Mauricio Pochettino appears poised to become Manchester United's next manager, ending a courtship that stretches back nearly a decade. The Argentine, currently in charge of the United States national team, is expected to take over at Old Trafford once the formalities of Michael Carrick's departure are completed following a summit meeting in Monaco.
A Long Courtship
The relationship between Pochettino and United dates back to 2016, when he was photographed leaving a lunch appointment in Mayfair with Sir Alex Ferguson. At the time, Ferguson had been retired for three years, while Pochettino was earning plaudits at Tottenham for building an intense, attack-minded side that the legendary Scot admired.
Pochettino later described that encounter as "a meeting in London between colleagues, between a genius and an apprentice." Since then, his name has surfaced repeatedly whenever the United job became vacant, from the departures of Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho to the appointments and eventual dismissals of Erik ten Hag.
Now, with Carrick awaiting what appears to be an inevitable exit, Pochettino looks set to inherit the Old Trafford empire, though it is an empire in considerable disrepair.
A Club in Crisis
United's current predicament is the product of years of poor decision-making and questionable appointments, compounded by a squad assembled by six different managers. The club currently sits in the Premier League relegation zone, a situation that has left supporters deeply disillusioned.
Pochettino is known for keeping a box of lemons in his office, believing they absorb negative energy. He will need several truckloads of the industrial-strength variety to dispel the gloom currently hanging over Old Trafford.
The drawn-out nature of Carrick's dismissal has drawn criticism toward part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox. Carrick, 45, may have been out of his depth since being confirmed as permanent head coach, but his history of success as a player, his basic decency and his obvious desire to turn United's fortunes around make the ham-fisted handling of his exit another uncomfortable episode for the club.
What Pochettino Brings
Pochettino's appointment would land in the middle ground between the flawed sentimentalism of turning to fan favourites with little track record, such as Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and the quick fix of bringing in proven past winners like Van Gaal and Mourinho.
He remains a beloved figure at Tottenham, where he never finished lower than fifth in any full campaign, including a second-place finish behind Chelsea in 2016-17 and a Champions League final appearance in 2019. The one question mark against him has always been an inability to get his teams over the line to tangible success in England.
He claimed his first trophies with Paris Saint-Germain, winning the 2021 French Cup and the 2022 Ligue 1 title, though the club's hierarchy felt that was the minimum expected given the squad at his disposal.
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, who worked with Pochettino on his book Brave New World, says there is a natural fit with the people at the club. "Omar Berrada is a fan," Balague noted. "When Manchester City drew up a shortlist to replace Pep Guardiola, some City supporters, including Omar, argued for Pochettino to be on it."
Pochettino is a renowned builder, having developed Harry Kane into a Ballon d'Or winner and brought Son Heung-Min to Tottenham for a bargain £22m in 2015. If he can repeat that at United and reproduce the easy-on-the-eye, attacking football played with relentless energy, he could finally be the perfect fit Ratcliffe has so far looked in vain to discover.
He is also his own man, single-minded and ruthless, qualities he will need in abundance if and when he assumes control at Old Trafford.
