MAURICIO POCHETTINO will not allow his loyalty to Tottenham prevent him taking the Arsenal job should it become available.
That is the view of former Spurs midfielder and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp.
Jamie Redknapp reckons Mauricio Pochettino should put his Spurs loyalty aside if Arsenal come callingCredit: EPA
Poch, 47, was brutally axed by Tottenham last Tuesday, bringing to an end his five-and-a-half-years in charge.
And just 11 hours later, he was replaced by Jose Mourinho at White Hart Lane.
But he may not be out of work for too much longer if Arsenal sack their boss Unai Emery.
The Spaniard is without a win in his last six matches and the pressure is mounting with players reportedly feeling disillusioned with the coach’s ability to turn around their season.
Should the Gunners give Emery the boot, Pochettino is a shock contender to replace him – although the club know they will do well to convince the Argentine to come, especially after he ruled out managing Barcelona because of his affinity with Espanyol.
But any feelings of betrayal against Spurs for taking the job at arch-rivals Arsenal should not come to mind for Pochettino, according to Redknapp.
Writing in the Mail, he said: “If I was a decision maker at Arsenal, I’d go for Mauricio Pochettino in a heartbeat.
“I’m not sure I believe Poch would let his time with Tottenham stop him from taking over.
“Maybe the reason Spurs decided to go for Jose Mourinho so suddenly was they felt they could not hang around, because their North London rivals might be searching for a new boss soon.
“Unai Emery is under big, big pressure. I have some sympathy for him but he looks a beaten man.”
The Redknapp family may not be the most popular on the red side of North London with Jamie playing for Tottenham for three years and his dad Harry managing the side from 2008 to 2012.
But comments like these will no doubt infuriate Jamie’s former fanbase, who will be desperate not to see Poch operating in the Emirates dugout, especially if he manages to break his silverware duck.
Pochettino is currently among the favourites at 6-1 to replace under-fire Emery with Mikel Arteta the front-runner at 3-1.
Unai Emery is facing the chop from the Emirates if the poor form and drab performances continueCredit: Reuters
Former Spurs man Redknapp will have endeared himself to Gunners supporters marginally with his comments about Poch replacing EmeryCredit: AFP – Getty
Mauricio Pochettino a shock contender to replace Unai Emery as Arsenal manager
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
