Alex Ferguson’s Past Opinion on Mauricio Pochettino Resurfaces As He Begins Chelsea Role

• Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly holds Mauricio Pochettino's work as a manager in high regard
• So high that he wanted the Argentine to replace Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford in 2018
• Mauricio Pochettino is set to begin his new job with Chelsea this month

Under different circumstances, Mauricio Pochettino could have been Manchester United's Head Coach. Both factions were understood to be interested in working together, but the stars never aligned for the appointment to take place.

All this was a result of Sir Alex Ferguson holding Pochettino in high regard. The legendary manager might have retired in 2013, but it is believed that he continues to hold a sway in the decisions around the club from afar.

In 2018, for instance, Ferguson wanted Pochettino to succeed Jose Mourinho as permanent Head Coach. But as the Mirror reports, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer impressed during his stint as an interim manager such that he was able to convince, among others, the then executive officer Ed Woodward to appoint him on a permanent basis.

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How United missed out on Pochettino

Eight months after Solskjaer was confirmed on a full-time basis, Pochettino was sacked by Tottenham Hotspur despite reaching the Champions League final a few months earlier. Solskjaer was also relieved of his duties after a poor run of form in late 2021, but this time, Ferguson's preferred successor had already landed a job at Paris Saint-Germain.

The Red Devils settled on Erik ten Hag as Solskjaer's permanent successor before an opportunity for Pochettino to make a comeback to English football resurfaced. After a disastrous season, Chelsea roped in Pochettino and the Blues faithful will be hoping that the Argentine can turn around the fortunes of the clubs.

The thinking would be; if Ferguson, in all his glory and successes, wanted him at Old Trafford, then he must be a good manager. Pochettino began his three-year contract in West London on July 1. He is expected to take over officially in the coming week as the players report back for preseason.

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Fernandez backs Pochettino to succeed

Sports Brief had earlier reported that Enzo Fernandez has promised rival clubs that Chelsea will bounce back after a difficult season that saw them finish 12th on the Premier League table.

It was the Blues' worst finish in over 25 years, with the club going through the season with four different managers.

Club legend, Frank Lampard, took over after Graham Potter - who replaced Thomas Tuchel - was sacked, with Bruno Saltor also briefly taking on the coaching role.