Manchester United have appointed Mauricio Pochettino on a contract running until 2029, just a day after dismissing Michael Carrick. The Argentine’s first match will be against Liverpool at Anfield on 22 November, as he takes charge of a club that has endured repeated managerial changes since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure.
Carrick was sacked on 12 November after a dramatic fall in Manchester United’s fortunes. He took over in January following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal and initially appeared to revive the team, winning 12 of his first 17 matches, guiding them to third in the Premier League and securing a return to the Champions League.
That run persuaded the club’s leadership to hand Carrick a new contract until 2028 in May. However, Manchester United’s form deteriorated sharply in the autumn. They won only once in their first 10 league fixtures, collected eight points and dropped to 18th in the table. Across all competitions, they managed three victories in 15 matches.
The team’s results included a 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth and a 2-0 loss away to Chelsea. They then beat Roma 3-2 in the Champions League before drawing 4-4 with Aston Villa.
According to Sky Sports, chief executive Omar Berrada and football director Jason Wilcox supported the decision to remove Carrick, with co-owner Jim Ratcliffe approving the change. The club’s leadership felt the squad should be performing considerably better.
Pochettino’s opportunity
Pochettino had been considered for the Manchester United job on three previous occasions. His appointment gives the former Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Paris St-Germain manager another opportunity to establish himself in English football.
At Southampton, Pochettino built a side capable of competing with the leading clubs. He later took Tottenham Hotspur to the Champions League final in 2019 without relying on major transfer spending. His spell at Chelsea was more difficult, although the team’s results improved towards the end of the season.
His most recent role was with the United States, who reached the last 16 before being eliminated at the home World Cup.
Pochettino has won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions with Paris St-Germain, but has not won a trophy in England. His approach is based on developing young players, intense pressing, discipline and a high level of effort.
A long wait since Ferguson
Manchester United won 13 league titles during Ferguson’s more than 26 years in charge, but have not won the Premier League since his retirement in 2013.
David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim and Carrick have all followed him, without ending the club’s wait for another league championship. Among the traditional Premier League “big six”, only Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have changed managers more often.
British media estimates suggest Manchester United have spent more than £100m on appointing and dismissing managers and other senior figures since Ferguson left. Pochettino must now try to improve the team’s pressing, character and consistency, with the club hoping he can prevent another short-lived revival.
