MAURICIO POCHETTINO is one of several names in the frame to replace Gareth Southgate if he walks away as England manager.
Southgate is weighing up whether to lead the Three Lions into a fourth tournament following their quarter-final exit at the World Cup.
Both the players and FA are keen for him to stay on until Euro 2024, but the 52-year-old is taking time to reflect on what happened in Qatar.
SunSport revealed that ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel would be interested in the role if Southgate steps down, while Pochettino recently said that he would be “open” to the job.
The former Tottenham boss has been without a club since he was sacked by PSG in the summer.
But what would the England team look like if he was manager at the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico?
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If Pochettino was to replace Southgate, it would be a boost to anyone with an affiliation to Tottenham.
Admittedly, the number of Spurs players in the squad has decreased since he left in 2019, with only Eric Dier and Harry Kane named for Qatar.
Should the Argentine come in, he would surely stick with the 4-2-3-1 that served him so well in North London, with a 33-year-old Kane still leading the way in attack.
England have an abundance of wide players, but the current skipper remains the only world class striker the country has to offer.
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In goal, he might opt to give Aaron Ramsdale his chance with the Arsenal stopper four years younger than Jordan Pickford and better with his feet.
Pochettino has always used forward-thinking full-backs and while he would be spoilt for choice on the right, he would surely look no further than Reece James.
On the left, Ryan Sessegnon, who was brought to Tottenham by Pochettino in 2019, is likely to be in the peak of his powers and could therefore get his chance.
At the back, Harry Maguire and John Stones might be past their best, which should pave the way for the likes of Marc Guehi and Fikayo Tomori to come into the fold.
Moving forward, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, who are just 23 and 19 respectively, already look certain to lead England across the pond.
In attack, Bukayo Saka looks another set to keep his place for years to come, while Phil Foden could be used in a central role.
That leaves one position available on the left and while the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho will be hoping to get their chance, PSV ace Noni Madueke could be a shock inclusion.
He joined Tottenham in 2014 and while he never made an appearance under him, Pochettino used to keep a close eye on the youth teams and he’s already been linked with Manchester United and a return to N17.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
