Mauricio Pochettino has suggested that he could yet have another opportunity to be appointed Manchester United manager – after missing out to Erik ten Hag.
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The Argentine coach has been linked with the post on a number of occasions in the past, most recently in the summer as they attempted to find a permanent successor for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
He was beaten to the punch by former Ajax manager Ten Hag and then lost his job with Paris Saint-Germain despite having claimed the Ligue 1 title; Christophe Galtier was appointed as his successor at the Parc des Princes.
Speaking with Radio Marca, Pochettino has revealed that the timing was a the major reason behind his failure in earning the job but said that circumstances could be different should the chance arise at some point in the future.
The former Spurs head coach said: “Football is timing. It’s the moments for it to coincide and for that marriage to happen. Sometimes it’s just a matter of timing. I don’t believe that trains pass just once.”
Intriguingly, Pochettino’s latest hint is the first time that he has spoken about the United hot-seat since being beaten to the punch by Ten Hag.
Former United defender Gary Neville previously suggested that he would have been an excellent appointment at Old Trafford, but talks with PSG might have been terminal to his chances of taking the reins.
Speaking to Sky Sports in the summer, he said: “I think ultimately Pochettino has been the outstanding choice for a number of years. Losing in the Champions League this season, not winning the league in France last year.
“Let’s be clear, PSG is not an easy club to manage. Thomas Tuchel had problems over there. Tuchel wasn’t the statesman like figure he has been at Chelsea at PSG.
“So I think purely what has happened with Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain has cost him. He’s got great experience of the Premier League, he did a brilliant job at Southampton and Tottenham.
“But the current mood is absolutely key and Ten Hag is the man of the moment. Look, United have spoken to both of them and the club have determined that Erik ten Hag is the right man to take the club forward.”
