It's no secret that Manchester United's managerial situation has been precarious since Sir Alex Ferguson called time on his career in the dugout back in 2013 after winning his 13th Premier League title. And the stubborn Scot, forever an Old Trafford legend, has already provided his verdict on a manager who could replace the recently-sacked Ruben Amorim this summer.
Lisbon-born Amorim's 14-month tenure in charge at Old Trafford recently came to an end following his side's 1-1 draw with Leeds United on January 4 and Darren Fletcher, former midfielder and current Under-18s coach, was named by the club as his replacement on an interim basis.
From Michael Carrick to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, a caretaker manager is expected to fill in until the end of the 2025/26 campaign. It'll be in the summer, which will be punctured by the 2025 World Cup in North America, when a permanent successor to Amorim will be appointed and Ferguson has previously given the green light to a tactician United are keeping tabs on ahead of the summer.
Manager on Man Utd's Managerial Shortlist Has A Fond Admirer in Sir Alex Ferguson
Ferguson
Thomas Tuchel, currently in charge of the England national team, and Luis Enrique – who is reportedly unhappy at Paris Saint-Germain and would be open to an Old Trafford move – are two names in the frame as United look to return to former glories. Another name that has floated about is that of Mauricio Pochettino, who has managed at Southampton, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Pochettino – who has previously been described as a 'world-class' manager – has long been linked with the United job, dating back to 2016 when he was pictured leaving lunch with Ferguson.
The Metro have recently reported that three Chelsea managers, including Pochettino, have been placed on United's managerial shortlist and that'll be music to Ferguson's ears given he is such a big fan.
When Ferguson was in charge of United and Pochettino was in the Tottenham dugout in April 2016, the former said: "Well, the manager has been fantastic. They have a bad record of managers, there is no doubt about that. They have had so many over the years, but this lad has composure. You never see him ruffled and the way his team play is a testimony to the work he is doing.
"The most important thing for English football is how many English and young players are in his team. He understands the advantage of playing young people. They won't let you down and they have been fantastic," before naming the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Kyle Walker, all of whom had benefitted from the now-53-year-old's touchline brilliance.
A year before, Tottenham MP David Lammy revealed that Pochettino's name came up in conversation Ferguson, who called the ex-Spurs tactician the best manager in the Premier League. "About six weeks ago, I sat next to Sir Alex Ferguson at a dinner in support of grassroots football abroad," Lammy said.
"He said to me, 'I think you guys have got the best manager in the Premier League.' Alex Ferguson said that."
Five years after his glowing reference of the Argentine, talkSPORT reported that Ferguson was pressing club higher-ups to appoint Pochettino. The two only ever faced one another once in the dugout – a 2-1 win for United over Pochettino's Southampton in the 2012/23 season – and the legendary Scot waxed poetic about the side from the south.
“I have to say, Southampton in the second-half were the best team that’s played here this season,” he said after the Old Trafford clash. “They played exceptionally well, and I think we were a bit fortunate to win the game.” But will Pochettino, who never won a trophy in England, really be Amorim's successor?
Is a Move to Old Trafford Realistic for Pochettino?
USMNT Pochettino
As alluded to, Pochettino is not available at the time of writing. Set to oversee the USMNT's World Cup campaign on home soil, the Argentine – who has Premier League expertise aplenty – may be available once the summer showpiece has concluded in July. That said, with every chance he gets, Pochettino tends to talk up a return to north London to manage spells.
Previous spells in the English top flight are among the criteria for a manager to be successful at Old Trafford, according to Gary Neville – and Pochettino has that in abundance.
Managing in the Premier League is not for the faint-hearted but Pochettino has proved he is more than capable of managing a sizeable club in the past. First linked with the Old Trafford post when Jose Mourinho was sacked in 2018, he also lost out when Ertik ten Hag was appointed in 2022.
Will it be the case of third time's a charm for Pochettino? One of the highest-paid managers in international football, it wouldn't be cheap for United to strike a deal with the former centre-back but Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS-led team will have to weigh up the pros and cons.