Mauricio Pochettino sacked by Tottenham https://t.co/G7VIg9HYJL
— The Independent (@Independent) November 19, 2019
Just six months after guiding Tottenham Hotspur to the Champions League final, Coach Mauricio Pochettino was relieved of his duties, leaving the club languishing in the bottom half of the English Premier League table.
Time for a change
It was a sad way for his five-and-a-half tenure to end but Spurs appeared rudderless as they lurched through the first 12 games of the new campaign. Of course, there were mitigating circumstances: The team was badly in need of some fresh blood following a period of low spending during the stadium rebuild and the defeat to Liverpool in Madrid clearly knocked the wind out of a group that had looked burnt out since the turn of the year. With nothing left to give after reaching the verge of glory, Spurs needed a new spark.
With Jose Mourinho now installed in the North London hot seat, Mauricio Pochettino can start listening to new offers and the football betting tips and football predictions websites are already full of speculation about his next destination.
José Mourinho appointed Tottenham manager after Pochettino sacked. Story: @ed_aarons https://t.co/1qOZZFRt1H pic.twitter.com/1WM2yuJg2n
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) November 20, 2019
Weighing up the options
The Argentine has previously been linked with Manchester United so it is no surprise that they are top of the list of likely employers. However, the board at Old Trafford has shown little sign that they are ready to give up on Ole Gunnar Solksjaer despite the fact the club ended game week 13 placed ninth in the Premier League table, 20 points adrift of arch-rivals Liverpool. United may wait until the summer to assess the situation further and Pochettino himself might prefer to take a break before weighing up his options.
There is also a possibility that a vacancy could arise at Arsenal with Unai Emery’s position looking increasingly unstable following a run of poor performances for the Gunners. The big question is: would Pochettino move directly to Spurs’ arch-rivals?
Some outlets were linking Mauricio Pochettino with the vacant manager’s role at Bayern Munich but CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge appears to have ruled out a move. Niko Kovac was sacked in November with Hansi Flick placed in charge on an interim basis. So far, the temporary coach has a 100% record and looks set to be retained for the rest of the season.
There is talk that Bayern may be trying to lure Pep Guardiola back to the Bundesliga in which case, Pochettino could be lined up as his replacement. The Sky Blues first made contact with Guardiola four years before he was eventually appointed so they may already have a replacement lined up. Could it be Pochettino?
In demand
The 47-year-old has also been linked to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. This is a testament to the job he did in North London. He has proved at Espanyol, Southampton and Tottenham that he is capable of operating on scare resources compared to the teams around him. It is only natural that he now waits for a job where he has less financial constraints and can build a team to compete at the highest level on a regular basis.
The Manchester United job feels a little like a poison chalice with the last four bosses all failing to return them to the elite level despite bumper spending and that might put the Argentine off. With that in mind, he may prefer to wait until Bayern Munich, Manchester City or one of the Spanish giants comes calling.
