Manchester United have reached an agreement with Mauricio Pochettino to become their new manager, according to Sky Sports, with a formal announcement expected as early as Friday 13th and a contract reportedly agreed until summer 2029. He is set to take charge after the current international break, replacing Michael Carrick, who was sacked on Thursday with the club in the Premier League relegation zone after one win in their first ten league games this season. Carrick had lasted less than six months after signing a contract in May 2026 that was supposed to run to summer 2028.

The appointment is a major gamble. Pochettino, who previously managed Tottenham and Chelsea in the Premier League and started in England with Southampton in 2013, has been managing the USA national side in recent years, and his critics say his best days may be behind him. United must pay a £7m release clause to secure him, with further compensation needed to bring in his backroom staff. Sky Sports say he is expected to take charge of the USA games against Haiti on Saturday 14 and Wednesday 18 November, leaving minimal time to prepare for his first match as United boss, the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday 22 November.S2

Tactically, Pochettino is known for demanding intensity. His Southampton side covered more distance than any Premier League team in 2013-14, and across the following four seasons at Tottenham nobody ran further. At Chelsea, his team ranked in the top 10% for high turnovers since 2023-24, averaging nine per match, while United are currently at just over six and are one of only four league teams yet to score from a high turnover. Bruno Fernandes has argued the side must be more brave under pressure and press high to unsettle opponents.S1

The change comes after a rapid series of stylistic shifts. Sir Jim Ratcliffe said in 2024 that the club would decide its playing style and the coach would have to adapt to it, rejecting any move between opposing philosophies. United have since moved from Erik ten Hag to Ruben Amorim's back-three system, then to Carrick's lower-intensity possession approach, and now to an all-action model under Pochettino. The summer signings of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos do not appear to suit that demand, and the defence, with the third-worst record in the league, will be an immediate test that Pochettino must address.S1S2