Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed as the new Manchester United head coach, following the sacking of Michael Carrick.
Pochettino will begin the role on Wednesday, after taking charge of the USA’s fixtures against Haiti, having signed a deal signed until the summer of 2029.
He is set to meet his new players and take training for the first time on Thursday and his first match in charge will be against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday November 22, live on Sky Sports.
Sky Sports News understands United have to pay around £7.4m to buy Pochettino out of his newly-signed contract with the USA.
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Gary Neville says he has always wanted Mauricio Pochettino as Manchester United manager but he has to take control of recruitment.
In a statement announcing Pochettino’s appointment, Man Utd highlighted the Argentinian’s reputation for “high-intensity, attacking style of football, his dedication to building strong, cohesive teams and his outstanding record of developing individual players”.
“Pochettino has consistently performed at the highest level of football across multiple leagues,” the club added.
Pochettino is yet to win major silverware in England. He led Tottenham to a League Cup and Champions League final during his celebrated time in charge, before going on to win the French Cup and Ligue 1 during his one-and-a-half seasons at PSG.
Carrick was sacked after overseeing the club’s worst-ever start to a Premier League season, leaving United in the relegation zone after 10 matches.
The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust called upon the club to back Pochettino following his appointment.
“We warmly welcome Mauricio Pochettino to the club,” they said. “When he arrives in Manchester, he will find a fanbase that, whilst furious with the owners, always gives the manager and team on the pitch full-throated support. We now hope the club backs the new manager and gives him all the power, resources and tools he needs to succeed.”
‘Poch was Man Utd’s unanimous choice’
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Jamie Carragher believes Mauricio Pochettino is the right man for Manchester United and sets out the minimum expectations he must meet by the end of the season.
Pochettino had previously been linked with the Man Utd job and, following a meeting in Monaco on Wednesday between club chiefs Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox and owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to finalise the next steps, the 54-year-old is now set to return to the Premier League as United manager.
Pochettino was the unanimous choice recommended by the club’s hierarchy, which was then approved by the club’s ownership.
Reports that surfaced Thursday evening about differing preferences between the club’s leadership and ownership over the club’s next head coach have been described as categorically false by club sources.
As Sky Sports News reported on Thursday, Pochettino was the only coach the club spoke to directly about the position, despite speculation about other potential candidates.
What happens next?
- Pochettino will meet his new bosses for the first time in Manchester on Wednesday afternoon/evening
- United’s squad returns to training for the first time on Thursday after the international break – where they will meet their new head coach for the first time
- Pochettino will then have three training days before his first match in charge of United, away at Liverpool on Sunday
Pochettino’s first six Man Utd fixtures
Liverpool (A) – Premier League – Sunday November 22, live on Sky Sports
Sporting (A) – Champions League – Wednesday November 25
Brentford (H) – Premier League – Saturday November 28
Newcastle (A) – Premier League – Wednesday December 2, live on Sky Sports
Coventry (H) – Premier League – Saturday December 5
RB Leipzig (H) – Champions League – Tuesday December 8
Pochettino to be backed in January transfer window
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Sky Sports’ Rob Dorsett explains why Manchester United boss Mauricio Pochettino could be set for a busy January transfer window.
Sky Sports News Rob Dorsett on whether Mauricio Pochettino will be backed in January:
“I think he will be backed considerably. Man Utd try and do their business in the summer transfer windows because they’ve still got a number of players they want to move out. Part of the reason they didn’t spend as much in the transfer window just gone was because they couldn’t get a number of players out.
“They were expecting to get £36m for Marcus Rashford as part of a contract they had with Barcelona. Barcelona then decided not to go through with that and go for Anthony Gordon instead.
“The big thing for Pochettino this summer is a lot of players are out of contract. You’re talking Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw. All of them have an option in Manchester United’s favour to extend that by a year.
“A lot of these players are on huge wages. Bruno Fernandes is the biggest earner behind Marcus Rashford. The two biggest earners, both of whom are out of contract in the summer.”
What does a Pochettino team look like?
The former Southampton, Spurs and Chelsea boss brings Premier League experience to the Man Utd job but what do his previous roles tell us about how his team might shape up at Old Trafford?
From his tactical blueprint at Southampton to youthful dynamism at Spurs and adapting at Paris Saint-Germain, Sky Sports’ Nick Wright analyses what to expect from Pochettino.
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