Ed Woodward eyes Mauricio Pochettino for Manchester United as Jose Mourinho exit looms
After going on a four match winless run, the voices calling for Mourinho’s head at Manchester United have only gotten louder.
Manchester United’s Chief Executive Ed Woodward is reportedly keen on Mauricio Pochettino to replace Mourinho at Old Trafford, should the latter be sacked in the coming days.
Zinedine Zidane has been the name most commonly spoken of as a potential successor for Mourinho. The Frenchman resigned from his post as Real Madrid manager this summer, after having won 3 successive Champions League titles.
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But a lack of experience has led Woodward to lean more towards the current Spurs boss.
There are also reports suggesting that Saturday evening’s Premier League fixture against Newcastle at Old Trafford will be Mourinho’s last chance to redeem himself.
A defeat to the Magpies at home will probably result in the 55 year old’s sacking.
The last few weeks have seen a spectacular implosion in the Red Devils’ form. Following a win over Watford, United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup to Derby County. A draw at home with Wolves and a humiliating 3-1 defeat away at West Ham have left them languishing in 10th, below the likes of Bournemouth and Leicester.
The board have so far chosen to keep their faith in Mourinho, partly because of a humongous £12 million payout that the Portuguese boss would receive should he be sacked.
But if Woodward does decide to take that risk, he’ll find it exceedingly difficult to prise Pochettino away from Tottenham.
Daniel Levy is infamous for playing hardball when it comes to player negotiations, and Pochettino will probably be no different.
The Argentine manager has managed transform Tottenham from a side on the fringes of the top 6 to a genuine title contender, in spite of having to work with a highly restrained budget.
His belief in youth and attacking football would make him a perfect fit for Manchester United though, and its understandable why Woodward is so keen on recruiting him.
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Some other managers being touted for the Old Trafford hot seat are Rafael Benitez, Antonio Conte and Steve Bruce.