Mauricio Pochettino leading the race to become ex-World Cup champions’ next manager after Chelsea exit

Ex-Chelsea manager front-runner to replace Gareth Southgate as England coach

A few days after leaving Chelsea with mutual consent, Mauricio Pochettino is already attracting jobs from clubs and the national team. The Argentine is now the leading candidate to replace Gareth Southgate in England if the position becomes available.

Southgate is preparing the Three Lions for the European Championship, with the tournament set to start in June. As per the Telegraph, via Daily Mail, FA hopes to extend the Southgate deal, but if he fails to ink down a new deal, then Pochettino could be a potential successor.

FA’s technical director, John McDermott, has a great relationship with Pochettino, who worked at Tottenham Hotspur when the 52-year-old was the head coach. And Pochettino is already aware of some of the faces in the England squad.

However, it will only be known after the competition. The Three Lions have been regarded as favourites to win the tournament this summer. Under Southgate, England have reached the finals of the 2020 Euro, the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

So far, their ambitions of winning a major trophy have eluded them, and this could be Southgate’s last hope to win the tournament. The England squad boasts plenty of elite players, and he has already announced a provisional squad ahead of the tournament.

Having such a talented squad is not easy because you have to select the players who merit the chance to represent the national team. However, Pochettino will have a star-studded team if he is appointed as their new head coach, which could alter things for England.

He has already managed the likes of Harry Kane, Conor Gallagher, and Cole Palmer, who have been called up, and he will also have a chance to work with Jude Bellingham, Kobbie Mainoo, and Declan Rice. He will be spoiled with such great players.

What stands out about him is his man management, and his practicality places him among the Premier League’s elite coaches. He demonstrated at Chelsea how, in spite of limited resources, he was able to convert the team into an opposing force.

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The Three Lions will have an astute coach who has the potential to deliver a major trophy. It will be up to him how he assembles that team, especially because the FA technical director is familiar with Argentine management and believes he would make a good Three Lions manager should Southgate step down following Euro.