 CONTENDERS FOR PERMANENT MANAGER: TEN HAG OR POCHETTINO

Contenders for Permanent Manager Ten Hag or Pochettino by Alex Dudley

It seems like a lifetime ago now that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was relieved of his duties at Manchester United. The Norwegian parted company with the club following United’s 4-1 defeat against Watford in November. Ralf Rangnick was a popular choice to replace the outgoing boss on a short-term basis, with the club reiterating that a permanent manager would be appointed in the summer.

The race to be named the permanent successor is heating up now, with four main contenders left in the race. Julen Lopetegui and Luis Enrique are among the names that have been mentioned in the newspaper columns, but the front-runners since Solskjaer’s departure have remained Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino. But, which top-class manager looks to be the perfect fit for the club moving forward? What Will Ten Hag Bring To The Table? The favoured choice among many United fans since Solskjaer’s departure has been the current Ajax boss Ten Hag. The 52-year-old has been the manager of Ajax since joining the club from FC Utrecht in 2017. His spell with the club has been littered with silverware, and he almost did the impossible in 2019, as the Dutch giants were seconds away from reaching the Champions League final before Lucas Moura’s heroics. Since taking over at the Amsterdambased club, success has followed. Tag Hag has won the Eredivisie title on two occasions, as well as picking up two winners’ medals in the KNVB Cup.

His success at Ajax has quickly seen him become one of the most sought-after managers in world football, and for good reason. His side’s play in the traditional way that you would expect for Ajax, with the team being set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with every player given the freedom to bring the ball out and pass it around. One of the key parts of the Ajax style of play has been the back-up that every player has off-the-ball, which means that a pass is always available, leading to oppositions often being overwhelmed by the offence.

However, his greatest achievements can easily be seen based on the players that he has helped flourish. He was able to get the very best out of players such as Donny van de Beek and Matthijs de Lift, who have both struggled since leaving Ajax. Meanwhile, this season, he has managed to get the very best out of Sebastian Haller, who struggled during his time with West Ham United.

Are There Concerns? There will certainly be questions when it comes to how ten Hag adapts this style of play when moving to United. Ajax very rarely have to deal with the sides of the quality that there are in the Premier League, which means that should ten Hag stick to his exact game plan at present, then United may be vulnerable in transitions. However, he has shown already that there are different plans and styles that can be adapted, and that was evident in Ajax’s Champions League group stage campaign in fixtures against Borussia Dortmund.

The biggest concern would be just how transferrable his style would be on this United side, and how much money he would need to get the players that he would need to get the very best. However, he is the most exciting candidate, and one that has the ability to transform how football is played in the Premier League moving forward.

Is Pochettino The Safer Option? There has always been a feeling that we would one day see Mauricio Pochettino sitting in the Old Trafford dugout for the home side. Many believed that day would come after the departure of Jose Mourinho before the club instead opted for Solskjaer. There was no surprise that the former Tottenham boss was the first name linked to the job as soon as the Norwegian was fired, and there was some hope that a deal could be agreed to appoint the 50-year-old immediately.

However, PSG were reluctant to allow their head coach to leave mid-way through the season when they were fighting on all fronts at the time. That may not be an issue now, as the Parisians would likely be willing to allow their coach to leave given their performances in Europe in the second half of the campaign. Pochettino does tick all the boxes that the United board will be looking at. He has Premier League experience from his time at Tottenham, he led Spurs to a Champions League final, and also plays an expansive style of football that will keep fans on side even if results aren’t as positive as they should be. But, there are still some clear questions hanging over the potential appointment.

What Are The Big Issues? Pochettino’s stock remains high in the world game, but it has certainly taken knocks over the past couple of years. First, he was dismissed by Tottenham Hotspur after a poor start to the 2019-20 season, just months after guiding the club to their first Champions League final. Throughout that summer, he was at loggerheads with Daniel Levy over transfers, which could be a sign of things to come judging by Mourinho’s response after the lack of backing during his time at Old Trafford.

PSG was believed to be a safe destination to regain confidence for the Argentinean, but things haven’t gone perfectly in Paris for Pochettino either. There was embarrassment in his first season with the club as they missed out on the Ligue 1 title to Lille, while this season, PSG fell apart against Real Madrid in the Champions League despite being the early-season favourites to win the competition.

One aspect of this season that may be a particular worry is how he has dealt with the egos inside in the PSG changing room. Lionel Messi has seemingly been undroppable, while reports have surfaced that Neymar is constantly late for training. The United dressing room also has egos, and whether he can be as strict as he needs to be to get results on the pitch is a very pressing concern, given that he hasn’t been able to get the best out of one of the most exciting forward lines in European football.