Poch is top United target because he’ll reunite the club... and entertain

IT IS not hard to see why Mauricio Pochettino is Manchester United’s No.1 managerial target.

His teams always play entertaining football, while he improves players and promotes youth.

And, having seen what he can do with a comparatively small wage bill and transfer budget, Ed Woodward will be rubbing his hands at what Pochettino could do with United’s bigger chequebook. After divisive Jose Mourinho, Pochettino will also be the ideal man to continue the work Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has started – to heal the wounds and reunite the club. At Southampton, Pochettino is remembered for making the whole club feel one. Not long after his January 2013 appointment, he took Saints to Barcelona and treated everyone on the trip to a meal at one of the city’s famous restaurants. When he discovered some staff couldn’t make it because of their heavy workload, he paid for them to go the next day.

His determination to foster a spirit of togetherness continued at Spurs where he has also had bonding meals.

Pochettino also epitomises the modern manager in handling the modern player.

His relationship with some Saints players he turned into stars – such as Luke Shaw and Adam Lallana – was so strong they stayed in touch after he left for Spurs.

Danny Rose calls him a “father figure”, while Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Harry Winks have similar, close relationships.

Pochettino, who retired as a player in 2006, can empathise with the modern footballer – but behind his warm exterior there is steel.

Striker Rickie Lambert found that out when he took complaints to Pochettino about Southampton’s workload the day after matches.

Pochettino responded by simply doubling the amount of running they did the day after their next match.

Emmanuel Adebayor, Younes Kaboul, Etienne Capoue, Kyle Walker and Rose also found out at Spurs that it’s not much fun on the wrong side of Pochettino.

He has discussed what it will take to land one of the marquee jobs with friends and accepts his lack of silverware needs addressing.

He has also voiced frustrations about how Spurs’ financial restrictions have hampered his hopes of taking them to the next, trophy-winning level.

But he has also committed his future by signing two contracts since then, the latest running until 2023.

Those familiar with chairman Daniel Levy think that will be just one of a number of things he uses to keep hold of his man.

And getting something Levy has is never easy.

With no buyout clause in his contract, we are talking astronomical numbers for Pochettino.

Back at Southampton there are wry smiles at the comments from him on his future – they remember similar remarks from the closing stages of his reign.

Getting him out of his current job, though, is far from a foregone conclusion.