Sir Alex Ferguson ‘wants Mauricio Pochettino to succeed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Manchester United boss’ as club begin search for a new manager… with PSG boss ‘keen’ on making return to Premier League
- Manchester United have parted company with head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
- The club are now looking at options, with Zinedine Zidane among them
- United have also previously considered Mauricio Pochettino, now PSG boss
- Sir Alex Ferguson is understood to be in favour of the Argentine taking over
As a legend of Sir Alex Ferguson’s era limps away, the Scottish titan has reportedly thrown his weight behind Mauricio Pochettino to take over at Manchester United.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s three-year trophy-less reign finally came to a crashing halt on Sunday, less than 24 hours after a humiliating 4-1 defeat away at newly promoted Watford.
United’s stubborn persistence with Solskjaer has cost them a shot at new Spurs boss Antonio Conte, and another manager of the Italians stature is unlikely to be available until summer. For now, Michael Carrick will steer the ship in an interim role.
Mauricio Pochettino is being linked with the Manchester United job after Solskjaer’s exit
‘Poch’ is wanted by Sir Alex Ferguson, pictured with Bryan Robson watching this season
The only trophy of Pochettino’s managerial career so far was the 2021 French Trophee des Champions, but Ferguson still sees him as United’s best fit, according to TalkSport.
The Argentine dragged Tottenham to their first Champions League final and drew praise for driving the club forwards across five years – though talk of he and Spurs’ dusty trophy cabinet usually drowned it out.
It’s unlikely Pochettino is thinking of a move right now, though. The Argentine’s Paris Saint-Germain side are 12 points clear atop Ligue 1 and doing it with a dreamlike front-three of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi.
Gary Neville expects any pursuit of Pochettino to wait until the summer, but shares Ferguson’s admiration for the former Spurs boss.
Solskjaer has been sacked after three years in the job, his final game a 4-1 loss to Watford
Pochettino could be a tough to convince while the Argentine has Mbappe and Messi at PSG
‘Pochettino has always been a standout candidate,’ the former right-back told Sky Sports.
‘He’s the only one that I’ve always thought would suit Manchester United and its core principles: how he plays, how he acts and behaves. He’s not really been successful or proven yet, but I do think he has those characteristics
‘He said it’d be failure if he doesn’t win the UCL, and if he does (win it) then PSG won’t let him go. They (United) are waiting on Pochettino not being successful at another club.
‘I think Pochettino would leave to come to United on a five year deal tomorrow. I think he’d look at the group of players and the club and realise he’d be able to achieve more at United in terms of a project.’
