Wayne Rooney 'choosing Mauricio Pochettino' over Erik ten Hag as next Manchester United manager
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Updated 04/04/2022 at 19:44 GMT
Manchester United are yet to appoint a permanent manager as they search for Ralf Rangnick's long-term replacement. The leading candidates are said to be Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino or Erik ten Hag of Ajax, with former United striker Wayne Rooney believing that the Argentine should get the nod.
Mauricio Pochettino (PSG)
Image credit: Getty Images
Wayne Rooney believes that Manchester United should appoint Mauricio Pochettino ahead of Erik ten Haag.
Current boss Ralf Rangnick was appointed until the end of the current season but has failed to make the position his own, and there was no guarantee that he would stay on when he was initially appointed.
The club look likely to miss out on Champions League next season and there are a host of potential exits, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba all looking more likely to leave than remain at Old Trafford next season.
Speaking to Sky Sports on Monday evening, former United striker Rooney thinks the squad needs a complete overhaul, and believes that current Paris Saint-Germain boss Pochettino should get the nod ahead of Ajax’s Ten Hag.
“For Manchester United not to be challenging, I think they’d want the season to stop now and forget about the Champions League, because they’re not going to compete next year in the Champions League if they qualify for it,” he began.
“I think they’re going to have to rebuild the squad, everything around the first team, around the club, to make sure they put themselves in a position so that, in two-three years' time, they can actually go to challenge for the Premier League.
“I think Pochettino has done it in the Premier League, he knows the Premier League. At Tottenham he brought a lot of young players through, at Southampton he brought a lot of young players through, so if I’m choosing from one of those two, I’m choosing Pochettino.
"They need time to put their blueprint on the team. I think if you give him time he’ll do well.”
Rooney name-checked five British players who could be part of a better United side next year, including out-of-sorts Harry Maguire.
“I think as I said they’ve got good young players,” he stated. “I think [Jadon] Sancho will be better next year. Marcus [Rashford] will be better next year. I think Jesse Lingard should be playing for them. He brings energy, he brings quality. Scott McTominay has done well. They just have to get them confident, believing that they’re good players and performing at a better level.
“I like Harry, I know Harry personally. He hasn’t been in his best form like a lot of others. You look at England and he looks like a world class centre back. A lot of it is confidence. The players need to feel winning again consistently, if they do that, I think Harry Magure’s a big part of it.
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