Had the "timing" been different, the Argentine could well have been in the home dugout for Wednesday's clash
"Soccer is 'timing'. These are the moments for it to coincide and for that marriage to happen. Sometimes it’s just a matter of time. I don’t believe in trains passing only once. I think that sometimes you have to have the necessary patience and you have to know how to wait. The 'timing' is handled by football."
That is how Mauricio Pochettino reflected on being overlooked for the Manchester United job in November 2022, after Erik ten Hag was hired ahead of him while he was heading towards the end of an ill-fated stint at Paris Saint-Germain. The former Tottenham boss had routinely been favourite for the role, but United went for the Dutchman after he wowed the board in the interview process.
Thirteen months on, Pochettino is preparing to take his Chelsea side to face Ten Hag's United; two teams mired in transition, it feels as though they both are slowly heading in opposite directions. The Argentine could so easily have been in the home dugout, though, and as Ten Hag continues to toil, there may well be some regret within the walls of Old Trafford that he isn't.
GettyTwo different approaches
It's become abundantly clear in recent weeks and months that these are two managers who take wholly different approaches to man-management, and that is beginning to have consequences for Ten Hag. If recent reports are to be believed, he has become the latest in a string of United managers to 'lose the dressing room'. That is likely in no small part down to his hard-line approach, admitting himself in 2022 that he can be "severe".
In fairness to Ten Hag, his playing staff have posed plenty of challenges, but while he navigated Cristiano Ronaldo's very public exit with aplomb, his handling of both Jadon Sancho and Antony's situations has drawn scrutiny; the former remains an outcast having failed to apologise for a social media outburst in September, which has caused friction among the rest of the squad, while the latter has been welcomed back into the fold despite being at the centre of an ongoing domestic abuse investigation.
Pochettino, meanwhile, is renowned as a consummate man-manager, becoming familiar with his players and taking a hands-on approach to give each individual what they need to succeed. When he does need to discipline his players, he keeps that interaction private. Noni Madueke felt his wrath earlier this season after being pictured on a night out despite being injured, but the fallout was kept to an absolute minimum.
Indeed, GOAL reported after Ten Hag's appointment that Pochettino was the players' preference to lead them forward, and they may be wishing they had got their way.
AdvertisementGettyTwo different personalities
Given the adversity he's faced in his relatively brief time in charge, it would be remarkable if Ten Hag hadn't ruffled some feathers. But despite the relative success of last season, where he delivered a trophy, something of a title challenge and a top-four finish, some quarters of the fanbase, certain players and those outside the club have not warmed to him.
His prickly personality has certainly been a contributing factor, as he struggles in the PR battle that is part and parcel of being Manchester United manager. Barbed press conferences in the face of challenging lines of questioning have been a regular theme of his tenure, and the decision to ban certain journalists ahead of the clash with Pochettino's Chelsea – a response to these latest dressing room leaks – will likely only serve to do more harm to his image.
The challenge for Pochettino has been to win over a fanbase that views him as hero of one their sworn enemies in Tottenham. It's by no means one he has fully overcome, but his warm demeanour and disarming personality off the pitch have gone some way to shifting perspectives, as well as the welcome bite he has shown on the touchline and in confrontations with officials, even with some very varied results on the field.
The United job might have pushed him to his limits, but it's hard to imagine Pochettino doing worse to endear himself to all concerned.
GettyMissed opportunities
The way things are going, the summer transfer window will be reflected on as a monumental failure for the Red Devils, with big-money acquisitions Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund, earmarked by Ten Hag, all falling well short of expectation to date.
Things could have been wildly different with Pochettino at the helm, especially in the failed pursuit of Harry Kane. With the striker evidently open to finally leaving Tottenham, United dropped their interest as early as June having been deterred by Spurs' £100 million ($126m) valuation and spent a whopping £72m ($91m) on unproven Hojlund instead. Kane has, of course, since signed for Bayern Munich, where he is scoring goals at an unprecedented rate.
It was reported that Kane wanted to stay in England, and Pochettino's presence at Old Trafford could well have been enough to make the deal happen – either through the Argentine convincing his bosses to open their wallets or via Kane submitting the transfer request that never materialised in reality.
While his new signings have so far failed to deliver, the Dutchman perhaps took his eye off the ball in terms of outgoings, too. While Pochettino demonstrated his ruthlessness in helping to undertake a much-needed clear-out at Stamford Bridge, several relics of a failed era still remain at Old Trafford.
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Getty ImagesOverlooked potential
Despite United's struggles of late, Ten Hag has been hesitant to turn to the club's famed academy for inspiration. Prodigious winger Alejandro Garnacho (19) has only recently nailed down a starting place, and no sooner had Kobbie Mainoo (18) produced a midfield masterclass against Everton than he was returned to the bench for the crucial clash with Galatasaray.
Both, though, have proven that they are good enough to be regular features in two positions where United are in dire need of quality. There is little doubt that, under Pochettino, they would be. The Argentine built his reputation at Tottenham on giving opportunities to young players, and he was richly rewarded by the likes of Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier.
The Argentine said at the time: "I’m not afraid to play them. If a player deserves to play, if they are 17, 18, 19 or 20 it’s the same for us, if they deserve to play and show character and maturity to be given the responsibility. But for that, you need to build the player."
Of course, there are different pressures at Old Trafford, but when the alternatives are underperforming senior players who have been given countless opportunities to prove themselves, there should be a pathway for their academy talents to seize the opportunity.