Football Daily | Mauricio Pochettino readies his jungle outfit for another big adventure

The journalist and broadcaster Danny Kelly, who helped define coverage of music and football in the UK for a generation, has died aged 69. Kelly edited the NME and Q Magazine and launched the Football 365 website before going on to be a presenter and pundit on the BBC and TalkSport. He had been receiving treatment for oesophageal cancer. Tributes were led by Kelly’s longstanding broadcast partner Danny Baker. “My great friend, supreme broadcaster and funniest man I ever knew, Danny Kelly, died yesterday afternoon,” Baker wrote on social media. “I cannot believe I will never hear his voice again.”

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE?

In many ways the role as the new fall guy for Big Sir Jim/the Tampa Bay Glazers (delete as per owner-shambles preference) will suit Mauricio Pochettino if he is given the Manchester United job. He has a reputation as an underdog. A man who has taken on the challenges of managing upstart PSG, tough-times-make-tough-people Chelsea and most recently the soccer team of the most powerful nation on earth, is used to working with his hands tied behind his back (albeit presumably resting on the significant wedge in a nearby pocket).

There are at least some transferable skills Pochettino can bring with him from the USA USA USA: extracting performances from creaking defenders; managing the expectations of a fanbase with outsized ambitions given the quality of talent available for selection; and working in an environment where an egotistical billionaire is known for making unhelpful noises about immigration. Should Pochettino soon be packing up his desk at the Arthur M Blank US Soccer National Training Center (1x tie, lightly stained; 1x white shirt, still in packaging; 1x jacket, no matching trousers; 1x maté cup, unwashed; 1x framed photo of Sansa the dog, regularly dusted; 1x Spurs-branded stress ball, heavily used) it would come at a very awkward time.

Pochettino did not invent sacking the Manchester United manager during the November international break, but he did say within the last few months that he wanted to “have a lasting impact” in the US. Then there is the small matter of his name on a four-year contract extension signed in August. It seems his lasting impact will be a jilted feeling. USA USA USA play Haiti on Saturday, but by then Pochettino could be settling in at the Lowry hotel and turning his mind to whether or not he removes ketchup from the training-ground canteen. In addition to the last-minute rate United will be paying at one of Manchester’s plushest hotels, axing Michael Carrick and getting Pochettino out of his US Soccer deal will cost in the region of £10m.

It is unclear at this stage if there are any more “efficiencies” to make at Carrington, but perhaps if the club’s top brass would stop shooting themselves in the foot they could save a few pennies by not having to repair the damage to the floor. Pochettino was once the perfect candidate to return United to glory. That was seven years and six managers ago. His time at Chelsea was not happy, but he did an admirable job and he is probably the first United candidate since José Mourinho to evidently have what it takes to manage “at this level”. But the big question is: what will Pochettino wear on the touchline for his next big adventure? There’s a partially real but very enticing prospect of him giving soon-to-be jungle inhabitant Wayne Rooney a job in his backroom staff so they can wear matching outfits. What a thought.

RECOMMENDED VOTING

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“When my grandfather died many years ago he said the only thing he wanted was to be buried next to Barça’s pitch so that he could hear the goals go in during the afterlife. Many fans dream of the same thing” – María Elena Fort, a Barcelona vice-president, reveals they are living up to their Més que un club motto by providing 26,000 niches where fans can deposit their loved ones’ ashes after the final, final whistle. A lovely gesture – with prices starting at only €2,490 for a 10-year lease. Hmm, what happens when the time’s up?

FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS

Re: managers and technical areas (yesterday’s Football Daily letters). I do not want to hear about or see Mikel Arteta’s logs; I suggest that, rather than have a technical area, a post is placed on the sideline. Each manager would be attached by a bungee to this so they could not go on to the pitch. Each post would be placed so that opposing managers would, at full extent, be kept an arm’s length from each other. An extension of this could include replacing a yellow card for managers with a shortening of their bungee. A second red would result in no bungee, just being shackled to the post” – Ron Buzzacott.

Can I recommend the flamin’ A-League? Managers from Perth to Brisbane are routinely forced to perform an awkward high-step/half-jump if they want to get over the bumpers that stand between them and the pitch. Don’t worry, they haven’t forgotten to slather these containment devices with adverts” – Patrick Connolly.

John Holtom’s missive (Monday’s letters) about the pitch drop experiment must be the most Noble Francis letter not actually written by Noble Francis. I read the first two sentences and immediately scrolled down to be surprised with a new name. Is Noble Francis becoming a Guardiola-like figure in Football Daily letter-writing? Influencing generations to come?” – Kristian Karamfiles.

I enjoyed Ramon Vega’s Fifa push (yesterday’s Quote of the Day). Stirring stuff. However, am I alone in wondering whether maybe given recent history, a non-Swiss might be a wiser choice for the next Fifa head-honcho?” – Andrew Parker.

If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day goes to … Ron Buzzacott. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here. 

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