Wayne Rooney urges Man Utd to pick Mauricio Pochettino over Erik ten Hag as next boss – but insists club ‘give him time’
WAYNE ROONEY has urged Manchester United to SNUB Erik ten Hag and appoint Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager.
Ajax boss Ten Hag is currently leading the race to be Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer's permanent successor at Old Trafford.
But Rooney believes the Red Devils brass should hand reigns to the Premier League-tested Paris Saint-Germain boss Pochettino, instead of a newcomer to England's top flight in Ten Hag.
United's all-time leading goalscorer said on : "I think Pochettino has done it in the Premier League - he knows the Premier League.
"At Tottenham, he brought a lot of young players through, at Southampton as well [he] brought a lot of young players through.
"If I'm choosing from one of them two, that's who I'd choose. I'd go with Pochettino and give him time."
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Rooney wants United's next permanent manager to be given time to make a serious impact on the club on and off the pitch.
He continued: "For managers now, they need time to come in and actually put their blueprint on the club and on the team.
"And if you give him time, I think he'll do well."
The United brass gave Rooney's former team-mate Solskjaer nearly three years at the Old Trafford helm before giving him the boot last November and replacing him with caretaker manager Ralf Rangnick.
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Rooney said of the Norweigan's reign: "It didn't work, I think that's obvious, it didn't work with Ole in the end.
"I don't think it's worked with the new manager now, who has come in. I think, in my opinion, Pochettino is a top manager.
"He knows how to work with top-class players but also with young players.
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"And I think they need. to get that blend right because they can't afford to fail again."
United will be back in action on Saturday afternoon, travelling to Goodison Park to take on relegation battlers Everton.
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