Mauricio Pochettino leads race to become next England manager

FA see the Argentine as an ideal coach to become Three Lions manager.

Mauricio Pochettino is currently at the top of the list for the next England job after Gareth Southgate confirmed his exit following the Three Lions Euro 2024 loss to Spain in the final.

However, despite not winning a trophy with the Three Lions, Southgate will be seen as one of the most successful managers after leading England to the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Euro 2020 final, the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup and the final of the Euro 2024.

The FA’s next task is to find a manager who can finally break the trophy curse and lead England to its first-ever silverware since 1966. 

Plenty of managers have made the cut. Few of them have ruled themselves out, such as Jurgen Klopp and Eddie Howe are not interested in taking the national team job. 

It is understood that Mark Bullingham, the FA chief executive, is keen on bringing in a foreign coach and has been approved to take their interviews. However, the FA will only hire a foreign coach with a strong background. 

Pochettino has been understood to meet the criteria. The Argentine has worked in the Premier League for a decade and managed the likes of Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. 

The former Blues coach is famous for unearthing young players and developing them into the next prodigy.  During his tenures at Saints and Spurs, the manager developed 26 players who made their England debuts.

His most memorable moment came with Spurs when he took them to the UEFA Champions League final and made them one of the top four contenders in the league.

Pochettino might not have won trophies during his time in England, but his work has been commendable. Last time we saw him manage a disorganised Chelsea who were full of young players. There, he guided them to a sixth-place league finish and the Carabao Cup final. 

Attacking is Pochettino’s preferred style of game. The Three Lions have many excellent attackers who can mesh well with his strategies. However, the decision will mainly depend on FA, and it remains to be seen. 

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