Mauricio Pochettino would be "the perfect fit" to lead Manchester United, according to former star Teddy Sheringham, with the ex-Red Devils forward indicating that he feels the Argentine's methods prove a natural successor to Sir Alex Ferguson's legacy.
The Paris Saint-Germain coach has long been linked with the managerial hotseat at Old Trafford, currently occupied by Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis until the end of the campaign following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's exit.
Since Ferguson retired, United have struggled to match the consistent domination enjoyed under the Scotsman, with a succession of managers underperforming in the position - but Sheringham believes Pochettino could bring back the good times to the Theatre of Dreams.
What has been said?
“Manchester United have always been brought up on that vibe of taking the game to the opposition," the ex-forward told Genting Casino. “I think, if you look along those lines, I would say the perfect fit would be Pochettino, without a doubt.
“I think when he was at Tottenham he wanted the ball, he wanted to play with the ball and hurt the opposition, and I think that the Manchester United crowd would love his philosophy in the way that he takes the game to the opposition.
“Obviously, he didn’t win anything at Tottenham, but if you’ve got bigger and better players. who knows what he could achieve. He would be the man for me, he would be the number one choice. It’s a great experience for him."
Interim manager 'a mistake'
The decision to bring in Rangnick - a respected tactical mind with little to show in terms of silverware - to replace club legend Solskjaer following the latter's quick slide into poor form has been met with a mixed reception since, and Sheringham feels that the wrong call has been made in the introduction of a stop-gap to take charge.
“It's just a strange situation for how much of the season was left when they put him [Rangnick] in charge,” he added. “If he leaves at the end of the season and then someone completely different, like Pochettino, comes in, it's a whole new vibe of how you want to play football.
“This season's going to be lost. It will be wasted and you have to start again. If the next manager brings in his own staff, his own players – it's just a whole new revolution again. It's such an absurd situation I see at Man United, and that's why you get uncertainty
“You need leadership from the top to focus everybody underneath you, and then you might have a chance. Get the right manager and you never know where it’s going to take you. If they get it wrong again, they’re going to be in this position for another three or four years.”
The bigger picture
United have been spared a return to European action this week, with their Champions League last-16 clash against Atletico Madrid set to unfurl next week.
A clash with old rivals Leeds United sits between them and the trip to the continent however, with Rangnick and the Red Devils hoping that their resumed form in this week's win over Brighton can be carried over.
Pochettino meanwhile too must plot a successful conquest of the Spanish capital, having seen his PSG side steal a late win over Real Madrid in their first leg tie on Tuesday thanks to Kylian Mbappe's injury-time finish
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