The Pochettino Man Utd deal is done. Manchester United have reached a full agreement with Mauricio Pochettino to take over as head coach, with the Argentine arriving in Manchester next week after his two games in charge of the United States. United will pay US Soccer £7.5 million in compensation, The Times reports — a deal corroborated by Sky Sports, ending a week of limbo that began with Michael Carrick’s sacking.
Pochettino Man Utd deal: Haiti farewell before Old Trafford
Pochettino will first oversee the United States’ two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against Haiti — the first leg in Miami on Saturday, the return in Cincinnati on Tuesday — with a pre-match press conference on Friday. He will not be in Manchester until Wednesday next week, but United are relaxed about the delay, with most of the squad away on international duty until the second half of next week. An announcement is anticipated on Friday, ahead of the Anfield trip on Sunday 22 November.
For the latest odds and tips ahead of the Anfield trip, check today’s predictions.
How Carrick’s exit was decided
Carrick’s departure had been drawn out all week. Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox decided at a review meeting on Monday that the 45-year-old’s position was untenable, then flew to Monaco to meet minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to ratify the decision. They arrived at Carrington before 9am on Thursday to inform Carrick, who left the training ground at 10.15am — six months into the two-year contract he signed in May.
All of Carrick’s coaching staff have also left the club, including assistant Steve Holland and first-team coaches Jonathan Woodgate, Jonny Evans and Travis Binnion. United called Carrick a club legend in its statement, adding that a permanent successor would be appointed “as quickly as possible”.
What Pochettino inherits at Old Trafford
Pochettino takes over a club in the relegation zone after its worst start to a domestic season in 40 years — one win from 10 league games, with 19 goals conceded in the league and 30 in all competitions, the highest figure across Europe’s top leagues. The 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Sunday summed up a side that cannot defend a lead.
Events off the pitch have spiralled too. Lisandro Martinez criticised the board after the defeat by Atletico Madrid, and captain Bruno Fernandes was dropped for a meaningful game for the first time in five years after criticising Carrick and his staff. The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust called Carrick’s departure “another depressing moment”, insisting responsibility for United’s problems “do not primarily rest with him”.
The Glazers spearheaded the initial approach to Pochettino, talkSPORT reports, with Ratcliffe endorsing the appointment — though he also made a case for Eddie Howe, who was ultimately not given a formal interview. The board approved the hire on Tuesday, and Rio Ferdinand has already backed the appointment, calling the Argentine the candidate who “jumps off the list”. Peter Schmeichel, by contrast, has slammed the club’s treatment of Carrick as “very disrespectful”.
For United, the hope is that the former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss can show the squad is better than its results suggest — starting at Anfield, where a first win since the end of August would transform the mood.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 de, Arne Müseler) — collage by SportsBuddy.
