Mauricio Pochettino’s most famous lunch happened six years ago. When he met Sir Alex Ferguson in Mayfair, it was a sign he was being anointed as the heir apparent. Manchester United’s greatest manager seemed to be giving his seal of approval to a probable successor.
Except that United have appointed three managers since then and if Jose Mourinho was lined up to replace Louis van Gaal in 2016, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag scarcely figured in the conversation when some of Ferguson’s proteges first felt Pochettino’s attacking, high-tempo football, faith in youth and capacity to improve players may him the ideal fit for Old Trafford. If it was remarkable how virtually everyone, from United’s powerbrokers to their fans, coalesced behind Ten Hag, it indicated Pochettino’s decline in status.
Perhaps his departure from Paris Saint-Germain does not. From Carlo Ancelotti to Unai Emery to Thomas Tuchel, there is a record of their managers prospering elsewhere. If that sounds auspicious for Pochettino, there is the question if he went from being tomorrow’s manager to yesterday’s while answering the criticism that he never won any trophies.
