United View: Poch set for United switch

Mauricio Pochettino is now the overriding favourite to become Manchester United’s next manager. 

Don’t worry, you haven’t gone back in time, these are the scenes in November 2026, as United look to appoint their third permanent boss in a little over two years. 

While the handling of the situation over recent days has been nothing short of abysmal – but in no way surprising given the incompetence we’ve become used to – Pochettino’s potential arrival is one that fills me with a reasonable amount of excitement. 

The Argentine has long been linked to a move to Old Trafford, going all the way back to 2016 when he was in charge of Southampton, after Louis Van Gaal was relieved of his duties. 

The Reds elected to go in a different direction, with Jose Mourinho instead taking the reins, before he was once again touted with the job following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 

But the stars look to have finally aligned, as Pochettino has reportedly agreed a deal to take over as United boss, and thus, leave his post as manager of the US Mens National Team. 

While there are concerns, like with every potential appointment, his wealth of Premier League experience, paired with his track record of nurturing youth players make him a good fit, in my opinion. 

During his time with Tottenham Hotspur, the 54-year-old took the club from mid-table mediocrity to a team that qualifies year-in-year-out for the Champions League, as well as overseeing a memorable run to the final of the competition in 2019. 

While at first glance, many may rush to the conclusion that he failed to win any silverware in North London, I would argue that he took Spurs to their absolute ceiling. 

And since his departure, bar their Europa League triumph, the club have failed to replicate such highs – though I can’t seem to remember who they overcame in the final! 

The only concerns come when looking into Poch’s post-Spurs career, with largely underwhelming spells at Paris Saint Germain, and latterly, Chelsea, following. 

Under his stewardship, the Parisians initially struggled, failing to win the Ligue 1 title for the first time in four years, before restoring normality the season after. 

But his perceived underachievement at PSG must also be caveated by the fact that those in charge before, and after him, likewise struggled to control the mammoth egos within that squad. 

And it is only since the likes of Neymar, Messi and Mbappe have left the club that they have started to experience success on the European stage. 

As for his short-lived stint at Chelsea, he once again had to deal with an immensely chaotic dressing room, and many Blues fans questioned his dismissal at the time. 

Ultimately, United aren't spoilt for choice in terms of potential suitors, and if nothing else, Pochettino’s appointment is one that will hopefully bring some stability over the next few years. 

Unfortunately, as much as it's not what fans want to hear, we are no longer in a position where we need a 'winning manager' to get us over the line.

We instead need to focus on establishing ourselves at a top 4 team again, and quite frankly, our immediate focus is to make sure we stay in the division. 

What is for sure, is that INEOS’ treatment of a club legend has been utterly disgusting. 

While Michael Carrick is quite clearly not the man to turn United around, and his dismissal is probably what needs to happen, the lack of clarity around the situation is just unacceptable. 

The whole footballing world knows his sacking is imminent, yet this has still not been communicated to Carrick directly, with higher-ups seemingly waiting until the conclusion of their ‘crisis meeting’ in Monaco. 

Instead, he has been forced to take first team training at Carrington this week, with the dark cloud over his future still looming large. 

This has unfortunately made for a sad, and rather embarrassing end for Carrick, who deserved a lot more respect given the professionalism he himself has shown throughout his tenure.