Tim Sherwood: 'I'd rather Mauricio Pochettino than Jose Mourinho'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 28 October 2017

Former Tottenham Hotspur player and manager Tim Sherwood believes that Mauricio Pochettino remains better equipped than Jose Mourinho to build a squad of players.

Tim Sherwood has insisted that he would rather play under the management of Mauricio Pochettino or Pep Guardiola than Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho and Pochettino go head-to-head at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon, sitting level on points after nine rounds of Premier League fixtures.

Sherwood, who was in charge of Tottenham Hotspur before Pochettino took over in 2014, believes that the Argentine - as well as Manchester City boss Guardiola - is better equipped to get the best out of players in the long term compared to Mourinho at Manchester United.

"It depends how much money you've got," he told Sky Sports News. "The way I want the game to be played? If I was building a football club? I'd take Pochettino. I think he's done a fantastic job at Tottenham. He looks to the youth, he's happy to bring them through; he's astute when acquiring what he wants. He doesn't suffer anything other than the players he wants.

"But on the other hand, if you want your team to win very quickly, you'd have to give it to the serial winner: Mourinho. But, that comes at a cost. He'll spend your money very quickly, but wisely you'd have to say. But it would cost you a few quid. For me, I like something to be built. I'd go for Pochettino.

"I'd rather play for Pochettino or Guardiola than Jose. To win a trophy, are you more guaranteed a trophy with Jose? Probably. But, if I was [Romelu] Lukaku for instance in that game against Liverpool, would I have enjoyed that football match? No. If they'd got a result, I would have enjoyed it a bit more. But they didn't. He was isolated, had very little touches. I don't think you'd ever see a Pochettino side playing like this."

Sherwood also spent four years at White Hart Lane during his playing days, either side of spells at Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth.