Mauricio Pochettino knows why he missed out on Manchester United job to Erik ten Hag

Mauricio Pochettino admits that timing played a crucial role in him missing out on the Manchester United job before Erik ten Hag was appointed.

Pochettino was in the running for the United job along with Ten Hag in 2022 as Old Trafford decision-makers prepared for Ralf Rangnick's departure. The Argentine was employed by Paris Saint-Germain at the time and had previously been coveted by United as a replacement for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earlier in the season.

After being let go by PSG, Pochettino had to wait until this season to return to work, now managing Chelsea. As he prepares for the Premier League match against United on Wednesday night, his words about losing the job to Ten Hag have come back into focus.

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"Football is timing," Pochettino is quoted as saying by Radio Marca. "These are the moments for it to coincide and for that marriage to happen. Sometimes it's just a matter of time.

"I don't believe in trains passing only once. I think that sometimes you have to have the necessary patience and you have to know how to wait. The 'timing' is handled by football, it is true that my name has always been associated with big clubs.

"I have a lot of respect for professionals and it's hard for me to sell myself, that's work for you. That routine that is generated when you are at work is created as a result of the adrenaline of day to day. You miss it."

Back in England four seasons after being sacked by Tottenham Hotspur following an impressive five-year stint, Pochettino wants to move on from the past and isn't keen to think of what might've been had United given him the keys to Old Trafford instead of Ten