Mauricio Pochettino has been confirmed as Manchester United's new head coach, succeeding Michael Carrick, who was sacked on Thursday. The Argentine's tenure begins officially on November 18, after the USA's CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final second leg against Haiti, and he is expected to take charge of training for the first time ahead of a match against Liverpool three days later.

The opening weeks will be demanding. United travel to Anfield to face Liverpool, a ground where Pochettino has not won since his Southampton days in the 2013-14 season, and United won both meetings with Liverpool last season, including a rare victory at Anfield. Brentford's visit to Old Trafford on November 28 will serve as his first home game in charge, as the run of early away fixtures continues.S1S2

His first six matches as United head coach are set to be Liverpool, Sporting in Lisbon in the Champions League, Brentford at home, Newcastle away and Coventry at home in the Premier League, concluding with a Champions League clash against RB Leipzig on matchday six of the league phase, where United will hope to strengthen their position to qualify for the last 16.S1

Pochettino's record in his early months at previous clubs is mixed. At Espanyol, his first management job from January 2009, he failed to win any of his opening six matches across all competitions, though he won his seventh away at Barcelona. At Southampton he won one of his first six games, and at Chelsea his only two wins in that period came against Luton and AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup. His spells at Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain offered more encouragement, with four wins and a draw from the first six matches at each, and he won five of his first six matches in charge of the USMNT.S1