Manchester United appoint Mauricio Pochettino as head coach ahead of Liverpool trip
Mauricio Pochettino will take charge of Manchester United on 18 November, giving him four days between his official start date and his first match, away to Liverpool at Anfield. The Argentine succeeds Michael Carrick on a two-and-a-half-year contract that runs until 2029.
United announced the appointment on Friday, a day after dismissing Carrick. Pochettino still has one assignment to complete before he can turn his attention to Liverpool: the second leg of the United States’ Nations League quarter-final against Haiti.
United agree Pochettino release with US Soccer
“Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to become the Manchester United men’s head coach from 18 November,” the club said in their official announcement.
“The club has reached an agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation for Mauricio and his staff to be released after the conclusion of their responsibilities with the U.S. Men’s National Team.”
Cameron Smith reports for FootballTransfers that United had to trigger a release clause worth around €9 million. The club confirmed the agreement with US Soccer without disclosing a figure.
Pochettino leaves after two years in international management. He took the United States to the last 16 of this summer’s World Cup, where a 4-1 defeat by Belgium ended their campaign. United will be his fourth Premier League club, after Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea.
Carrick leaves United with one league win in ten
In May, United made Carrick their permanent manager on the strength of his work as interim boss. By November, their only league win of the new campaign was a victory over newly promoted Ipswich Town in late August. Eight points from ten games left them 18th at the international break.
There had been opportunities to change that picture. In Carrick’s final week, United came from two goals down to beat Roma in the Champions League, then scored four against Aston Villa at Old Trafford. The difference was that Villa scored four too. For all the attacking promise of those two evenings, United went into the break with just one more league point.
Tottenham record helps explain Pochettino’s appeal
In setting out their reasons for appointing Pochettino, United described him as “renowned for his high-intensity, attacking style of football, his dedication to building strong, cohesive teams and his outstanding record of developing individual players”.
His work at Tottenham offers the clearest English example. Across five full seasons, Spurs qualified for the Champions League four years running. In 2019, he took them to the final for the first time. Reaching that final was the outstanding night of the run; qualifying often enough to give Spurs repeated chances in Europe was the more sustained achievement.
Pochettino also won the French league and cup with Paris Saint-Germain. At Old Trafford, though, his first task is closer to the one he encountered at Southampton: improving what a group of players can deliver in the Premier League from one weekend to the next.
Liverpool trip leaves little time on the training pitch
The international break gave United time to change head coach, but little of that time belongs to Pochettino. His commitments with the United States mean he cannot spend the full fortnight working with his new squad before the trip to Anfield on 22 November.
That makes his first team selection particularly interesting. The side he inherits has forwards capable of retrieving a two-goal deficit against Roma, yet its last league outing showed how little four goals can buy when the opposition find just as much room. Pochettino has until 2029 to put his stamp on Manchester United. He has four days to decide how they defend against Liverpool.
