A section of Manchester United fans have called on the club's hierarchy to end its purported interest in signing Mauricio Pochettino as the club's next manager following his Champions League failure with Paris Saint-Germain. The former Tottenham Hotspur boss saw his side's quest for the European title coming to a premature end after suffering a 3-2 aggregate win against Real Madrid on Wednesday night.
After leading the French club to a 1-0 first leg win in which Lionel Messi missed a crucial spot-kick, Pochettino's men could not deliver the goods in the second leg. Despite taking the lead through Real Madrid target Kylian Mbappe in the first half, they were pegged back in the second 45 minutes at the Bernabeu. A second-half hat-trick by Karim Benzema completed the remontada for Los Blancos, while the likes of Neymar Jr and Lionel Messi failed to turn up for the Ligue 1 leaders.
Taking into account the talent at Pochettino's disposal, many expected the encounter to be a breeze for his side, especially with Real Madrid having to deal with the suspension of Casemiro and Ferland Mendy. However, the game's outcome proved otherwise. Following the conclusion of the game, the ex-Spurs manager opined that his side were better than the hosts. He said: "The first goal completely changed the game.
"For an hour, we were better than Real Madrid. The atmosphere changed in the stadium. "We made some mistakes after that, we can't say we didn't. The worst feeling is that we were the better side, but we lost the tie in 10 minutes.
"Paris Saint-Germain have been chasing the Champions League for a number of years now. I'm really disappointed, upset – but these things can happen. The next few weeks are not going to be easy."
Although PSG recently came out to debunk rumors of a potential exit for Pochettino, there was growing optimism that he could be prised away amid Manchester United's purported interest. Nevertheless, some fans of the Red Devils now claim that the Argentine coach should not be considered for the vacant managerial role as he has a track record of failing when the stakes are high.
Instead, calls are intensifying for Ajax headcoach Erik Ten Haag to be nod to handle affairs to Old Trafford after Ralf Rangnick's spell as the interim manager ends. Below are some reactions of fans on Twitter following PSG's defeat to Real Madrid on Wednesday night:
Knocked out of the French Cup and Champions League despite having Messi, Neymar and Mbappe but Man Utd's board somehow think he's the one to take the club back to where it belongs.
— UtdFaithfuls (@UtdFaithfuls) March 9, 2022
Please, keep Mauricio Pochettino FAR AWAY from Manchester United. pic.twitter.com/T9KCs8IQYD
Not the 1st thing on his mind, obviously, but this could be an extra chastening night for Pochettino. It's always seemed uneasy at PSG for him but surely - even with their suspect grip on football - Man Utd can't be looking at tonight & going "He's the one."
— Alex Shaw (@AlexShawESPN) March 9, 2022
A dysfunctional team with too many players who put themselves first and crumble when the pressure is on. No-one can say that Pochettino hasn't had the perfect preparation to manage Man Utd
— Mark Ogden (@MarkOgden_) March 9, 2022
Pochettino Is an absolute fraud, why Man Utd want him is absolutely baffling
— andypingu1888 (@andypingu1888) March 9, 2022
He has been knocked out of the French Cup and Champions League While having Messi, Neymar and Mbappe.
— Emmanuel (@Emmannuel07) March 9, 2022
Please, keep Mauricio Pochettino FAR FAR AWAY from Man Utd.
So is this the coach that Man United wants to sign.Pochettino is a disgrace to football. @ManUtd don't even try to sign him
— Dr. Hausakoko (@sir_virgi69) March 9, 2022
PSG sacking Pochettino this week and United picking him up would be the most Manchester United thing ever…
— Toby Dobson (@Tobiias) March 9, 2022
Don't do it @ManUtd