Michael Carrick’s brief spell as Manchester United manager is over, with Mauricio Pochettino taking charge after 10 months in the job.

The Argentine arrives from his role as USMNT manager and faces a daunting assignment at one of European football’s most troubled clubs. United are at a historic low, with relegation a real concern and several off-field problems still hanging over the side.

Pochettino’s reputation has taken a hit after an underwhelming Chelsea spell and a mixed period in the United States, so he will begin with questions to answer. Even so, there is still hope that the coach who guided Tottenham to the 2019 Champions League final can restore structure, intensity and attacking purpose.

If he is given influence over recruitment in the months ahead, United’s shape could look very different. In goal, Senne Lammens remains the current choice despite a dip in form from last season, with other areas judged more urgent.

At right-back, Alex Freeman stands out as a possible fit. The 22-year-old Villarreal player is described as a dynamic worker with strong recovery pace and the physical edge to cope with the Premier League. Central defence could feature Nathan Collins alongside Lisandro Martínez, with Collins viewed as a strong candidate if Brentford can be persuaded to sell, while Martínez may benefit from the arrival of a fellow Argentine.

On the left, Alejandro Balde offers the sort of attacking threat Pochettino tends to value. Carlos Baleba could anchor midfield after his £70 million ($92 million) move, while Kobbie Mainoo may find fresh opportunity in the centre.

Further forward, Bryan Mbeumo looks secure on the right, where his more natural role should be used more often. Bruno Fernandes would operate as the central creator, with his status unchanged for now despite contract uncertainty beyond this season.

Manchester United have confirmed Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach, with the Argentine set to take charge from Wednesday, Nov. 18. His appointment brings him back to the Premier League for the first time since May 2024 and ends United’s latest search for a permanent manager.

The club have again moved to reset after another stretch of frustration. Michael Carrick paid the price, while blame for United’s failings had already been spread around the club, from Lisandro Martínez’s criticism of Jason Wilcox to comments from club icons aimed at the players and Bruno Fernandes pointing to the entire coaching staff.

This is the eighth time since Sir Alex Ferguson departed in 2013 that United have returned to the drawing board in search of the figure who can restore the standards associated with their most successful era. Pochettino was quickly established as the leading candidate during the November international break and has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal, even as he remained in charge of the U.S. men’s national team at the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals.

His return to England comes with considerable Premier League pedigree. Pochettino spent more than five years in north London, where he worked with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min at Tottenham Hotspur. His best moment there was guiding Spurs to their first and only Champions League final in 2019, when they lost to Liverpool. He also earned credit for the stability he provided, a quality that has grown in reputation over time.

A spell at Paris Saint-Germain followed before a difficult season at Chelsea, where he clashed with the club’s hierachy, lost the 2024 Carabao Cup final and oversaw the Blues’ worst Premier League defensive campaign in the modern era. Despite that, his only trophies came at PSG, with Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé delivering success in Ligue 1.

Pochettino now inherits a fractured United side that has struggled defensively, backed by a front office with a quick trigger finger and poor transfer instincts. It is the defining challenge of his career, and one that also leaves U.S. Soccer facing an unexpected search for a replacement after only recently securing him on a new four-year contract through the 2030 World Cup.

His work with the USMNT had appeared to be building steadily. He took on a larger role with the youth levels, appointed Tyler Adams as captain and began blending veterans with emerging talent. United’s move has abruptly changed that picture, and the federation is now left to find the next man to lead the Stars and Stripes, with former Manchester City and Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola reportedly viewed as its “top target” to begin a new era.

Michael Carrick has reportedly been left “hurt” and “frustrated” by the way Manchester United handled his exit, with the manner of his dismissal described as disorganised and harsh.

Even after his departure was looming, Carrick was still asked to oversee first-team training on Tuesday and Wednesday. That came while most senior players were already away on international duty for the November break, adding to the strange nature of the situation at Old Trafford.

Further reporting has shed light on how events unfolded behind the scenes. The club’s CEO, Omar Berrada, and director of football, Jason Wilcox, were said to have had brief contact with Carrick at the start of the week before heading to Monaco for talks with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Berrada and Wilcox then returned to Manchester on Wednesday and delivered the decision to Carrick in person the following day. Even so, the former Middlesbrough manager is understood to be carrying “some resentment” after what has been a messy ending.

United’s leadership reportedly “understand his frustrations” at the drawn-out process and “regret” that the news leaked before the club was ready to announce it. At the same time, they believed they were as “transparent as could be in the circumstances.”

The financial cost of the move is also significant. To remove Carrick and his coaching staff, the club will be obliged to pay around £5 million ($6.6 million), while another £7 million ($10 million) will be required to release Pochettino from his contract with the USMNT.

Gary Neville offered strong public backing for Carrick and was highly critical of how the episode was handled. “In the last 24–48 hours, it’s been spectacularly bad to be in Monaco as an executive and an owner whilst your manager, who’s a club legend, is taking training on the pitch and simultaneously approaching the U.S. Soccer Federation to approach Mauricio Pochettino,” Neville fumed on Sky Sports News.

“It’s just quite simply disgusting. That falls well below the standard of what you would expect in any other business, in any other industry. It would be constructive dismissal and you’d be getting sued.

“The optics of being in Monaco whilst the team, the staff, the people who are running the club on a day-to-day basis are in Manchester, it’s just not good and it reflects badly on the leadership. I don’t think anybody comes out of this well at all.”