Pundit Declares Pochettino Will Be Candidate to Replace Mourinho if Spurs Beat Man Utd

Former Arsenal forward Charlie Nicholas has told Sky Sports that Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino will be in the running to replace Jose Mourinho if his men hand Manchester United a defeat at Old Trafford on Monday.

Pochettino is currently one of the most highly rated coaches in Europe, yet he hasn't been able to win anything in his four years with Spurs, partly due to a perceived lack of support where funding is concerned.

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Mourinho, meanwhile, is thought to be treading on thin ice at United and isn't expected to remain at the club if he fails to win a major trophy at the end of the campaign. And Nicholas reckons Pochettino could be the man to replace the Portuguese tactician if he loses to Spurs next week.

“In my opinion, Man City and Liverpool are the two strongest in the league,” Nicholas told Sky (via Express). “I think it’s a bit of catch-up at the moment for Spurs.

“I think Chelsea have got more work, Man United, but Spurs are probably the third choice as it stands when everybody’s fit.

“But they’ve not got a strong enough group, we know that, that’s just a reality of finances. But to go and get these games and dominate situations, like they have done in the past, they have to prove that point or they will still be the nearly men.

“It will start eating away at them and eating away at them that they get to these big occasions, especially on their travels, and they disappoint.

“You can’t keep doing that and this manager will get frustrated and fed up with it.

“If he was to go there and win on Monday night, all of a sudden they’re not talking about Zidane potentially at Manchester United, they’re talking about Pochettino at Manchester United.

“He now wants to make his statement that this team is capable of challenging Liverpool and Man City for the title.”