Pochettino to Manchester United: Reported Agreement, Michael Carrick’s Future and What Happens Next

Updated 12 November 2026, based on reporting available that morning.

Pochettino to Manchester United has taken a significant step forward: Sky Sports reports a verbal agreement in principle with Mauricio Pochettino. Michael Carrick remains in charge in the broadcaster’s morning update, with a departure expected before the end of the week.

For United supporters, the immediate answer is that a change looks closer, but the appointment is not yet confirmed. The remaining issues include Pochettino’s release from U.S. Soccer and arrangements for his coaching staff.

Pochettino to Manchester United: what has been agreed?

An agreement in principle is a broad understanding about a proposed deal. In this case, it does not mean Pochettino has already started work at Old Trafford.

Sky’s account of the agreement and outstanding arrangements is here: Mauricio Pochettino: Man Utd strike agreement with Michael Carrick’s potential successor

There are two sides to the move: agreeing to take the United job and arranging to leave the American one. Progress on the first does not automatically settle the second. That helps explain why a promising headline can arrive before a new manager is introduced.

Michael Carrick’s future: why United are considering a change

AFP’s 11 November report placed United 18th after ten Premier League matches, following eight league games without a win. It also reported that Carrick earned the permanent job after leading the club to third place during his interim spell the previous season.

That is a sharp change in fortunes. Recent results help explain the pressure:

Recent results reported by AFP on 11 November.

The comebacks offered relief, especially for supporters watching a difficult season unfold. Yet there is a difference between rescuing a match and building a reliable run of results.

The Roma win helped in Europe, but could not improve United’s league position. The Villa draw brought a point, while also leaving a footballing concern: scoring four goals had still not been enough to win.

Those results suggest that any incoming coach would need to do more than lift spirits. United need performances that give them a chance to control matches before a late recovery becomes necessary.

Has Carrick already been sacked?

No departure was established by the morning reporting reviewed here. Carrick had taken training on Wednesday, according to Sky.

Continuing to lead a session does not guarantee that a manager will stay. Players still need to train while decisions are being made. The next clear answer for Carrick would be confirmation from United about whether he is staying or leaving.

Why Pochettino is a relevant candidate

Pochettino has managed Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea, giving him experience of the Premier League. Sky also reports that United previously discussed appointing him, including in 2022 before choosing Erik ten Hag.

His record offers more context than the latest job links alone. U.S. Soccer’s account of his career notes the 2019 Champions League final with Tottenham and three trophies won with his staff at Paris Saint-Germain. The federation also highlights his work with young players and his ability to manage experienced internationals.

Taken together, that background helps explain his appeal as a candidate: familiarity with English football, experience of demanding jobs and a history of developing players. This is an assessment of his record; United have not supplied a public explanation of an appointment in the sources reviewed.

Experience would give him something to draw on, rather than a guarantee of success. He would still need to understand this squad and work out which changes the players could carry out quickly.

What his Southampton and Tottenham spells show

The Premier League’s managerial profile records that Pochettino joined Southampton in January 2013 and led them to eighth the following season. He moved to Tottenham in 2014, where his league finishes included third in 2015/16 and second in 2016/17.

Those achievements matter because they show experience of improving teams over a full season. Cup football can turn on one extraordinary evening; a strong league finish requires results across many months, against opponents with different strengths.

For United, the relevant question is whether he could build that sort of consistency again. His earlier record offers a reason to consider him, although the players, expectations and starting position would be different.

Tottenham also provide a reminder that a successful period can end badly. The Premier League records that Spurs won only three of their opening twelve league matches in 2019/20 before his departure that November. His record contains both sustained progress and a point at which that progress stopped.

The Champions League run and its limits

UEFA’s account of Tottenham’s 2019 semi-final describes a remarkable recovery against Ajax. Spurs lost the home leg 1–0, then fell two goals behind in Amsterdam. Lucas Moura scored a second-half hat-trick, with the decisive goal arriving in added time.

Tottenham reached the final but lost 2–0 to Liverpool. That distinction belongs in any fair assessment of Pochettino: reaching the final was a major achievement, while winning the competition remained beyond that team.

The United connection is about handling pressure. He has managed a side through a European tie that appeared lost and into a much bigger occasion. Still, a famous comeback cannot be a weekly plan. The stronger argument for appointing him would combine those high-pressure experiences with his league work.

What happened at Chelsea?

The Premier League’s report of his Chelsea departure says his team finished the 2023/24 league season with five straight wins. Chelsea ended sixth on 63 points, nineteen more than the previous campaign, and scored 77 league goals.

Pochettino nevertheless left by mutual consent on 21 May 2024, after one season. The late improvement and the short stay both matter. Calling the spell an unqualified failure would overlook the better results; presenting it as a completed rebuilding job would go too far in the other direction.

For supporters judging his suitability, Chelsea raise a useful question about timing. How much patience should a club allow while a team improves, and how much improvement is enough? There is no automatic answer that transfers from one club to another.

United would need a shared understanding of that question from the start. Expectations about results, player development and the coach’s responsibilities should fit together. Otherwise, even a better run on the pitch may leave wider disagreements unresolved.

What kind of football could Pochettino bring?

Historical tactical analysis gives a clearer starting point than guessing his first United line-up. Writing for the Premier League in 2023, Adrian Clarke described Pochettino’s preference for attacking football, demanding training and pressure on opponents when they have the ball.

Clarke also noted his frequent use of a 4-2-3-1 at Tottenham, with full-backs moving forward and wide attackers coming inside. In simple terms, that shape has four defenders, two deeper midfielders, three players behind the main striker and the striker himself.

These are patterns from his previous teams, rather than an announced United system. A formation is only the outline. The important work is deciding where players move, who covers the spaces they leave and how the team reacts together.

Pressing needs coordination

Pressing means putting pressure on the player with the ball to force a mistake or a hurried pass. It works best when teammates also close the nearby passing options.

Imagine a striker chasing a defender while the midfield stays far behind. The defender may need only one pass to escape, leaving the striker tired and the team stretched. If the players move together, the same chase can trap the opponent and create a chance.

For United, this would make teamwork more important than visible effort alone. Supporters might see players running harder without seeing better defending. The more useful sign would be whether opponents have fewer easy ways through the side.

A coach also has to consider fitness and recovery. Asking for greater intensity is easy; helping players sustain it while playing matches requires careful training. That is one reason an immediate tactical transformation would be a demanding expectation.

He has also adapted against strong opponents

Pochettino’s record is not limited to asking his teams to attack high up the pitch. In its analysis of Chelsea’s 1–1 draw at Manchester City in February 2024, the Premier League described a compact 4-4-2 that protected central areas and used quick attacks after winning possession.

The same analysis noted that Chelsea came under greater pressure later in the match. The example shows both the value of an opponent-specific plan and the difficulty of maintaining it for ninety minutes.

That is relevant with Liverpool approaching. A possible first match would call for decisions about the opponent and the available squad, rather than an attempt to display every feature of Pochettino’s preferred style at once.

Why his U.S. Soccer contract matters

U.S. Soccer announced on 3 August 2026 that Pochettino had agreed a contract through 2030. It also gave him and his staff wider responsibilities involving player development and coaching.

The federation’s announcement explains the commitment: U.S. Soccer Federation and Mauricio Pochettino Agree to New Contract Through 2030

This makes the American side of the talks important. A move would interrupt a recently renewed project, so the handover involves more than choosing a date for a United press conference.

How much could United pay?

Sky reports a buyout of around £7 million. AFP gives a $10 million release clause, or approximately £7.5 million. These remain reported amounts; a final payment has not been confirmed.

The total cost could also depend on arrangements for other coaches. U.S. Soccer identifies Jesús Pérez, Miguel D’Agostino and Toni Jiménez as longstanding members of Pochettino’s team. Their working relationships help explain why the staff discussions matter alongside the head coach’s own deal.

A familiar coaching team can make it easier to organise training and communicate expectations. Even so, the sources reviewed do not establish a complete United staff list.

What happens next, and when could he start?

The outstanding questions are practical: who leads United through the change, how Pochettino leaves his existing role and when he begins work.

Sky expects him to oversee the USA’s two games against Haiti during the international break. That could leave a gap between an agreement and his arrival in Manchester.

There is an approaching deadline on the football calendar. AFP reports that United return to action at Liverpool on 22 November. A trip to Anfield would be a demanding first assignment if the change is completed in time, although Pochettino’s first match has not been confirmed.

From a coaching point of view, preparation time would matter. A new manager would need to meet the players, assess their condition and decide how much to change before that fixture. Trying to introduce every idea immediately could leave the team with too much to absorb.

That makes a clear handover valuable. Players need to know who is running sessions and what is expected of them; supporters need a reliable account of the decision and timing.

Moving from international football back to a club

There would also be a change in the rhythm of his work. A national-team coach brings together players who usually train with different clubs. A club coach works with the same group much more regularly, which creates more chances to practise ideas and correct mistakes.

That extra contact could help with detailed work: a defender’s positioning, the timing of a forward’s run or the way two midfielders support each other. It also brings constant decisions about selection, recovery and match preparation.

The first few sessions would therefore be about learning as well as teaching. Which players understand an instruction quickly? Which partnerships work naturally? Who needs a simpler role before taking on more responsibility? These are practical coaching questions, not decisions that a reputation can answer in advance.

There is a similar balance for the squad. A change can give players a fresh chance, but it also requires them to adapt to new instructions. Clear explanations would help them concentrate on football rather than guessing what the next manager wants.

What the change would mean for United

The results behind this story show why simply announcing a new coach would not finish the job. United have recently shown they can fight back, but they also need to stop giving themselves so much ground to recover.

If Pochettino takes over, the early test would be whether that fighting spirit becomes steadier football: fewer damaging spells, better protection when possession is lost and less dependence on last-minute goals.

With Liverpool approaching, the immediate priority is a settled plan for the next match. The longer task is turning that plan into performances United can repeat.