New details show INEOS wanted Eddie Howe as the next Man Utd manager, but the Glazers said ‘no’.
A new report says that Manchester United bosses Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox wanted Eddie Howe to replace Michael Carrick, but the Glazers said ‘no’ and chose Mauricio Pochettino instead.
Pochettino is close to becoming United’s next head coach after the club reached a basic agreement with the former Tottenham and Chelsea boss.
Several big names have been linked to the job, like Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte, and Eddie Howe. According to the Daily Mail, if Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox had their way, Howe would have been the one to help turn things around at Old Trafford.
The report also says the Glazers, worried by the club’s recent struggles, said no to Howe and picked Pochettino as the next coach. Back in October, The Guardian said Howe was Wilcox’s favorite choice because of his strong Premier League experience.
Meanwhile, Joel and Avram Glazer have liked Pochettino for years. The club even thought about hiring him in 2018 and 2022, but chose Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag instead. The Glazers also have close connections to billionaire Ken Griffin, who helped fund Pochettino’s deal with the US national team.
A former co-worker of Pochettino has named seven United players who match the style he likes to play. The Argentine coach will want to bring out the best in a team that hasn’t been performing well lately. Luckily, there is plenty of talent to help the club climb the Premier League ranks.
The Telegraph reports that Pochettino will enjoy working with Marcus Rashford, who hasn’t had many chances since coming back from a loan at Barcelona. A source told the paper that Pochettino will “put an arm around him and give him the same kind of support he gave to Dele Alli.”
Pochettino gave Alli freedom behind Harry Kane, and Alli shined in the 2016-17 season by scoring 18 league goals as Tottenham finished second.
Besides Rashford, Pochettino will also like working with Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Carlos Baleba, Amad, Luke Shaw, and Patrick Dorgu, says the source who’s worked with him before. “They all have the kind of skills he usually likes and fit how he wants his teams to play. Others might have to prove themselves,” the source added.