Gary Neville believes Paris Saint-Germain 's underperformance in the Champions League is one of the many reasons why Mauricio Pochettino did not get the Manchester United job.
The Red Devils have confirmed Erik ten Hag as their next permanent manager on a three-year contract, starting at the end of the current season. He will become the club's fifth permanent boss since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in May 2013.
Ten Hag's biggest rival for the United job was Pochettino, who is in charge of PSG. The French giants need just one point from their last five games to be crown champions of Ligue 1, which will be the manager's third trophy since his appointment in January 2021.
Despite this, Pochettino's time in the French capital will be judged on his failure to win the Champions League in each of the last two seasons, with March's crushing defeat by Real Madrid still fresh in the memory. He also missed out on the Ligue 1 title last term and suffered defeats in the French Cup and French Super Cup this season.
Pochettino's failure to get the best out of Lionel Messi since his move from Barcelona last summer is another blemish on his CV. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored just eight goals in all competitions this season - 30 fewer than he managed last term.
And Neville believes Pochettino's limited success at PSG went against him in the race for the Old Trafford hot seat. "I think Pochettino has been the outstanding choice for a number of years," the former United captain told Sky Sports on Thursday afternoon.
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"But losing in the Champions League this season and not winning the French league last season has cost Mauricio. The mood music, what would be the current moment, is absolutely key. Erik ten Hag is the man of the moment, the overwhelming choice I think of the fans as well, and the club has determined he is the right man to take the club forward."
Ten Hag will move to Manchester next month after spells in charge of Go Ahead Eagles, Bayern Munich's reserves, Utrecht and Ajax. He's impressed since joining the latter club in December 2017, winning five trophies - including two Eredivisie titles - to date.
The Dutchman's side are expected to win a third title next month as they sit four points clear of PSV in second with five games remaining. Ajax suffered a 2-1 defeat to the same opponent in the Dutch Cup final last Sunday.
One of Ten Hag's greatest achievements was guiding Ajax to the last four of the Champions League in 2018-19 season, recording famous wins against Real Madrid and Juventus. They came within seconds of reaching the final, conceding a last-minute Lucas Moura goal to Tottenham in their semi-final. Ironically, Pochettino was Spurs' manager.
"During the past four years at Ajax, Erik has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe, renowned for his team’s attractive, attacking football and commitment to youth," said United's football director John Murtough.
"In our conversations with Erik leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Manchester United to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that."
