The world is reading great significance into the identity of Alex Ferguson's lunch date today.
The Sun described his lunch with the Spurs manager as a 'secret meeting', though there can be little doubt they made a piss-poor attempt at finding a spot for a discreet rendezvous.
He met with Mauricio Pochettino in Scott's restaurant in Mayfair, hitherto best known as the place where Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson used to go to have rows.
REVEALED: Mauricio Pochettino in secret meeting with Man United legend Sir Alex Ferguson https://t.co/HhX6MUf6Dr pic.twitter.com/UAaGAmCQHO
— The Sun Football (@TheSunFootball) May 10, 2016
Pochettino told the press that he had already verbally agreed a five-year deal with the higher-ups at Spurs. Samuel Goldwyn was reputed to have said that a verbal contract isn't 'worth the paper it's written on' (although, apparently he didn't) and the meeting with Fergie was never going to be interpreted innocently.
It's long been asserted that Ferguson is deeply wary about the prospect of Mourinho landing in at Old Trafford. This is in spite of their supposed pally relationship.
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Pochettino is more his type of guy.
More background info comes to us courtesy of the Spurs Show podcast and the unlikely figure of David Lammy, Labour MP for Tottenham.
Fergie, a tribal Labour man, was seated beside Lammy and told him that 'I think you guys (Spurs) have got the best manager in the Premier League'.
