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Archive photo · 28 March 2026Manchester United Agree Two-and-a-Half-Year Deal With Mauricio Pochettino After Sacking Michael Carrick
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Mauricio Pochettino agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal to become Manchester United head coach. Carrick was sacked after United's worst Premier League start of the season.
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Pochettino replaces Carrick
Manchester United agreed a deal for Mauricio Pochettino to take over as head coach after sacking Michael Carrick, with Sky Sports News reporting the move was expected to be formally announced on Friday. Pochettino was set to sign a two-and-a-half-year contract at Old Trafford after Carrick was sacked on Thursday, and the Argentine has a £7m release clause in his USA contract. Carrick’s exit followed United’s worst start to a Premier League season, with United securing just one win in 10 games, and Sunday’s 4-4 draw with Aston Villa left United 18th in the Premier League table.
The BBC framed the appointment as part of a wider managerial debate around Manchester United’s identity after Ferguson’s departure in 2013, and it quoted Pochettino saying, "Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Alex Ferguson" when asked which Premier League managers he would have loved to play for. Pochettino described his sides as needing "to be protagonists, always press high, work hard and be dynamic" as it contrasted his approach with Carrick’s transition-heavy style.
Carrick’s numbers, United’s test
Carrick’s United produced a run unmatched by any other team in the league last season, but the style relied on attacking in a transition-heavy manner. Carrick’s side lost once in 13 games when they had less than 50% of the ball and they had a win-rate of 62%, while the win-rate dropped to 36% in games when they had the majority of possession. Carrick oversaw just three wins from 15 matches in all competitions this season, costing him his job, and United’s 4-4 draw with Aston Villa included a comeback after falling 2-0 down inside four minutes.
Carrick was initially appointed in January 2026 on a contract until the end of the season after Ruben Amorim was sacked earlier in that campaign, and Carrick signed a new contract running to 2028 on 22 May. Pochettino may be uniquely placed to bridge camps inside the club’s DNA debate, because it described his adoration for Ferguson alongside a tactical plan that references Marcelo Bielsa and encourages vertical football.
First match and stakes
Pochettino’s first game in charge of United will be the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on 22 November, after it said he would take charge following the international break. Arrangements were being made to fly the Argentine straight from the USA double header with Haiti to Manchester to give him maximum time to prepare for his first game against Liverpool at Anfield a week on Sunday. Pochettino described his sides as needing "to be protagonists, always press high, work hard and be dynamic" and it linked that to his "disciple" relationship with Marcelo Bielsa.
United was finalizing details of Pochettino’s appointment and his designation was expected to be confirmed imminently, and his first match in charge would be against Liverpool on November 22 unless there was a last-minute hitch. United’s leadership had assumed Pochettino was out of reach earlier, but the timing became favorable after Pochettino’s experiences with the United States and a qualification for the knockout rounds at the World Cup.
