Sir Alex Ferguson has already shared his thoughts with Man Utd about Mauricio Pochettino becoming their manager.
Michael Carrick is reportedly close to being let go by Manchester United, and the rumors about who might replace him are heating up. But the club’s most legendary manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has already shared his thoughts on who would be the perfect choice.
Ferguson first went up against this top coach back in 2013 and still believes he’s the best person for the job at United.
Manchester United’s season has started terribly — their worst since 1896/1897, when the team was near the bottom of the table. Before the international break, the club gave Carrick three more games to prove himself. They ended with a loss, a win, and a draw. But according to Director of Football Jason Wilcox and CEO Omar Berrada, that wasn’t good enough, and they’re ready to make a change.
Since Ferguson left in 2013, United hasn’t reached the level of success that fans and the club want, aside from a few cup wins and European qualifications. But it was during Ferguson’s last season that he first came across the manager he now favors — Mauricio Pochettino, who was coaching Southampton at the time.
Ferguson said, “The first 30 minutes we played really well, but in the second half Southampton were by far the best team to play here this season. We were lucky to win; they kept the pressure on us and didn’t let us settle.”
As United went through several managers—David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal, and Jose Mourinho—Ferguson showed his support for Pochettino, who then managed Tottenham Hotspur. In 2016, Ferguson took Pochettino out for dinner in London and praised him, saying, “He’s been fantastic. Tottenham has had many managers, but this guy stays calm and composed. You never see him stressed, and his team’s style of play shows how good his work is.”
This high opinion from Ferguson even came out through an unexpected source—Tottenham MP David Lammy, who shared on a podcast in 2016 that he sat next to Ferguson at a dinner and heard him say, “I think you guys have got the best manager in the Premier League.”
So, if Manchester United is looking for a new manager, it seems Ferguson’s pick might be the way to go.