Sky Sports had a very special guest in the form of former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino on Monday Night Football.The Argentine has been without a job since being sacked by Spurs back in November with Jose Mourinho replacing him.But it wouldn’t have only been Tottenham fans tuning in to see what Poch had to say.That’s because he’s currently the odds-on favourite to be the next Manchester United manager.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under pressure at Old Trafford with the Red Devils winning just two of their opening six matches this season. They currently sit in 15th following their 1-0 home loss to Arsenal on Sunday.
Sky were never to confront Pochettino and directly ask him if he’d be keen to replace Solskjaer at the Theatre of Dreams but they did ask him whether his next job would be in the Premier League. To which he replied: "I don't know. I'm not going to close any door. I learnt when I was really, really young, [Pochettino's former coach] Jorge Griffa would say, 'Mauricio, football is going to dictate your way'."And I am waiting to feel what is the right project for us, which is the right way to take."My energy is full, I'd love to be involved in the game but at the same time I need to understand that at the moment is a good moment that you need to wait. You need to wait for the right project and for sure football is going to bring what football wants and we need to be open and to accept or not."
Presenter David Jones went the entire show without mentioning the possibility of becoming the next United manager but, in the final minute of the show, he just couldn’t resist.Jones asked Pochettino about his attire when he returns to the touchline. Whether he’d be wearing his traditional all-black look or whether it’ll be navy. Pochettino admitted that it depends which team he'll be at to which Jones joked: “It might be a team in red...”Pochettino didn’t flinch. He clearly had been told not to get involved in any chat concerning United.
While there wasn’t much of a reaction from Pochettino, there was plenty of reaction from excited United fans just to hear “a team in red” mentioned in the same sentence as his next club.
On Wednesday, United travel to Istanbul Basaksehir looking to continue the good start to their Champions League campaign.
But Solskjaer's attention might already be turning to the Saturday early kick-off, where United face Everton at Goodison Park. Another defeat there and the odds on Pochettino replacing the Norwegian will shorten considerably.