The manager everyone wants is not thinking about Tottenham

Mauricio Pochettino has long sought a reunion with Tottenham Hotspur, but the Argentine has insisted that his sole focus right now is guiding the USMNT at the upcoming World Cup.

Our former manager was in attendance at the Metropolitano on Tuesday night for what was an utterly bizarre 5-2 defeat at the hands of Atlético Madrid. Igor Tudor's side somewhat recovered from an abysmal start, but the tie is all but wrapped up.

For the first time in club history, Spurs have lost six games in a row in all competitions. We're in a historically bad state, with relegation a frightening potential. Just one point separates us from the drop zone.

The club has never needed a saviour more, with Tudor likely to receive his marching orders after Sunday's game at Liverpool. The direction we turn next is unknown, with Sean Dyche among the managers linked on a short-term basis. There's also a chance we opt for our next 'project' manager before season's end, but that, of course, won't be Pochettino. Roberto De Zerbi is the leading candidate on that front.

Poch fully focused on USMNT World Cup task; comments on Tottenham's situation

Despite his Chelsea venture, Pochettino is universally adored in N17, and his legacy, despite the absence of silverware, has only been enhanced given what's occurred since his departure in 2019.

We've flirted with a reunion on several occasions, but never before has a return appeared so enticing. Supporters, who've spent weeks overindulging in 2016/17 bliss playing to the tune of Olivia Dean, are desperate just to feel something again. That's why Harry Redknapp, 79 and out of management for almost a decade, has been touted as a potential emergency option post-Tudor.

Poch himself is enticed by the prospect of a Lilywhite comeback, even suffering through Jake Humphrey's podcast to once again declare his love for the club. However, in an interview with Radiogaceta de los Deportes on RNE last month, with quotes relayed by Mundo Deportivo, he brushed aside the Spurs rumours and reasserted his current focus.

“I’m always linked to the clubs I’ve been at, to Tottenham, just as I was linked to Espanyol at one point, or to other clubs. In the end, especially because of my past at those clubs, when things aren’t going well, people tend to rely on emotions and say, ‘Well, with Mauricio we played good football,’ or whatever.

“But no. We’re focused on the World Cup, in the United States. My contract ends after the World Cup, so we’ll see what happens after that. Open to anything, right?”

In the apocalyptic event of relegation, there are no guarantees that Pochettino would want the job anyway. If we do survive, the Argentine wouldn't be available to assume his post until after the tournament, which could be as late as mid-July. Thus, our preparations for 2026/27 may be sub-optimal, but I'm sure that's a price many would be willing to pay to bring the 54-year-old home.

Seeing him interact with supporters before and after Tuesday's chastening defeat was a reminder, a mere snippet, of just how special a reunion could feel.