Mauricio Pochettino – who had apparently been in the dark regarding the latest developments in the Manchester United camp – was said to be caught by surprise to have been dumped by the latter in favor of Ajax boss Erik ten Hag as their next manager, with the PSG boss supposedly left feeling a tad awkward after news had emerged of the Dutchman’s appointment.
The news had been widely circulated that the Argentine and the Dutchman had had both been in direct competition for the role with the PSG boss having the clear edge in the beginning. However, United had a change of heart and officially confirmed Ten Hag as their new permanent manager replacing interim Ralf Rangnick on a three-year-deal on Thursday morning with the option of an additional year.
The Athletic claims Pochettino was caught by off-guard by the move to appoint the Ajax manager as he had not received prior notice by the Old Trafford top brass to inform the Argentine directly about final decisions before the announcement.
Pochettino had allegedly felt awkward after release of the news as reports had it that he had been initially exuding confidence the appointment would go his way as the PSG gaffer’s representatives had actually held talks with Matt Judge over potential contract details as early as this month.
The Athletic goes further to report that Pochettino was even at the extent of gathering information about living in Manchester, as well as tanking up on United’s structure and the personality of key players in the Old Trafford dressing room. It’s hard to knock the confidence he must have had considering his comfortable relationship with the club’s former executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, whom he had known since 2018.
It is also said that Pochettino’s Zoom interview with the United top brass did not go as well as Ten Hag’s, with news that the Argentine actually detailing the massive cost it would entail to overhaul the current squad. Unsurprisingly, too, United having to pay close to £10million for his substantial release fee from PSG may have realistically been another serious deterent in comparison to the £2million required to bring Ten Hag to Old Trafford.
Apparently the new United boss had made a massive impression on technical director Darren Fletcher and football director John Murtough when both flew out to the Netherlands to interview the Dutchman last month, especially when Ten Hag held nothing back in doing a brutal demolition job on United’s set-up, channeling his criticism without pulling any punches at the club’s scouting and recruitment in a most refreshing display of candor and honesty.