Speculation that Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino could be joining Manchester United was shut down by the Spurs press officer at a press conference on Thursday.
As soon as Jose Mourinho was sacked by United ,speculation cranked up suggesting the Tottenham manager could be the prime target to take over in the Old Trafford dugout.
Could Mauricio Pochettino be the new Manchester United manager? Five things you should know…
- In his first full season managing Southampton, Pochettino led the club to an eighth place finish and a record points tally since the Premier League was formed.
- He joined Spurs in May 2014, signing a five-year contract.
- The Argentinian has led Tottenham to three consecutive top-three finishes.
- Tottenham failed to sign a single new player this summer.
- The Spurs boss is being heavily linked with the Manchester United role after Mourinho left the club.
It is no surprise that Pochettino’s name is in the mix for the United job after a very successful spell in north London. He is thought to be the front runner though Zinedine Zidane has also been linked to the role.
While the search for a new permanent manager continues, former United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been put in temporary charge.
While the current Spurs boss denied he was interested in the vacancy at Old Trafford during a press conference on Tuesday, his club refused to let him take questions on the subject during the pre-match conference ahead of Sunday’s clash with Everton.
When a Sky Sports reporter attempted to probe about Pochettino’s interest in the United job, Tottenham’s press officer, Simon Felstein, was quick to shut him down.
“We’ve gone over Manchester United and the manager before. Anything to do with Manchester United we’ve heard 48 hours ago. I’m not prepared to have another press conference dominated by this,” he said.
“Your man was here on Tuesday and asked the same questions, so I’m not prepared to have it again. So I’d ask you to move on.”
When the stance was questioned by the reporter, Felstein, as reported by FourFourTwo, responded: “With respect I’m saying move it on. We invite you here to preview a football match and you’re coming in and you’re asking our manager about another job. I’m sorry.”
The Tottenham manager appeared to be entertained by the exchange and interjected with a humorous quip.
“You’re going to be the star of the press conference,” Pochettino told Felstein with a smile.
When it was suggested to Felstein the rumours would continue to circulate, he added: “Okay, fine. Let people speculate. We’re not having our press conferences dominated by it, there’s plenty else to talk about.”
READ MORE: Emery urges Pochettino to stay at Tottenham
Tottenham’s season so far
It has been a solid start to the season by Spurs despite the fact that they were unable to recruit a number of targets over the summer.
They have lost four times but are yet to draw a single match in the top flight having beaten Burnley by a single goal in their last game.
They also have more points away from home than any other side in the Premier League this season, amassing 24 points on the road, one more than Liverpool who have played a games less when away from Anfield.
Tottenham face Everton at Goodison Park in their penultimate game of 2018 as they look to cement further their place in the top four.
The post Spurs press officer shuts down Man Utd questions to Pochettino appeared first on Squawka News.
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