Former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is believed to be keen on taking the managerial job at Manchester United, with the club already sounding out potential interim managers in the meantime for something to fall back on.
The media are hungry for stories on United at the moment and have stooped so low that they’ve began asking the likes of Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp for his thoughts on the situation at Old Trafford.
Current Spurs manager Antonio Conte is next in line to answer a question on United’s managerial hunt. He was asked about the prospect of facing Pochettino at United during a press conference that should’ve put focus on Thursday’s Europa Conference league showdown against NS Mura.
“Honestly in this moment I’m too busy thinking about my work and the situation here at Tottenham to speak about whether eventually Pochettino comes again to England,” Conte told reporters, as quoted by The Metro.
“I think I’m not prepared for this answer. I’m sorry! I am focused on the game against Mura.
“Mauricio is a friend, a good friend, and he is a good person. I wish for him the best.”
"I wish, for him, the best"
Antonio Conte won't be drawn to comment on a potential Premier League return for Mauricio Pochettinopic.twitter.com/9A5kmsPiMq
— Sun Sport (@SunSport) November 24, 2021
Pochettino’s next test actually comes in Manchester – tonight against City in the Champions League. The Argentine used Tuesday’s pre-City press conference to insist he was happy in the French capital, saying (via The Guardian): “I’m really happy at Paris Saint-Germain – that’s a fact. We are in a business that the rumours are there, I completely understand what is going on – sometimes in a positive way and sometimes in a negative way. This type of thing cannot distract.
“They are rumours. Rumours are there and we need to live with that. That is the football that we are living. We are so focused. We are giving 100% to try to get the best form for the club, and for the players to try to perform the best way. I am so happy for Paris Saint-Germain. For tomorrow we are focused to try to get the best result we can.
“We cannot talk about that because of my respect to my club, Paris St-Germain, my respect to another club. What another club are doing in this moment is not my business, it is not my problem.”
Do you think Conte would’ve waited before taking the Tottenham job if he knew Solskjaer was soon to be sacked? Let us know in the comments section.
I wish Poch all the best also. We have got one of the most charismatic managers in the business. Poch is another.