Mauricio Pochettino -300 Favorite to Be Next Permanent Man U Manager
- Argentinian former Tottenham boss leads field in odds for Old Trafford job
- Italian Allegri is second in the running after five Serie A titles with Juventus
- See all odds and best bets for next permanent Manchester United manager
Some Tottenham Hotspur fans already wish they could have Mauricio Pochettino back in charge of their team but he has been linked for a long time with the manager’s job at Manchester United.
Argentinian Pochettino was fired by Spurs last November. But he said recently he is now ready for a return to a big position in the English Premier League after a break from the rigors of top-level soccer.
Although Norwegian former United player Ole Gunner Solskjaer currently holds the post, 47-year-old Pochettino is rated as a wide favorite to be the team’s next permanent manager.
Among a host of top names, he leads the field ahead of Italian former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri who is in second place at +500.
Next Permanent Man U Manager Odds
| Manager | Odds |
|---|---|
| Mauricio Pochettino | -300 |
| Massimiliano Allegri | +500 |
| Chris Wilder | +2000 |
| Julian Nagelsmann | +2000 |
| Laurent Blanc | +2000 |
| Nuno Espirito Santo | +2000 |
| Brendan Rodgers | +2500 |
| Gareth Southgate | +2500 |
| Ralf Rangnick | +2500 |
| Arsene Wenger | +3300 |
| Carlo Ancelotti | +3300 |
| Erik Ten Hag | +3300 |
| Luis Enrique | +3300 |
| Michael Carrick | +3300 |
| Philip Neville | +3300 |
| Rafa Benitez | +3300 |
| Eddie Howe | +4000 |
| Joachim Low | +4000 |
| Nicky Butt | +4000 |
| Thomas Tuchle | +4000 |
| Zinedine Zidane | +4000 |
| Antonio Conte | +5000 |
| Didier Deschamps | +5000 |
| Diego Simeone | +5000 |
| Jose Mourinho | +5000 |
| Pep Guardiola | +5000 |
| Ernesto Valverde | +6600 |
Odds taken Mar. 27
Then comes a group of third-rated candidates at +2000 featuring Chris Wilder of Sheffield United, Nuno Espirito Santo of Wolves, Julian Nagelsmann of Red Bull Leipzig and Laurent Blanc – also a former United player – who was most recently in charge at Paris Saint-Germain between 2013 and 2016.
Pochettino was linked with a take-over at United on many occasions during five successful years at Spurs between 2014 and 2019 – with Real Madrid among those who were also said to admire his abilities.
Talented and Available
The fact he is currently unemployed adds to the belief that he would be the leading contender if the United post became available.
But he would have been in pole position, anyway, even if he was still in the dug-out at Tottenham with the influential former United chief Sir Alex Ferguson among the many admirers of his talents.
Pochettino’s price of -300 does not offer good value, however. And he could be tempted into a leading job in Europe – such as the one at Real Madrid currently occupied by Zinedine Zidane – before the Old Trafford job becomes available again.
That means Allegri – also not currently employed after leading Juventus to five straight Italian Serie A titles – looks a better prospect.
Pocchetino turned Tottenham into regular title contenders and also led them to their first Champions League final in 2019 although they were beaten by Liverpool in Madrid.
It is said Allegri has been spending time in London recently to improve his English.
Pocchetino turned Tottenham into regular title contenders and also led them to their first Champions League final in 2019 although they were beaten by Liverpool in Madrid.
Tottenham Hotspur will be required to pay Mauricio Pochettino a further €4.4million next season if he does not take a new job by then. [France Football] #THFC pic.twitter.com/HN30RpdBRP
— Talking THFC (@TalkingTHFC) March 24, 2020
The second place finish he achieved in the EPL in 2016-17 was the club’s highest placing in 54 years and their points tally of 86 was the biggest since the EPL era began in 1992.
He is also credited with developing and encouraging the talents of players such as the England captain and most prominent striker Harry Kane.
Fired by Tottenham
Things finally dipped for Pochettino in the current season – possibly as a reaction to the high-point of reaching the UCL final – and he was replaced four months by Jose Mourinho, who has achieved mixed results.
Brendan Rodgers of Leicester City, England coach Gareth Southgate and former Red Bull Leipzig chief Ralf Rangnick are in a third following group priced at +2500.
United were enjoying a run of 12 undefeated matches before the suspension of football – with the most recent result being a 5-0 away victory against Austrian side Linz
However, current United manager Solskjaer had emerged from a period of intense criticism to steady the ship at United before football was suspended because of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Manchester United are third in the overall their since Solskjaer took over #mufc pic.twitter.com/ia6rQVXqNf
— United 4Fans (@United4fans) March 17, 2020
United were enjoying a run of 12 undefeated matches before the suspension of football – with the most recent result being a 5-0 away victory against Austrian side Linz in the Europa League.
Solskjaer has received the public backing of the United ownership recently with the team in fifth place in the EPL and also still in contention in the FA Cup’s last eight.
Pick: Massimiliano Allegri +500
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
