‘I don’t believe trains only go once’: Mauricio Pochettino believes ‘timing’ was the reason he missed out on Manchester United job to Erik ten Hag… but ex-Tottenham boss hints at possible future job at Old Trafford
- Mauricio Pochettino teases he could still be Man Utd manager in future
- The Argentine credits timing for why he didn’t get the role this summer
- United instead appointed Erik ten Hag while Pochettino was sacked by PSG
- The 50-year-old is still out of work and will be a pundit at this month’s World Cup
Mauricio Pochettino has hinted he could still have another chance to be Manchester United manager, after blaming timing for missing out on Erik ten Hag.
The former Tottenham boss has been regularly linked with the managerial role at Old Trafford and was in the frame to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as United’s new manager this summer.
However, he missed out on the role on that occasion to Erik ten Hag and then lost his job with Paris St-Germain despite winning the Ligue 1 title for the French club.
Mauricio Pochettino has hinted he could still be a Manchester United manager in the future
United went with Erik ten Hag on Pochettino last summer which the Argentine blames on bad timing
Speaking to Radio Marca, the 50-year-old believes the timing of the Man Utd vacancy was a huge reason why he didn’t get the job, but didn’t rule out taking the reins at some point given in the future.
The Argentine said: “Football is about timing. These are the times for it to coincide and for this marriage to happen. Sometimes it’s just a matter of timing. I don’t believe that trains pass only once.
Ten Hag signed a three-year deal with the club, with an option for a further year, and enjoyed relative success in his first few months in the hot seat.
Pochettino picked up league and cup wins at PSG but was dismissed and replaced by Christophe Galtier
United remain in the top four, currently sit fifth in the Premier League and have progressed from their Europa League group, although they now face a knockout tie with Barcelona next year.
Pochettino remains unemployed since leaving his role at PSG, but remains a continuously job-bound manager. Having enjoyed league and cup success during his 18 months in the French capital.
Earlier this week, the Pochettino said he would also be interested in taking over from Gareth Southgate should the England job become available.
The 50-year-old enjoyed a successful spell in the Premier League with Tottenham and led them to the 2019 Champions League final
He told The Athletic: “Of course my relationship with England has always been very good. We have a very good relationship with the academies, trying to develop young players for the national team. I feel so comfortable here. You never know what’s going on. I’m open to anything.
During his last spell in the Premier League, Pochettino oversaw Spurs’ highest Premier League position with a second-place finish in 2016, before guiding them to the Champions League final three years later.
This month the former Argentina international – who played for his country at the 2002 World Cup – will be part of the BBC’s expert team covering the tournament in Qatar.
