Manchester United has reached an agreement to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as its new manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract following the dismissal of Michael Carrick on Thursday.
The club moved swiftly to secure the former Chelsea and Tottenham boss after a low point in the domestic campaign. Under Carrick, the team managed only a single victory across its first 10 league fixtures, leaving the club sitting 18th in the Premier League table.
Historical records show that Manchester United previously considered the Argentine coach on multiple occasions before finally securing his signature. After dismissing Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim in prior seasons, the club’s leadership turned to Pochettino to stabilize a squad that had endured a troubled start under Carrick.
Carrick had initially taken over on an interim basis in January before signing a permanent contract in May running until 2028, but a run of 10 winless matches ultimately cost him his position.
The Departure of Michael Carrick and Player Reactions
Carrick learned of his dismissal during a meeting at the club’s training ground, bringing an end to a 10-month tenure that ended in tears as he said goodbye to the squad.
Combined with Carrick’s departure, the club’s managerial severance costs since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 have surpassed the one-hundred-million-pound mark.
Despite the club’s struggles, senior players publicly expressed gratitude to the departing coach. Harry Maguire posted a tribute on social media praising his former manager.
You will always be a legend. Respect. Thank you.
Harry Maguire
Captain Bruno Fernandes also shared a farewell message for the outgoing coach despite earlier tensions over tactical direction.
Behind the scenes, internal friction had grown between the dressing room and club leadership, with players questioning summer recruitment decisions that left the squad light on defensive cover while adding multiple midfielders, such as funds spent on Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, and Carlos Baleba to replace Casemiro while failing to sign a backup for Luke Shaw.
Public frustration also extended beyond the players. “Thành thật mà nói, tôi không thấy cậu ấy làm gì sai cả. Tôi biết vị trí hiện tại của đội bóng trên bảng xếp hạng, nhưng tôi không đổ hết trách nhiệm đó lên vai cậu ấy.” Peter Schmeichel told The Overlap Daily, describing the treatment of Carrick as disrespectful and arguing that blame should not rest solely on the manager when deeper operational flaws persist in the organization's upper management.
Activating the Release Clause and US Soccer Commitment
To bring Pochettino to Old Trafford, Manchester United agreed to trigger a release clause in his contract with the United States Soccer Federation.
Pochettino will not arrive in Manchester immediately. Before taking up his club duties, the 54-year-old manager must fulfill his international obligations by leading the United States national team through a two-legged CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Haiti on November 14 and 17. Once those fixtures conclude, he is scheduled to travel to England, arriving in Manchester on Wednesday, November 18, to meet the players before leading training sessions ahead of his first match.
Tactical Challenges Awaiting at Anfield and Beyond
Pochettino steps into an intense schedule upon his arrival in England. That test is immediately followed by a Champions League trip to face Sporting three days later, initiating a sequence of eight matches in 29 days across domestic and European competitions.
Analysts point out that the squad’s pressing metrics rank near the bottom of the league, with only 26 recoveries in the final third placing the team 15th out of 20 sides, and the new coach will need to extract better performances from key creators like Fernandes while balancing an overburdened midfield and addressing lack of pace in the backline.
Earlier coverage: Manchester United Agrees Two-and-a-Half-Year Deal With Mauricio Pochettino
