This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Speaking on talkSPORT, Alan Brazil has insisted former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino would be able to get more out of this current Manchester Unite side.
What did he say?
The Red Devils have had a difficult start to the campaign this season, already finding themselves nine points off the Premier League’s top four. That form has seen speculation Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is fighting for his job at Old Trafford, and recent developments at rivals Spurs – their sacking of Pochettino and appointment of Jose Mourinho – has only served to increase the spotlight on the United boss.
And now, Brazil has suggested Pochettino would be perfect for the Red Devils, and that his “big name” would give the players some extra motivation to play for.
He said: “I think Poch, if he’s not too tired (from his time at Tottenham). He’d get more out of them. They were shocking in the first-half (against Sheffield United). Shocking. It’s horrible to say because he (Solskjaer) has been great for the club and he’s a lovely guy by all accounts, so I want him to do well. I just think they need a big name, who the players will sit up to and play (for).”
Years in the making
Even before Pochettino was sacked by Tottenham, the Argentine has long been linked as a potential United manager. But now that he is out of a job, it seems like the perfect time for the Red Devils to finally appoint the man they have seemingly had their eyes on. His end in north London should not tarnish the fine work he did for the club in his several years as manager there, culminating in reaching the final of the Champions League last season.
And with the Red Devils still a considerable distance away from the top four at the moment, a managerial change may be the perfect dose of medicine that United are in need of. Pochettino could come in and help lift spirits, and he would no doubt have a point to prove to his former employers. It’s a move that makes total sense.
Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went from hero to zero with his second-half substitutions against Sheffield United.
