Gary Neville believes Paris Saint-Germain’s recent setbacks under ‘cost’ the Argentine the job after the Old Trafford club appointed Erik ten Hag as their next manager.
United interviewed both Ten Hag and Pochettino as they searched for ’s permanent replacement, eventually siding with ’s Ten Hag.
Pochettino had long been linked with a move to Manchester United, having previously impressed in the Premier League with Tottenham and Southampton.
But Neville believes Pochettino’s turbulent spell in charge of PSG blew his chances of taking over at Manchester United this summer, with the French giants failing to win the Ligue 1 title last season and exiting the Champions League earlier than they had hoped this term.
Asked why he believes United chose Ten Hag over the former Spurs boss, Neville told : ‘I think ultimately Pochettino has been the outstanding choice for a number of years.
‘Losing in the Champions League this season, not winning the league in France last year…
‘Let’s be clear, PSG is not an easy club to manage. [Chelsea manager] Thomas Tuchel had problems over there. Tuchel wasn’t the statesmanlike like figure he has been at Chelsea at PSG.
‘So I think purely what has happened with Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain has cost him.
‘He’s got great experience of the Premier League, he did a brilliant job at Southampton and Tottenham.
‘But the current mood is absolutely key and Ten Hag is the man of the moment. Look, United have spoken to both of them and the club have determined that Erik ten Hag is the right man to take the club forward.’
Ten Hag, who has signed a three-year deal at Manchester United, will become the club’s fifth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
The Dutchman is joining a club who are currently sixth in the Premier League and without a trophy for five years. United’s fall from grace was exposed yet again on Tuesday night as they were thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool at Anfield.
Neville added: ‘What we’re seeing at this current moment is unacceptable.
‘That needs to be dealt with initially and Ten Hag has got a big job to get the club back up to those minimum standards that they need to achieve, which is attitude, work ethic, belief, confidence and then hopefully you start to think about winning trophies.
‘But honestly, I wouldn’t be putting too much pressure on Ten Hag in the first one or two years to win a trophy at the club. It would be great if he did and he’d be overachieving, in my opinion.
‘It will be: get into the top four, re-establish Man Utd in the Champions League, attract the players into the club who can play in the way he wants to play, and then get a system of belief.
‘It took Jurgen Klopp four or five years to win a Premier League title, as great a job as he’s done. I wouldn’t be putting pressure on Ten Hag in the first two or three years to win a Premier League title.
‘They’re a million miles away from that currently. At the end of last season, I thought they were getting closer. But it’s all collapsed and fallen to pieces. I don’t know why that’s happened. Ten Hag gets to pick up the pieces.
‘So initial phase: build the foundations of what he wants to achieve then year three, four, five is when you start looking at him to win trophies.’
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