David Ornstein says Mauricio Pochettino is “one to watch” as a potential Erik ten Hag replacement | OneFootball

Reliable journalist David Ornstein has hinted that Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino could become a strong option for Manchester United to potentially replace Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.

United suffered their second consecutive Premier League defeat on Sunday in a 1-0 loss at the hands of Arsenal, to pile further misery and pressure on Ten Hag.

The result means that the Red Devils have now won just two of their last 11 top-flight games – an extremely poor return to say the least.

With Newcastle and Brighton up next before a trip to Wembley to face Manchester City in the FA Cup final, there is a real chance that United could finish the season without tasting victory again.

It’s widely believed that Ten Hag will be sacked once the campaign concludes as United continue to be strongly linked with individuals who could succeed him including Thomas Tuchel, Hansi Flick, Gareth Southgate, Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi, just to mention a few names.

According to Ornstein, there may be a surprise new candidate if certain conditions are met – Pochettino.

The Argentine coach has managed to steer Chelsea’s season back on track after a disappointing first half of the campaign. The Blues are now fighting to qualify for Europe after winning their last three Premier League matches.

Like Ten Hag, Pochettino has faced intense criticism for large parts of the season and he recently admitted that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if he were to be sacked by the Stamford Bridge outfit.

The 52-year-old has been linked to United before. He was a target for the club alongside Ten Hag following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s departure. Ten Hag eventually landed the hot seat but it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the Dutchman.

Ornstein, speaking on Sky Sports, suggested that Pochettino may once again be considered for the United job.

The journalist said, “If Mauricio Pochettino is to leave [Chelsea] I’m sure there are a number of vacancies and people looking at him because of his career so far. He’s been heavily linked to Manchester United in the past.”

“He met with INEOS about the OGC Nice job some time ago, so there are some links there. Maybe his current style of management is fitting to the current style that INEOS like to exhibit themselves. I’m not saying he’s in the frame by any means but it’s just one to watch.”

Amidst all this, former United goalkeeper Tim Howard believes that Pochettino would succeed at Old Trafford and earn the respect of the players if he were to be appointed.

When asked on NBC (via The Express) whether he would support Pochettino’s arrival, the ex-American shot-stopper remarked, “I do. A collective buy-in creates culture, we’ve seen that with results, we’ve seen the buy-in. I’ve never seen a collective buy-in from senior players under Ten Hag.”

It remains to be seen whether this speculation materialises into something a bit more solid.

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