Mauricio Pochettino was Erik ten Hag’s main rival for the Manchester United job not long ago. They will be hoping that their decision pays off tonight.

Pochettino and Ten Hag have both had difficult periods at their clubs. They are both well-respected managers with strong fan support, but both are being held down by larger structural difficulties above them.

However, they are not without blame. Despite all of the debate about ownership and injury, they have both been chastised for their tactical selections, transfer deals, and playing style. Given the deep-seated faults in the hierarchy, it may not have mattered which one United chose in the end.

When the teams last met at the close of last season, United crushed Chelsea, and the challenge for both today will be to prove how far they have progressed in the half-year since that encounter at Old Trafford.

United’s problem is that, rather than revolutionizing their style of play, they have regressed. Ten Hag entered with fantastic ideas to play with a high press and out from the back, but they have remained a side that thrives on the break.

“The pace of (United’s) offensive players, we cannot allow them to transition,” Pochettino remarked of their playing style. “We need to be as clever as possible in our defense.” Rashford, Garnacho… (Man United have) a variety of players who can shift quickly and try to play in the opposite half.”

Chelsea enters the game having conceded ten goals in their previous three games and will be well aware of their own defensive flaws, but they will also be aware that sitting back might be the key to their own success.

Despite their goal to become a possession-based team, United are still at their best when they play on the counter-attack and have often failed against teams that sit back and invite them to attack.

Pochettino will want his team to preserve their shape at the back and not give United’s wide players the freedom they need to run at defenders and cause problems.

Ten Hag is faced with a dilemma: does he adhere to his philosophy, despite the fact that it does not play to his team’s strengths, or does he turn to the counter-attacking style of play that brings out the best in their attacking players?

The Chelsea manager’s comments are the latest hint that Ten Hag’s favored style isn’t working and raise further concerns about what he has done since taking over at Old Trafford. United have invested £400 million since Ten Hag was appointed, but they are still essentially playing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with the same core of players.

Whatever happens, United must regain their confidence and self-belief before they can begin dominating matches in the manner that their manager desires. They may need to prioritize short-term gains in order to enjoy any long-term transformation.

Pochettino has every reason to be concerned about United’s counter-attacking danger. Tonight, they must demonstrate why.