Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as their new men’s head coach, handing the Argentine the responsibility of reviving a struggling side whose disappointing start to the 2026/27 Premier League campaign has plunged them into the relegation zone.
The former Chelsea head coach succeeds Michael Carrick who was dismissed on Thursday. He has agreed to pen a two-half year deal with the English club.
The 54-year-old will officially take charge on November 18, following the conclusion of his responsibilities with the United States Men’s National Team.
” Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to become the Manchester United men’s head coach from 18 November,” the club announced in an official statement, confirming an appointment that represents another significant managerial change in their search for a return to the top of English football.
Pochettino arrives with United sitting 18th in the Premier League table, having collected just eight points from their opening 10 matches. The Red Devils have managed only one league victory during that period and have won just three matches across all competitions, leaving them facing an early battle to escape the relegation places.
His appointment comes at a particularly difficult period for the 20-time English champions, who have struggled for consistency and direction despite considerable investment in their playing squad.
The club confirmed that an agreement had been reached with the United States Soccer Federation to release Pochettino and his technical staff after they complete their remaining international commitments.
“The club has reached an agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation for Mauricio and his staff to be released after the conclusion of their responsibilities with the U.S. Men’s National Team.”
Manchester United
Reports indicate that United will pay approximately £7 million in compensation to secure the Argentine’s release from his existing contract with the American federation.
Pochettino will be in the dugout when Manchester United travel to Anfield after the international break to face Liverpool on November 22 as they seek to wrestle their faltering season.
A Historic Low Sparks Managerial Change
United’s current predicament represents their worst start to a Premier League campaign since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013 and their poorest top-flight start in approximately four decades.
Their eight-point return from ten matches has left them in the bottom three, a remarkable decline for a club that has traditionally been among the leading forces in English football.
However, the club’s all-time record remains considerably worse. During the 1930/31 First Division campaign, Manchester United suffered 12 consecutive defeats at the beginning of the season, setting a record for the longest losing start in English top-flight history.
Managed by Herbert Bamlett, United eventually finished bottom of the division after losing 27 of their 42 league matches and conceding 115 goals. They were relegated to the Second Division with just 22 points.
Although the current side has not approached that disastrous sequence of results, its struggles have revived uncomfortable comparisons with some of the darkest periods in the club’s history.
Carrick’s dismissal followed a run of disappointing performances that left the club’s hierarchy seeking a change in leadership, with Pochettino now expected to restore competitiveness and confidence.
Pochettino Brings Proven Premier League Pedigree
The Argentine arrives with considerable experience across European football especially in the English Premier League, having established a reputation for developing players, building cohesive teams and implementing an energetic, attacking style of play.
He began his managerial career at Espanyol in 2009 before moving to Southampton, where he guided the club to an eighth-place Premier League finish in 2013/14, securing a then club-record points tally for the Saints.
His most influential spell in English football came at Tottenham Hotspur, where he spent five full seasons and transformed the North London club into regular Champions League contenders.
Under his leadership, Spurs secured qualification for Europe’s elite competition in four consecutive seasons and reached their first Champions League final in 2019, eventually losing to Liverpool in Madrid.
Pochettino subsequently joined Paris Saint-Germain in January 2021, winning the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de France and Trophée des Champions before departing in 2022.
He returned to England in 2023 to manage Chelsea, where he guided the club to sixth place in the Premier League and qualification for European competition before leaving by mutual agreement at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Since then, he has been in charge of the United States national team, leading the Americans to the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil and runners-up at the 2025 Gold Cup, also on home soil.
His appointment represents another major attempt by Manchester United to establish stability in the dugout following years of managerial uncertainty.
Pochettino’s immediate challenge will be to lift the club away from the relegation zone and restore the standards expected at Old Trafford.
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