Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino thinks that Manchester United exit from the Champions League following a 3-2 loss to Wolfsburg in Germany could be just the beginning of a season set to unravel now that they find themselves having to play Europa League football.
Europa League matches are played on a Thursday night which adds pressure on managers as they prepare their teams for weekend domestic fixtures which Argentinian Pochettino claims will come as a shock to United.
“For sure Manchester United will feel very disappointed after last night because they had the possibility to go into the next round,” Pochettino said.
“It is difficult to guess what will happen to them in the future. It is a different competition and you have to change your strategy – to play Thursday instead of Tuesday or Wednesday. It is true it can affect your game.
“I think it is a big, big difference. When you play Thursday and you play Sunday it affects the mentality.
“Always Thursday night, big travel, you need to play Sunday in the afternoon. Always for the players it affects the psychology because football is Saturday 3 o’clock, or it used to be.”
