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The journey of Mauricio Pochettino into English football management originally came about when Southampton representatives journeyed to Spain to observe Philippe Coutinho, as the South American manager disclosed during a special conversation with FourFourTwo earlier in the year.
As Pochettino is currently tipped heavily and anticipated to assume leadership at Manchester United, fresh details are emerging regarding how the 52-year-old coach originally made his transition to the Premier League.
In January 2013, Southampton opted to part ways with Nigel Adkins even though the team occupied a relatively secure position after securing back-to-back promotions. Club chairman Nicola Cortese chose to appoint Pochettino, who had departed Espanyol two months prior. The initial introduction, however, transpired while Cortese alongside sporting director Paul Mitchell were assessing Coutinho, who was then on loan at the Spanish club from Inter Milan before eventually securing an £8.5 million move to Liverpool.
Pochettino: ‘Southampton arrived to track Coutinho and ended up recruiting me half a year down the line’
“Back in England, I was completely unknown,” stated Pochettino. “[Ex-Southampton chairman] Nicola Cortese played a pivotal role in my journey. They were monitoring Philippe Coutinho, who was spending a loan spell with us at Espanyol, and attended one of our games.
“Nicola along with the sporting director, Paul Mitchell, grew intrigued by my coaching methods and my behavior along the sidelines. Half a year later, they reached out offering me the position. Nicola took a genuine risk – he demonstrated great bravery to appoint me given that the team occupied a stable standing in the Premier League following consecutive promotions. It carried risk for him, yet he had confidence in what our coaching staff could deliver.”
The hiring of Pochettino at St Mary’s was first greeted with doubt by the British media because of how Adkins was dismissed, especially since the coach initially gave post-game interviews in Spanish using an interpreter. Nevertheless, the Argentine manager noted that the language difference actually protected him from the initial criticism.
“Far from it,” declared Pochettino when questioned if the media response caused unwanted strain. “We were young and brimming with self-belief. It benefited me that I could not speak English early on, meaning I neither read nor listened to the noise – I completely ignored the press.
“I remained somewhat detached from everything, residing in my personal space. My assistant Jesus Perez served as a filter, conveying exclusively the essential details to me.”
Pochettino promptly established a relentless, high-intensity pressing tactic on the south coast, relying heavily on promising local players such as current Manchester United full-back Luke Shaw and future Liverpool playmaker Adam Lallana.
“Our squad featured players with incredible physical power, ideal for our tactical demands – an approach grounded in tenacity and high energy,” Pochettino explained.
“Their technical quality was solid, but their capacity for further growth was what truly stood out. We complemented each other completely.
“Across English football, the managers who started pioneering an alternative style were Brendan Rodgers with Liverpool alongside ourselves at Southampton, focusing on progressive build-up and an aggressive forward press.”
As Manchester United’s board holds discussions regarding Michael Carrick’s status after collecting just a single victory across ten league fixtures, Pochettino remains a primary candidate to assume command. For a coach currently aligned to step into the Old Trafford dugout, his original foray into English football stays forever linked to a scouting mission targeting a former Liverpool playmaker.
