Mauricio Pochettino has agreed a two-and-a-half-year contract to become Manchester United manager after Michael Carrick was sacked, with his pressing style and record of developing young players set to be tested by an experienced squad.
The 54-year-old is returning to England after managing Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. His most recent job was with the United States, whom he guided to the last 16 of the World Cup.
Pochettino’s teams have generally been built around a 4-2-3-1 formation and an aggressive approach without the ball. At Southampton, he retained a similar structure to predecessor Nigel Adkins but introduced a much more intense high press.
His first-choice side changed little during his 18-month spell, with Dejan Lovren and Victor Wanyama the only major signings to establish themselves as regular starters. Instead, Pochettino improved players already at the club, including Adam Lallana, Morgan Schneiderlin, Jay Rodriguez, Luke Shaw and Nathanial Clyne.
“When I started at Southampton, I very much played off the left, No 10; almost a luxury-type player,” Lallana later said. “When Pochettino came in, it was very apparent from day one there would be no luxury player in his team.”
From Southampton intensity to Spurs success
Pochettino carried the same principles to Tottenham Hotspur, where his side became known for their aggression and energy when out of possession.
Dele Alli and Harry Kane were central to that success, operating as the No 10 and No 9 respectively. Pochettino also used his full-backs to create width, while a midfielder, usually Eric Dier, could drop into defence during possession.
That movement allowed Alli, Christian Eriksen and Heung-Min Son to remain close to Kane. Tottenham reached a Champions League final and recorded three successive top-three finishes in the Premier League, but their intensity eventually declined as the squad aged and suitable replacements did not arrive.
Pochettino left in 2019, five years after his appointment, bringing that cycle to an end.
Different demands at PSG, Chelsea and USA
At Paris Saint-Germain, Pochettino adapted his methods to accommodate Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. His most-used system was a 4-3-3, with attacking full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes, but he moved away from the high press that had defined his earlier teams.
At Chelsea, he briefly used a 3-4-2-1 before returning to 4-2-3-1. Cole Palmer flourished in the same attacking role in which Alli and Kane had previously excelled, scoring 22 goals and providing 11 assists in the Premier League.
However, Pochettino struggled to impose his ideas. “We still need to create this mentality that is going to help us,” he said in April of his only season at Stamford Bridge. “You need to demand more from yourself and your team-mates.”
His Tottenham players consistently ranked among the Premier League’s leaders for distance covered, while Chelsea finished the 2023/24 season with the division’s third-lowest total.
With the United States, Pochettino alternated between three and four defenders and encouraged attacking players to rotate. His most-used World Cup formation was 4-3-3, while pressing again became important in victories over Paraguay, Australia and Bosnia and Herzegovina before elimination by Belgium.
Solving Manchester United’s problems
Pochettino may initially retain Carrick’s 4-2-3-1 at Manchester United, although Leny Yoro’s recovery speed could support a higher defensive line, Patrick Dorgu’s athleticism may be preferred to the experience of 31-year-old Shaw, and Carlos Baleba’s physical qualities could prove important in midfield.
Yet United have one of the oldest starting line-ups in the Premier League this season, while they rank 19th for distance covered. Shea Lacey could offer youth, but questions remain over whether 32-year-old Bruno Fernandes can make the forward runs that Alli once made beyond Kane.
Pochettino may also seek to improve United’s direct attacks and counter-attacking threat, while rebuilding their pressing game. “If you don’t change, you die,” he said recently. That willingness to adapt will be crucial with a squad very different from the one he had during his best years at Tottenham Hotspur.
