Why would Mauricio Pochettino be interested in Manchester United? That's easy

No one, least of all the 25-odd players shifting in and out of view in the Georgia fog that morning, was surprised to hear that United was interested in Pochettino. Yes, it was a little jarring to watch it pine for a "taken" coach while its own Michael Carrick remained on the books, but that was United for you: forever dying for a subject change.

It was surprising, though, to hear that Pochettino was interested in United. The club was 13 years into its post-Sir Alex Ferguson era and Pochettino was set to be its 13th manager. It could offer no stability, no foundation and no real sense of optimism to Pochettino; indeed, all it could offer him was the residual shine from its golden years.

The recruiting process itself spoke to poor management and a lack of intention. United waited until the international break to pursue a new manager, then blithely pursued one who couldn’t join it during that time. It spoke with candidates before cutting ties with Carrick — a genuine club legend — and treated him with a disgraceful lack of dignity. The club looked rudderless in a maelstrom of its own making. That kind of chaos can be forgiven for the opportunity of a lifetime, but who of United’s post-Sir Alex coaches actually had their stock raised by their opportunity with the club? No one, that’s who. David Moyes came closest and his great accomplishment was his roundabout journey back to the very job he left in the first place.

With Pochettino locked into a low-pressure, high-reward circuit with the USMNT, why would he be interested in the heart-wrenching risk of restoring a dusty grande dame like United to its former glory? What would make this man — with all the love that his heart can stand—dream of ways to throw it all away?

The endless search for self worth, that’s what. Turning an impossible partner into a purring kitten is a tantalizing challenge for a competitive person. Coaches keep shacking up with United for the same reason people keep shacking up with, say, John Mayer: because they’re hypnotized by the beauty of their mid-00s output and certain they’re the person who can bring them back to their best.

I can fix them. 

Forget all the evidence to the contrary. Forget the dozens who came before and failed. Forget the questionable takes about people of color. Forget the doomed commercial ventures and the eye-watering creative decisions and the general feeling that time, attention and culture at large have moved on from both with a quickness. United won the treble. John Mayer released "Room for Squares." Surely that means there’s something true and beautiful in both parties that’s well worth the sacrifice required to prop them up. 

But here’s the thing. Youri Tielemans isn’t Paul Scholes. “Tom and Jerry” isn’t “No Such Thing.” United isn’t a world-conquering force anymore and John Mayer isn’t either. If Pochettino really is sitting in his hotel room in Atlanta dreaming about how he can be the one to change things, he might as well be dreaming with a broken heart.