Mauricio Pochettino lined up to replace Erik ten Hag as Man Utd boss just hours after Chelsea announce shock departure
MAURICIO POCHETTINO is in the frame to be the new Manchester United boss two years after missing out on the job.
Pochettino has left Chelsea by mutual consent and INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe could be ready to have talks with the former Tottenham boss with Erik ten Hag clinging onto his job at Old Trafford.
The 52-year-old Argentine was in a two-horse race with Ten Hag for the United job in April 2022, as he approached the exit door at Paris Saint-Germain.
United’s then kingmakers Richard Arnold and John Murtough are understood to have spoken to him then, but were swayed by Ten Hag’s depth of knowledge of United and his ideas to turn things round.
While the Dutchman did just that in his first season, finishing third and winning the Carabao Cup, things have gone into reverse in this campaign with an eighth-placed Premier League finish and group stage exit from the Champions League.
United still have this Saturday’s FA Cup Final to come, in a repeat of last year’s Wembley showpiece against neighbours Manchester City.
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But even in the unlikely event of winning that, Ten Hag could still be out.
New United part owner Ratcliffe refused again last week in an interview with Sky to give Ten Hag a public vote of confidence, preferring instead to talk about the set-up at the club that has failed successive managers.
Pochettino would be a popular choice amongst fans for his exciting style of play that took Tottenham to the Champions League Final back in 2019, beating Ten Hag’s Ajax with an incredible comeback in the semi-final second leg in Amsterdam.
Meanwhile, two managers celebrating promotion to the Prem are rated contenders to succeed Poch at Stamford Bridge.
Who could be the next Chelsea manager?
HERE are the seven names in the running to replace Mauricio Pochettino after his shock exit from Chelsea.
Roberto De Zerbi
The Italian left Brighton at the end of the season after a year and a half in charge. He was linked with a host of top jobs earlier in the campaign but a difficult run of results saw him fall out of contention for the likes of Liverpool. De Zerbi’s attacking, front-foot style would be popular at Stamford Bridge.
Kieran McKenna
The former Manchester United assistant has led Ipswich to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League. That has seen his stock shoot through the roof and he may be tempted to jump ship for a big job.
Enzo Maresca
Maresca was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City and has worked wonders at Leicester, settling the ship to send the Foxes back to the Premier League at the first attempt. Appointing a Pep disciple has turned Arsenal into title contenders, so it could work for Chelsea too.
Hansi Flick
Flick was one of football’s most in-demand managers after winning the Champions League with Bayern Munich. But it all went wrong in his next role becoming the first manager ever to be sacked by Germany. Now he’s ready to return and could be a smart move for the Blues
Sebastian Hoeness
Chelsea fans may not have heard of him, but Hoeness is Germany’s next big thing. Hoeness has transformed Stuttgart from relegation candidates to the second best team in the Bundesliga, finishing above Bayern Munich. Only invincible Bayer Leverkusen got in the way of a miracle.
Michel
Michel Sanchez has worked wonders with little Girona in Spain. The minnows were right in the LaLiga title race at Christmas before watching Real Madrid shoot into the distance. But they ran illustrious Catalan neighbours Barcelona all the way for second and are guaranteed a spot on the Champions League. Reports in Spain say that has caught Chelsea’s attention.
Jose Mourinho
Still adored by fans at Stamford Bridge, who never warmed to former Spurs boss Pochettino, Mourinho would be a popular pick. Winner of three Premier League with the Blues across two topsy-turvy spells, could he be the man to take Chelsea back to the top?
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One of those, Ipswich's Kieran McKenna, has also been linked with the Old Trafford job.
The other is Leicester's Enzo Maresca, whose future at the King Power was already far from certain.
Former Brighton chief Roberto De Zerbi and Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeness are other names already being mentioned.
Girona boss and ex-Germany manager Hansi Flick might also be in the running.
Inevitably, ex-United and Chelsea chief Jose Mourinho has been talked of, but must be an extremely long shot.
Pochettino’s Chelsea record
MAURICIO POCHETTINO had just started to turn Chelsea around.
An impressive run of end-of-season form saw the Blues leapfrog the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle to finish sixth in the Premier League - and earn a Europa League spot.
But it wasn’t enough to keep him in a job as it was announced on Tuesday evening that the Argentine had left.
Here are all Pochettino’s Stamford Bridge stats:
Premier League - 6th
FA Cup - Semi-finals (lost to Man City)
Carabao Cup - Runners-up (Lost to Liverpool)
Total record:
Games 51
Wins 26
Draws 11
Defeats 14
Goals for 103
Goals against 74