Mauricio Pochettino highlighted the uncomfortable truth about Manchester United style of play

It is not long ago that Mauricio Pochettino was Erik ten Hag's biggest rival for the Manchester United job. Tonight, they will hope that their decision pays off.

Pochettino and Ten Hag have both endured difficult times at their respective clubs. They are well-respected managers, largely backed by the fanbase, but both of whom are being let down by wider structural issues above them.

Yet they aren't without blame. For all the talk of ownership and injuries, they have both been criticised for their tactical decisions, transfer dealings, and style of play. In the end, it might not really have mattered which one United picked, given those deep-rooted issues in the hierarchy.

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United thrashed Chelsea when the sides last met at the back end of last season and tonight the challenge for both will be to show how far they have come in the half a year since that meeting at Old Trafford.

The issue for United is that rather than revolutionising the way they played, they have regressed. Ten Hag arrived with great ideas to play with a high-press and play out from the back, instead they remain a side that is best playing on the break.

“The pace of (United’s) offensive players, we can not allow them to transition,” Pochettino said of their style of play. “We need to be clever in the way we are going to try (to defend). Rashford, Garnacho… (Man United have) different players that can transition really quick and try to play in the opposite half.”

Chelsea head into the match having conceded ten goals in their last three matches and will be well aware of their own defensive