Tottenham Hotspur fans will always love manager Mauricio Pochettino and look back on his tenure at the club fondly for how he nearly brought the Champions League and Premier League titles to the club, helping develop some of the biggest legends in their history. And it was sad the way he went out, forced out the door by Daniel Levy, who preferred to fire arguably the club's best ever manager instead of actually supporting him with the necessary changes on the transfer market.
Since then, the love for Pochettino has not waned. Before hiring Roberto De Zerbi, most Spurs fans wanted to reunite with Poch, even over the admittedly volatile and risky De Zerbi. Spurs have not lived to regret the hiring of the Italian manager one bit, especially after he saved him from relegation. But there's that additional layer of sadness about now seeing him all but locked in to join Manchester United as the expected replacement for their club icon Michael Carrick.
While Pochettino will always be a club icon for Tottenham and someone they wish well personally, from a sporting perspective, Tottenham fans have to be careful not to wish the Argentinian manager TOO well. Because they should not be rooting for him to succeed, since his success at Old Trafford means Man United's success. And that's bad for business for the Lilywhites.
First and foremost, the one and only manager Tottenham Hotspur supporters should be rooting for is Roberto De Zerbi. He is Tottenham's manager, he is fully COYS and doing a great job right now, and he has already given Spurs a lot. De Zerbi is the ONLY manager the Spurs faithful should be rooting for to succeed.
Mauricio Pochettino is a great coach, and for that reason, it is likely he will succeed, even at a dysfunctional Manchester United. But he already burned Spurs once before by choosing to join rivals Chelsea. At the time, Spurs fans did not despise it as much because the Blues were in such dysfunction that they were no threat, but even under Michael Carrick, Man United somehow willed themselves to the Champions League and have even achieved major comebacks recently under great duress.
Pochettino could very well turn things around with just one or two good transfer windows. Tottenham fans can and should love Pochettino personally, but rooting for him is a step too far. Because he is going to be a major threat to their Champions League hopes.