Mauricio Pochettino has said he will have the opportunity to speak to Sir Alex Ferguson as his Manchester United tenure gets underway, praising the former manager as someone who "represents everything that I admire from a coach."
Pochettino was announced as the new Manchester United head coach on Friday, succeeding Michael Carrick, who had been sacked the day before. At the time of the announcement, the club were languishing in the Premier League relegation zone.
The Argentine has not yet officially started work at Old Trafford. As communicated in Manchester United's official statement, Pochettino has been allowed to finish his commitments with the United States Men's National Team (USMNT), including their double-header against Haiti.
USMNT Duty Continues
The first of those matches took place on Saturday evening, with the USA recording a 6-0 win to put one foot in the CONCACAF Nations League finals.
Following Pochettino's penultimate game in charge of the USA, he spoke to the Telegraph and was asked whether he had spoken to Ferguson since accepting the Manchester United job.
"Not yet, but for sure I will have the opportunity after Tuesday," the 54-year-old said. "I said many years ago and always I say the same – for me, Sir Alex Ferguson represents everything that I admire from a coach, a head coach, a man, a manager and I think he represents my values. I really admire him."
Long-Standing Respect
Pochettino and Ferguson have remained in close contact since first dining with each other in 2016. They first crossed paths in the dugout during the 2012-13 season, when Manchester United beat Southampton at Old Trafford. Despite the defeat, Pochettino left a lasting impression on Ferguson.
"For the first 30 minutes we were fantastic," Ferguson told BBC Sport in January 2013. "But in the second half Southampton have been the best team to play here this season. We were fortunate to win."
Then in 2016, David Lammy, MP for Tottenham, shared details of a meeting with Ferguson at a charity function. "I'm going to let you in to a secret," Lammy told The Spurs Show podcast. "About six weeks ago I sat next to Alex Ferguson at a dinner in support of grassroots football abroad. He said to me, 'I think you guys have the best manager in the Premier League.' Alex Ferguson said that."
Pochettino is set to begin work as Manchester United head coach next week, with his final USMNT match scheduled before he takes up the role.
