Mauricio Pochettino wants to speak to Sir Alex Ferguson as soon as he’s settled in at Manchester United, Goal report, but the two haven’t managed it yet.
The new head coach officially starts on 18 November, once the international break is out of the way. He’s said the chance to catch up with Ferguson should come after Tuesday, though he expects his diary to be rammed. Pochettino sees the Scot as someone who stands for his own values and says he really admires him.
There’s no time to ease in. His first game is away to Liverpool at Anfield on 22 November, just four days after he starts. It’s the first of 10 matches in 39 days.
Before that comes the goodbye to the USMNT. His two years in charge end with the move to Old Trafford, and he got emotional at a press conference on Friday, saying farewells are always hard but that’s life.
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Smart move. Whatever you think about Ferguson’s shadow over Old Trafford, a manager who makes a point of showing respect for the club’s history will get supporters onside early. He’ll need that goodwill, because Anfield four days after starting is about as hard a debut as you can get, with barely any time on the training pitch. Nobody expects miracles there. A decent showing would do.