the Argentine coach leaves Chelsea. Both managers' futures are uncertain amid similarly disappointing seasons for their clubs.
The Athletic journalist spoke ahead of the Red Devils' 1-0 loss against Arsenal at Old Trafford yesterday (May 13). He highlighted how Pochettino could be on the new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team's agenda (via NBC Sports):
"If Mauricio Pochettino is to leave I'm sure there will be a number of vacancies and people looking at him because of his career so far. He's been heavily linked to Manchester United in the past, he met with INEOS about the Nice job some time ago so there are some links there. I'm not saying he's in the frame by any means but it is just one to watch."
Pochettino was appointed Chelsea boss in July last year and expectations were high as the Blues looked to bounce back from a disastrous 2022-23 campaign. The Argentine had previously had reigns at Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain.
However, the west Londoners have endured a topsy-turvy time under Pochettino, only recently propelling themselves into the European qualification hunt. His side have won 25 of 49 games across competitions amid a slow start.
Ten Hag's future at Manchester United looks doubtful after an alarming nosedive from an impressive debut season for the former Ajax manager. His men won the Carabao Cup last season and finished third in the league.
The Red Devils have capitulated this time around and sit eighth, three points behind Chelsea with two games left. Ten Hag has a year left on his contract but Ratcliffe and INEOS are set to decide his future after the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 28.
Tim Howard thinks Manchester United players would take to Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino fuelled talk of a Stamford Bridge exit this past week by admitting 'it wouldn't be the end of the world', per Sky Sports. His side have recently picked up form, winning their last three games on the bounce.
This has seen Chelsea overtake Manchester United in the Premier League table and put them in a UEFA Europa Conference League qualification spot. That might not be enough for the Argentine to keep his job.
Pochettino has built a positive spirit among his players despite their unconvincing campaign. He has a youthful squad he's given opportunities to and could still qualify for the Europa League.
Tim Howard thinks Manchester United players may buy into Pochettino's managerial style and claims they haven't with Ten Hag. He told the above outlet:
"A collective buy-in creates culture, we’ve seen that with results, we’ve seen the buy-in. I’ve never seen a collective buy-in from senior players under Ten Hag."
Ten Hag was a hit at Old Trafford last season and helped get the likes of Marcus Rashford back to their best. He puts this campaign's poor showings down to constant injury issues although Chelsea have endured more.