Jamie Carragher has stated his belief that Mauricio Pochettino 'has to' leave Spurs for the Manchester United job, saying that the London club will never be as big as their north-west rivals.
The Argentine coach is believed to be the number one target for the brass at Old Trafford, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær holding down the fort until the end of the season. He seems a perfect fit in Manchester, and could finally provide the club with the long-term manager that they have been lacking since the departure of Alex Ferguson.
Writing in his column for The Telegraph, Carragher was quick to point out that the top job at Manchester United would be a clear upgrade over his current position, regardless of Spurs' progress over the past few years.
If Mauricio Pochettino is offered the Manchester United job, he has to take it. That is a hard for Tottenham Hotspur supporters to accept. Sadly for them, it is inevitable that they are prey to a more powerful Premier League rival...
It does not matter how great Spurs’ new stadium is and how many supporters fill it. It does not even matter what they win this season or over the next few years. Spurs are not Manchester United. They will never be a big as Manchester United.
Since moving from Southampton in 2014, Pochettino has done a remarkable job in establishing Spurs as one of the top dogs in the Premier League. He has achieved three successful top four finishes, no small feat for a club who have had little success on the continental stage in past eras.
Indeed there seems to be a sense on Pochttino's behalf that he has acheived as much as possible with his current squad, and with funds to rival his competitors unlikely to be available in the near future, now may be the time to move on.
Those same budget constraints that have made his work at Spurs so admirable may well have a role in him leaving the club. There will be no such limitations at Manchester United, one of the wealthiest clubs in the world of football.
Carragher believes that the former Espanyol boss is the ideal fit to finally lead United into a sustainable post-Ferguson era, with stability lacking at the club ever since the Scot's departure.
Questions like, ‘Why would Pochettino leave Tottenham now?’ amount to a loyalty plea. Pochettino owes Spurs nothing. He has done an unbelievable job with a fraction of United’s budget.
Only Pochettino’s devotion to his current squad can keep him at Tottenham, allied to a belief he is on the verge of winning the biggest honours... The signs have been there since the summer that his team’s capacities are being stretched to the absolute limit.
It is naïve to believe Pochettino will be content working at a club where qualifying rather than winning the Champions League is the measure of success. He does not want the comfort of knowing he is safe from the sack if he finishes in the top four.
He wants to win the Premier League and Champions League. He knows which clubs are best equipped to do it, not just on the occasional basis, but every season. He knows these chances do not come around often. If he does not take it this time and an alternative candidate succeeds, it may never come around again...
It is already football’s worst kept secret that United want Pochettino. It would be one of football’s biggest surprises if they do not get him.
