Mauricio Pochettino is linked with taking up tenure at Manchester United as Michael Carrick's successor, but may not be the best man for the task at hand

Mauricio Pochettino wasn't as convincing as Thomas Tuchel or Roberto De Zerbi when he interviewed for the vacant Manchester United job in 2024. It comes as a worrying revelation, considering the 54-year-old is heavily touted to land at Old Trafford as Michael Carrick's successor in the coming days.

The Red Devils made the decision to part ways with the Englishman on Thursday morning following a poor start to the new Premier League season. The club sit 18th in the English top flight's standings having won just one of their opening 10 fixtures.

While a number of names have been linked with taking up tenure in his place, from Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann, to Antonio Conte and Gareth Southgate, Pochettino has emerged as a leading favourite. Reports suggest that the club have reached an agreement in principle with Pochettino's camp, although they will have to pay a small fortune to bring him to the Theatre of Dreams.

That's because Pochettino is under contract with the US national team until 2030, and his release clause is set at $10million (£7.4m). Add that to the severance package that Carrick will have commanded for the early termination of his contract, thought to be around £3m, and the Red Devils have once again will have wasted a large chunk of their war chest in hiring and firing managers.

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co will be insistent that they enlist the services of the best man for the job to avoid yet another short stint bearing limited return going forward. However, if recent history is anything to go off, then the ideal candidate may not be Pochettino.

The Murphy-born coach is understood to have interviewed for the position in the summer of 2024, when officials were mulling over cutting ties with Erik ten Hag following a disappointing season which saw United finish eighth. While the club ultimately decided to renew their faith in the Dutchman, it is understood that Pochettino wasn't their first-choice in terms of a plan b in the event results didn't improve.

As per the I, insiders say that both Tuchel and De Zerbi gave a better account of themselves during the interview process. With Tuchel taking up tenure with England following Southgate's resigning, and De Zerbi taking the reins of Marseille, United ultimately opted to bring in Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim when things didn't work out as planned with Ten Hag in the October.

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However, that turned out to be another wrong choice, with the Portuguese mastermind sent packing a little over a year later as a result of poor performances as a result of an incompatible gameplan with the players at hand.

Carrick stepped in on an interim basis, guiding United to a third-place Premier League finish, before receiving a two-year deal with the club this summer. But once again, time and patience has shown that the 45-year-old was the wrong appointment.

Pochettino is now likely to get his chance at the Theatre of Dreams, albeit, with increased pressure to reverse fortunes instantly with an inherited group of players. United have proven that they aren't exactly keen on spending big in the January transfer window, and instead, look to do their business in the summer instead.

Whether those demands will suit Pochettino, who has proven that he can hang with the best teams in the Premier League via previous stints with Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton, remains to be seen.