Former Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham has explained why he believes Mauricio Pochettino would have been a better Old Trafford appointment than Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman was finally announced as the club’s new boss last week and will take charge of the team on a three-year contract in the summer. The 52-year-old was the clear frontrunner in the end but Pochettino was initially among those in consideration for the job.
United fans indicated Ten Hag was their preferred choice with many going off the idea of Pochettino after he failed to get a star-studded Paris Saint-Germain team past the last 16 of the Champions League. However, Sheringham was not one of those.
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The 1999 Treble hero said that even now he believes United should have opted for the Argentinian coach. “I would have (preferred Pochettino), only for his experience in the Premier League,” he told the Press Association (via The Independent ). I love the way he plays football. It’s in the Man United style, or the style we used to play years ago.
“I’ve got to be honest, I don’t know an awful lot about Ten Hag. He’s obviously a decent manager. But the club is in a bit of turmoil at the moment and it’s going to take an awful lot to turn it around.”
Sheringham said that his former club are in "freefall" and that Ten Hag has a huge task ahead of him. He suggested the new boss may take a little while to adjust to the cut and thrust of England’s top flight.
He added: “He has a massive job on his hands and it’s going to take him a little while to become accustomed to the Premier League. Let’s hope he is given time – but we all know what football is like.
“We’ll see if he gets the time that’s needed. The way United are at the moment, it looks like they’re in freefall to me because of the way the club’s being run, from top to bottom, and everybody’s rowing in different directions.
“He has to be the man to pull it all together and make sure they’re all rowing in the right direction. It’s a real tough job. He couldn’t have come in at any worse time, for me.”
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