Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as their permanent new head coach from November 18. The 54-year-old Argentinian must hit the ground running as United sit in the Premier League’s relegation zone after 10 matches and face a trip to Anfield on November 22.
Here, BOYLE Sports takes a look at Pochettino’s in-tray in his bid to halt their slide.
Get fans on side
Get fans on side
Fans have made clear who they hold responsible for United’s worst start to a domestic campaign in 40 years, stepping up their protests against the owners, the Glazer family, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox . Pochettino must win over the supporters and his early messages will be crucial if he is to quickly gain their trust.
Convince players of his tactics
Convince players of his tactics
Pochettino will inherit a team in disarray and must also gain the players’ trust. Low on confidence and with no apparent structure, he must put in place a framework to stabilise on-field performances and convince his players that his high-press, dynamic tactics are the right ones to get them out of the mire. His first match in charge could not be more daunting, with a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool after the international break, and United are 16/5 to claim victory .
Resolve Fernandes’ future
Resolve captain Fernandes’ future
Getting the best out of United’s senior players, captain Bruno Fernandes in particular, will be key to uniting his squad and harnessing individual talent. Fernandes’ future is uncertain after he turned down a second contract offer from the club, with his current deal due to expire at the end of this season. Pochettino must quickly figure out which players he can count on.
Bridge Old Trafford disconnect
Bridge Old Trafford disconnect
After sacking Michael Carrick , United have appointed their eighth full-time manager since Sir Alex Ferguson ended his 26-year reign in 2013, but it is the Glazers and other members of the hierarchy who fans want replaced. Pochettino , who has pursued autonomy in previous roles, must establish a working relationship with Sir Jim Ratcliffe , Berrada and Wilcox in a bid to bridge the disconnect.
Training ground reset
Training ground reset
A list of former United players have long been critical of the current squad’s fitness levels, work-rate and mindset. Pochettino is a disciple of Marcelo Bielsa and one of their first tasks for him and his staff will be to reset a training ground work ethic and instil a winning mentality. United sit third-bottom after 10 games and are 12/1 to be relegated.
Mauricio Pochettino's managerial record
Premier League
Premier League record
Pochettino got his first Premier League job with Southampton in January 2013, spending a season and a half at the club in which his 23 wins in 60 games – with only 19 defeats – attracted the attention of Spurs .
From August 2014 to November 2019, his longest spell with a single club, the Argentinian led Tottenham to Champions League and League Cup finals and four successive top-four league finishes, including second place in 2016-17 for their highest finish since 1962-63. Pochettino’s side won 159 out of 293 matches in all competitions, 54.3 per cent, though he was sacked with Spurs in 14th place after a disappointing start to the 2019-20 season.
After a spell with perennial French champions Paris St Germain , he returned to England with Spurs’ London rivals Chelsea in August 2023. His lone season at Stamford Bridge brought 26 wins in 51 games, a sixth-placed finish and another League Cup final.
Across all three of his previous English clubs, Pochettino has won 208 out of 404 games in all competitions (51.5 per cent). That includes 185 wins out of 344 with Spurs and Chelsea , United’s fellow members of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’. That 53.8 per cent win rate would rank fourth among permanent United managers since Ferguson’s retirement, with Jose Mourinho at 58.3 per cent and Erik ten Hag and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer both just over 54 per cent.
Other jobs
Other jobs
Pochettino began his managerial career with Espanyol , the LaLiga club he represented in two spells as a player from 1994 to 2001 and then 2003 to 2006. Those 318 games as a player were followed by 161 as manager, with 53 wins, 38 draws and 70 defeats.
He won his only managerial silverware with PSG , where his season and a half in charge brought 55 wins from 84 games. He claimed the Coupe de France in 2020-21 – having started that season by winning the Trophee des Champions, the equivalent of England’s Community Shield – and then a Ligue 1 title in 2021-22.
Taking over the USA role in late 2024, he has enjoyed 21 wins from 35 games in charge including a run to the last 16 of this summer’s World Cup contested mostly on home soil. In his career as a whole, Pochettino’s sides have won 337 of 684 games, a 49.3 per cent rate.
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