Former Manchester United and Tottenham striker Teddy Sheringham has backed Mauricio Pochettino to become the Red Devils’ next manager.
Speaking to Genting Casino, as relayed by GOAL, former England international Teddy Sheringham has claimed that Mauricio Pochettino would be the perfect fit as the next manager of Manchester United.
The Red Devils are scouring the market for a new permanent manager, who will be appointed at the end of the ongoing season when interim boss Ralf Rangnick steps down and moves into a consultancy role.
The name of Pochettino has been mentioned heavily as a target for Manchester United, with reports even claiming that the Argentine would likely bring former Tottenham director Steve Hitchen along with him as well.
Pochettino is currently the manager of French giants Paris Saint-Germain. However, his future at Parc des Princes is far from secure, with Les Parisiens believed to be keen on naming Zinedine Zidane as their next manager before the 2022/23 campaign kicks off. The ex-Tottenham head coach would become available for Manchester United in such a scenario.
And, Sheringham, who played for both Manchester United and Tottenham in a long and illustrious career, has insisted that Pochettino could be the ideal fit for the managerial role at Old Trafford.
“Manchester United have always been brought up on that vibe of taking the game to the opposition. 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,” Sheringham said.
“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.”
Sheringham’s views are completely contrasting to those of ex-Arsenal star and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson. The former Gunners’ ace believes that the 49-year-old Pochettino is not a good fit for Manchester United as he has not won anything in his managerial career so far.
Another former Premier League footballer, Kevin Phillips, has also advised the 20-time English champions not to bring in the current PSG boss to take over from Rangnick next season. A crucial decision awaits Manchester United, who have brought this mess upon themselves with a lack of clear planning and forethought. It remains to be seen if they heed Sheringham’s advice and go after Pochettino or look elsewhere.