Pochettino named Manchester United head coach but will not start immediately
The Argentine will first finish his USA commitments, with his first United match away to Liverpool on 22 November.
Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed Manchester United head coach, but he will not start work straight away after the club sacked Michael Carrick. Sky Sports reported the appointment on Friday 13 November.
A delayed start
Pochettino will first take charge of his final two games as USA manager, against Haiti, before moving to Manchester. According to Sky Sports, he begins his United role on Wednesday on a contract running to the summer of 2029.
Sky Sports News understands United must pay around £7.4m to release him from the deal he recently signed with the USA.
The reports differ on his first training session. The Evening Standard says he is expected to oversee first-team training on Wednesday 18 November, while Sky Sports says he will meet his new players and take training on Thursday.
His first match in charge is at Anfield against Liverpool on Sunday 22 November, live on Sky Sports.
A club in trouble
Carrick was sacked after United made their worst-ever start to a Premier League season. Sky Sports says the club are in the relegation zone after 10 matches.
In announcing the appointment, United pointed to Pochettino’s “high-intensity, attacking style of football” and his record of developing individual players.
The 54-year-old has yet to win a major trophy in England. He took Tottenham to a League Cup final and a Champions League final, then won the French Cup and Ligue 1 in one and a half seasons at Paris St-Germain.
The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust welcomed the appointment.
“We warmly welcome Mauricio Pochettino to the club.”
The trust said it hopes the club will give him “all the power, resources and tools he needs to succeed.”
Sky Sports says club chiefs Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox met owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco on Wednesday to finalise the next steps.
Injury and transfer talk
The Evening Standard reports that Patrick Dorgu has been sent back to United from Denmark duty. Dorgu came off the bench to assist Joshua Zirkzee’s late goal in last weekend’s 4-4 draw with Aston Villa. The Danish football association said he would not be fully fit in time for its two matches. He will be assessed before Pochettino’s first day in charge.
Football Insider, citing sources, reports that United could be interested in Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto, who played under Pochettino at Stamford Bridge. That is speculation only. The same outlet says Chelsea put a £75m price tag on the 23-year-old in July and that United would struggle to meet it in January.
Gusto is under contract at Chelsea until 2030.
