Gary Neville believes Manchester United should only appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their next permanent manager if the board want it and not because of the players. The Paris Saint-Germain boss is expected to leave the Parc des Princes at the end of the campaign. And Old Trafford could be his next destination.
Manchester United have admired Pochettino for a number of years.
They seriously considered hiring him as Sir Alex Ferguson’s replacement in 2013, only to believe he was too young at the time and went for David Moyes instead.
United also thought about giving him the job when they axed Louis van Gaal in 2016 yet Ed Woodward, a big admirer of Jose Mourinho, denied to give him the keys to Old Trafford instead.
And when the Red Devils relieved Mourinho of his duties in December 2018, Pochettino was their No 1 target to take over.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, however, secured the post having impressed during a spell as interim boss.
Now, United are again being linked with Pochettino as they plan for a brighter future.
Man Utd news: Gary Neville has opened up on potential Mauricio Pochettino appointment (Image: GETTY)
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The PSG boss is expected to leave the Ligue 1 titans at the end of the campaign, despite the club being on course to win the title.
There have been suggestions United players want Pochettino to take over, despite the board also eyeing Erik ten Hag and Luis Enrique.
Yet Neville, speaking on his podcast, thinks the board should only hire Pochettino if they think he’s the right fit - as opposed to how the squad feel.
“If Pochettino is the choice of the board then they should appoint him,” he said.
“But they shouldn't appoint him based on the players wanting him.
“I’d hate to think for one second that they were listening to the players in the dressing room.
“They've got big PR machines and big social media machines and their agents are active.
“They have been for a good few months and I've not liked it for a few months. At the moment, they're all looking after one another, thinking who they want in next.
“All that nonsense is happening behind the scenes at Manchester United.”
Neville’s comments come just over a month after he’d expressed a belief Pochettino was the ‘right fit’ for his old side.
“I don’t think [Antonio] Conte was a fit for United,” he said.
“I think United will get the right manager at the end of the season for the longer term.