Mauricio Pochettino has never shied away from the scale of the jobs he undertakes, which perhaps explains why he's willing to take the reins at Manchester United.

With Michael Carrick’s tenure set to end following a return of just one win from ten Premier League matches, the Argentine is in the frame to replace him in the Old Trafford dugout, setting up a head-to-head with former employers Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.

Reflecting on his summer 2023 arrival in west London, Pochettino offered FourFourTwo an uncompromising assessment of the environment he inherited under co-owner Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.

Pochettino: 'Chelsea were broken when I arrived'

"Chelsea were broken when I arrived," Pochettino revealed. "There were young players making their debuts that season, and there had been many defeats at Stamford Bridge. The momentum was negative. The aim was to stop the slide, start building again, restore belief and give the players the chance to perform.

Despite the friction of a bloated dressing room, Pochettino engineered a late turnaround, ultimately steering Chelsea back into Europe.

"We ended that season by winning five straight league games and finished in sixth – if we’d had one more month, we would have qualified for the Champions League," he added.

On-pitch progress aside, Pochettino's departure was confirmed days after the season concluded. He insists the decision to walk was entirely driven from his side of the table.

"I didn’t want to continue. That was my decision. I spoke with Chelsea, but my staff and I were clear about our position. We felt we didn’t belong to the club’s way of doing things. We helped stabilise Chelsea, but had no interest in staying."

The reflections arrive at a critical time for Manchester United with chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox holding summit talks with Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco to discuss the club's future.

Pochettino has emerged as the clear frontrunner to stop the rot during the November international break.

Prising him away from the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) carries a steep price tag, with his release clause understood to sit around $10m.

But, Pochettino's proven track record of restoring order to dysfunctional dressing rooms makes him a top candidate for Old Trafford.

His Chelsea post-mortem also sends an implicit message to Man United minority owners INEOS: he is capable of halting a freefall, but will not tolerate working under an ownership model at odds with his sporting philosophy.