Pochettino set to end long United pursuit as Carrick exit looms
Mauricio Pochettino appears poised to take over at Manchester United after a decade of links, while Michael Carrick's drawn-out dismissal draws criticism of the club's hierarchy.
Mauricio Pochettino looks set to become Manchester United manager once Michael Carrick's departure is formally confirmed after a summit meeting in Monaco. The move would end a long association between the Argentine coach and Old Trafford that stretches back to a 2016 lunch with Sir Alex Ferguson, and Pochettino has since been mentioned as a candidate when Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Erik ten Hag left the club.
United's problems run deeper than the dugout. The side sits in the Premier League relegation zone, and the article describes a squad assembled by six managers amid years of questionable appointments and poor decision-making. Pochettino is currently coach of the USA, whom he led at this summer's World Cup, and previously managed Tottenham, Paris St-Germain and Chelsea.
Carrick, 45, was confirmed as permanent head coach after a successful interim spell but has been judged out of his depth. The article says his playing record, decency and desire to revive United's fortunes make the club's handling of his exit a further uncomfortable episode, with supporters directing blame at part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.
Pochettino's record includes consistent top-five finishes at Spurs, including second in 2016-17, a Champions League final in 2018-19, and French Cup and Ligue 1 titles with PSG. The persistent question is his inability to deliver tangible success in England; he lost the 2015 League Cup final with Spurs and the 2024 final with Chelsea, where he finished sixth.
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, who worked with Pochettino on his book, says Berrada is a fan and notes Ferguson is mentioned 28 times in the biography, more than any other name. Pochettino is described as a builder who developed Harry Kane and signed Son Heung-Min for £22m, but also single-minded and ruthless. Supporters' discontent, the article says, is aimed at the hierarchy rather than solely at Carrick.
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