From Harry Kane to Hugo Lloris to Mauricio Pochettino, news outlets and tabloid back pages always seem to be publishing stories linking Tottenham Hotspur‘s best and brightest to Manchester United.
Usually, these narratives indicate United chasing the Spurs targets, but it’s the other way around this time. Pochettino and his assistant Coach Jesus Perez were pictured leaving a London restaurant with Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary Man United figure who retains a strong influence at the club, working for Old Trafford in a directorial role.
Press Association Sport understands that it was Pochettino who set up the get-together with the former United boss and that he was open about it from the start, informing Tottenham last week that the meeting was going to take place.
Mauricio Pochettino has verbally agreed to a deal that would keep him at White Hart Lane for five more years, and Spurs reportedly remain confident that he will sign the contract extension. They believe that the meeting was more social than professional in nature.
Of course, this meeting hasn’t stopped increased speculation that Pochettino could wreck Jose Mourinho’s dream of becoming Manchester United’s next manager.
Of course, all of this is predicated on United Executive Vice President Ed Woodward, and the rest of the board deciding to sack Louis van Gaal. There’s no indication right now that leadership will pull the trigger on that move right now. So as this meeting was just friendly, social shop talk banter, how did it go exactly?
Pochettino insisted that the meeting was nothing more than an opportunity to pick the brains of a manager he has admired since he took his first steps in management at Espanyol.
“Did he say, ‘Come to Manchester?’ No he didn’t,” he said. “It was fantastic. It was the dream come true.
“When I was young starting my career as a manager he was my inspiration. And when you can share two hours with the person who is the greatest manager in the world of all time you must enjoy it.
“I wanted time to stop, but of course that is impossible.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram