Ex-Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur striker Dimitar Berbatov has urged the Red Devils to consider other managerial candidates on top of the PSG boss. United’s search for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s permanent successor is underway, and links to Pochettino refuse to disappear.
Earlier this week, PSG’s Champions League exit, losing a 2-0 aggregate lead in the second half at Real Madrid, only added further fuel to the fire.
And there is a widespread belief that if Pochettino were to leave the Parisiens before next season, he would barge to the front of the queue as United search for a long-term manager.
But Berbatov has reservations over the Argentine and what he has achieved with the excessive tools at his disposal in the French capital.
Speaking exclusively to Express Sport, Berbatov, a Betfair Ambassador, has claimed Pochettino and his players have ‘no excuses’ for collapsing to defeat on Wednesday.
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He said: “I think that PSG, leading at half-time at 1-0, 2-0 overall, should have easily gone to the next phase. And there are no excuses, in my opinion, for why they didn’t do it.
“I mean, it was their fault, obviously, the whole team and the manager included. That said, I think that Pochettino is in a position where yes, he’s still considered to be the United manager.
“But at the same time, he’s managing PSG with great players, great egos, as well, but things are not going quite well for them. In the Champions League, it is over, [and] last season, they didn’t become champions.”
And because of Pochettino’s struggles at PSG so far, Berbatov believes there are still ‘black spots’ in the ex-Spurs boss’ reputation.
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He continued: “So there are some black spots on the reputation of Pochettino, small ones, but they’re here and there. But overall, I don’t think that’s going to play a role if you might want to choose him.”
It’s no understatement that United’s next managerial appointment is one of the club’s biggest-ever decisions, given the current landscape of English and European football.
The Bulgarian hero has called on United to spread their manager search across several candidates rather than settling on one early.
“My only advice here is, if I can give any advice to United, yes, Pochettino is in the running, but just open up a bit and interview some other guys, some other coaches,” Berbatov continued.
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