Mauricio Pochettino 'Not Bored' by Links to Manchester United, Real Madrid Jobs
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said he is "not bored" of reports linking him with becoming the future coach at either Manchester United or Real Madrid.
The Argentinian was lauded after Spurs earned a dramatic 1-1 draw at Barcelona to seal qualification for the UEFA Champions League knockout phase, and his stock had already risen this term thanks to his side making their joint-best-ever start to a Premier League campaign.
United and Real have both suffered a difficult season so far with underperformance in their respective domestic leagues.
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Per Charlotte Duncker of the Manchester Evening News, Pochettino was asked about the links to other clubs during his press conference ahead of Spurs' clash with Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.
When questioned if he was bored of the rumours, the 46-year-old said:
"No, no. Why? This type of news I think does not upset or bore people.
"I prefer that newspapers talk about things like this than talk about 'Tottenham is going to sack me' or 'people are tired of me' or 'we are in a difficult situation.' Of course, if I choose one situation, I choose this one. I am not bored of it, of course."
The Sun's Neil Ashton said Pochettino would be a great choice for United if Mourinho's tenure comes to a premature end, adding his arrival at the Theatre of Dreams would be key to developing and unlocking Paul Pogba's talents.
Ashton wrote:
"They [United] want a manager who can stop these players jetting to L.A. whenever they have a four-day window of opportunity. Poch is that man.
"They want a coach who can tease the best out of Paul Pogba, a world-class talent who is wasted on the substitutes’ bench. Poch is that man.
"They want a manager who can bring some style to Old Trafford, to play on the front foot and entertain the fans at the Theatre of Dreams.
"They really do believe Poch is that man. But taking on United is a tough gig for anybody right now."
Madrid recently appointed Santiago Solari as coach after the failure of Julen Lopetegui at the Santiago Bernabeu. Solari will be given time to improve results this season, but any underperformance will see him swiftly moved out.
It is Mourinho who has much to lose at present, with his team consistently poor to watch. United supporters are losing patience with his style of football, and Pochettino has proved he can compete with the best at Premier League level.
The financial resources on offer at United dwarf Spurs' ability to recruit, but the Manchester club's owners the Glazer family could find the manager's talent to operate on a reduced budget an attractive prospect as they attempt to protect United's profits.
