Mauricio Pochettino: Five clubs he could manage next
Published at :November 20, 2019 at 10:31 PM
Modified at :December 12, 2019 at 8:57 PM
The Argentine tactician would be an asset to any team considering his work done at Tottenham Hotspur.
Mauricio Pochettino’s five and a half year tenure with Tottenham Hotspur came to an end just a few months after he brilliantly led the club to the finals of the UEFA Champions League. Having finished fourth in the league in 2018-19 season, Spurs were looming in the 14th spot with mere 14 points to their name in 12 matches. The worrying match was when the side was dismantled 7-2 by Bayern Munich at home just a month ago and the results only worsened after that. Regardless of his dismissal from the club, Pochettino’s sheer calibre and prowess as a manager remains unquestioned. His is work at Tottenham, to build a squad like that, is a masterclass. While the club did appoint Jose Mourinho, here we analyze the clubs who are suited to Mauricio Pochettino.5. Borussia Dortmund
Despite Lucien Favre's gameplay on the field, Borussia Dortmund hasn’t really done enough to compliment their performances. Dortmund are still in the sixth spot in the table having garnered 19 points with just two losses in 11 matches so far in the Bundesliga. [KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS] Borussia Mönchengladbach is atop of the table with 25 points. Dortmund have a fair bit of catching up to do and regardless of that, Favre’s contract exists only until the end of the ongoing season. They had finished second last season under Favre’s tutelage and were lagging behind the champions by merely two points. However, it remains to be seen whether the board persists with him after some rather indifferent displays this time around. If they do not do so, then Pochettino’s forte anyhow exists with creating an exciting image and brand of football with some of the most prominent upcoming talents in the game and Dortmund would provide him the opportunity to do so and get the club over the finishing line - an aspect where they have been lacking in for a pretty long time.4. Everton
To think of it, the way Mauricio Pochettino upstaged and enhanced Tottenham’s stature in European and English football is extremely commendable. Everton are going through a similar phase of sorts currently. They have the monetary resources, even the pull to attract the desired players but somehow they have been unable to take the big step ahead and make the jump to join the elite list of the top six clubs. Everton finished at the eighth spot last season but are currently placed 14th with merely 17 points from 16 matches. The team has some very glaring talents in their roster with the likes of Richarlison, Moise Kean, Lucas Digne and Gylfi Siggurdson. However, Silva is sacked and Everton would really be looking at Pochettino as a replacement. It would in some way be a similar project that he undertook at Tottenham and hence could be banked upon to take the major strides with the Toffees. [KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]3. Bayern Munich
Now, this one is an interesting proposition. Bayern Munich sacked Niko Kovac last month after a run of rather subdued performances. The dip in results saw them being placed at the third spot with 21 points from 11 matches. For a club that has been so used to such unparalleled dominance in the league, having Borussia Mönchengladbach five points ahead of them isn’t an exactly ideal situation to be in. They lost 5-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt and such humiliation by arch-rivals meant that Kovac’s time was limited. He was shown the door with Hans-Dieter Flick taking over on an interim basis. Bayern still have a laudable squad at their disposal and Mauricio Pochettino taking over the reins could mean that the former Spurs’ manager would be within closer reach of his first league title. The major goal in front of him would be to dominate on the European front and it just about feels like the most quintessential club for him to manage under the current circumstances. [KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS]2. Manchester United
Mauricio Pochettino was the cult favourite to replace Jose Mourinho when the latter was sacked from Manchester United back in December 2018. However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did an incredible job in the short span and was appointed full-time in March 2019. Since then, United’s fortunes have taken a massive dip and though they have managed to strike resurgence in the previous few matches, the form of the side has been way too inconsistent to draw a clear picture of what the future holds for Ole. He had the backing of the board both in the transfer market and during the course of the season but one really does not know what goes around in the mind of Ed Woodward. The CEO has been rather reckless with his previous managerial decisions and dismissals and to attain a sense of unbreakable confidence from his side seems like a distant dream for any manager. One cannot rule out a rejig of managers if United slump to a dismal run of form yet again like they did back in the fag end of the previous season. If that does happen then Pochettino would be on the forefront in the list of the decision-makers. [KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News | ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]1. FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona’s case is a rather peculiar one over here. They are comfortably placed at the top of La Liga with 34 points from 15 matches. Real Madrid are tied with them with similar points but have won a match lass. But in a league where the Catalans are expected to dominate and play certain attacking and attractive brand of football, Ernesto Valverde has failed. Levante defeated them 3-1 in the start of November and then Barcelona played out a goalless draw against Slavia Praha at Camp Nou merely a couple of days after the loss. Mauricio Pochettino has managed Barcelona’s arch-rivals, Espanyol, in the past and this match comes across as a dicey one. On this topic, he has previously said, “But I am an Espanyol supporter. I don’t think I need to speak too much. It’s like if one day [the Tottenham chairman] Daniel Levy sacked me – in a few years it would be impossible for me to manage Arsenal. In football, I know it is so difficult to keep your values and to be loyal – with your heart and emotion. But for me before being a manager, before being a player, being loyal is more important. I am an Espanyol fan. I love Espanyol. It’s like Tottenham for me now. It will be impossible, one day, to move to Arsenal. It will be impossible.” However, tables turn rather swiftly in football. Desperate times ask for desperate moves and FC Barcelona might just be getting way too restless with Valverde’s methods. Moreover, Philippe Coutinho had represented Espanyol in the past too but they accepted the Brazilian during his time at Camp Nou. Similarly, a similar case could be drawn for Pochettino’s appointment too. Only time will tell whether this marriage actually takes place or not.Latest News
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