Paul Merson has warned Manchester United to not pursue Mauricio Pochettino as the search for a new manager before next season intensifies.
Speaking to Sky Sports, former Arsenal midfielder turned pundit Paul Merson has discouraged Manchester United from naming Mauricio Pochettino as their next manager.
Manchester United have begun their search for a new permanent manager who will take over from interim boss Ralf Rangnick at the end of the ongoing campaign. And Pochettino’s name has been linked heavily with the job at Old Trafford. The Argentine is currently in charge at Paris Saint-Germain but could be set for an exit in the summer.
Reports have indicated that PSG are looking to appoint Zinedine Zidane as their next head coach, which has led to speculations that Pochettino could be headed to Manchester United before the next season kicks off.
The 49-year-old has managed Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur in England previously and enjoyed an impressive run at both clubs. However, former Arsenal and England star Paul Merson has questioned Pochettino’s credentials for a job as big as the manager of Manchester United.
The Sky Sports pundit claims that the Argentine has not won enough silverware in his career to take charge of an enormous club like United, who need a shake-up, considering that they have not won any trophy since 2017.
“I don’t understand why Manchester United would be waiting for Mauricio Pochettino. I don’t get it. If Pochettino doesn’t win the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, why would they be going in for him? You’ve got to remember he failed to win the French league last year, too. That’s virtually impossible to do,” he said.
Mauricio Pochettino is not the right man for Manchester United, says Paul Merson ❌ pic.twitter.com/MU5f11O1mz
— Oddschanger (@Oddschanger) February 15, 2022
“Everybody keeps saying they need to go out and get Pochettino but I don’t understand why. It does my head in. It’s all I ever hear. What did he do? He got Tottenham to the final of the Champions League and his side finished third one year in the Premier League.”
Merson also criticised Manchester United for bringing in Rangnick as a stopgap option and not making a permanent appointment already. The ex-England star also suggested the name of Brendan Rodgers as a potential option for the Red Devils to consider over Pochettino for the role.
“Is someone going to come in around June and figure out that the side needs one or two players and everything will be fixed? It’s going to take more than that to get them up alongside Manchester City and Liverpool. It’s phenomenal what’s going on at United. Why are they waiting to appoint a manager? It should be done now,” he added.
“If I was in charge at United, I’d be going for Rodgers or Graham Potter now. People are still caught up on the Pochettino of seven years ago. He took Tottenham as far as he could, and then you’ve got someone like Rodgers who has done a far better job than what Pochettino did. He only lost the league at Liverpool because of a slip. Now, he doesn’t even get a mention.”
Apart from Pochettino, Manchester United are also looking at Ajax’s Erik ten Hag. In addition, the name of Luis Enrique has also been mentioned. It remains to be seen which way they decide to go.