Mauricio Pochettino has been officially announced as Manchester United's new head coach, following Michael Carrick's sacking on Thursday, 12 November. 

Pochettino, formerly of the United States of America, moves to Old Trafford on a two-and-a-half-year contract lasting until June 2029.

In their official statement, Manchester United said: "Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to become the Manchester United men’s head coach from 18 November.

"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.

"The Argentinian is renowned for his high-intensity, attacking style of football, his dedication to building strong, cohesive teams and his outstanding record of developing individual players.

"Pochettino has consistently performed at the highest level of football across multiple leagues. He began his coaching career with Espanyol in 2009 before joining Southampton and achieving a club-record Premier League points tally in 2014.

"During five full seasons at Tottenham Hotspur, Pochettino established the club as regular UEFA Champions League contenders, securing qualification in four consecutive seasons and leading the club to its first final in the competition in 2019.

"In 2021, he joined Paris Saint-Germain, where he won the Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de France and the Trophée des Champions before joining Chelsea in 2023.

"Most recently he led the U.S. Men’s National Team to the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup."

The Argentine had a £7.4 million release clause in his contract with the USA, but will now take charge of the Red Devils after his international side faces Haiti on Saturday, 14 November, and Wednesday, 18 November. 

Manchester United return to action at Anfield on Sunday, 22 November, against Andoni Iraola's Liverpool. 

Mauricio Pochettino's new side are 18th in the Premier League and the only team in the division with just one win this season.

Roundtable's Jamie Brown – a Tottenham Hotspur correspondent – recently detailed Mauricio Pochettino's time in North London, while also describing his Chelsea stint as "underrated". 

"With Poch, he felt like he really understood the culture of the club," Brown said. "As I said, when he took over as Spurs manager, he very quickly turned around the club's fortunes, as we qualified for Europe in his first season.

"He got us there by playing high-energy football, which is very enjoyable to watch and made sure to utilise the academy players, including Harry Kane, Ryan Mason, and Nabil Bentaleb, along with signings like Eric Dier, which helped to build a core of players.

"Perhaps he could replicate that at Manchester United by using the club's academy players also."

The full interview can be found below. 

Pochettino has used a mix of formations throughout his time at Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and USA, but seems most likely to use a 4-2-3-1. 

Senne Lammens will likely continue between the sticks, though there could be some changes in the defensive lineup. 

Matthijs de Ligt has started just one match since returning from injury (a 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League), but has been linked with Pochettino's sides in the past. Perhaps an ageing Harry Maguire will drop out of the side for the Dutchman. 

He could start alongside Lisandro Martínez, Pochettino's fellow countryman, though Martínez will be unavailable for the trip to Liverpool after the international break following a red card against Chelsea. 

Mauricio Pochettino has previously shown a willingness to play young players, which could see Kobbie Mainoo and Carlos Baleba be the first-choice midfield, but Baleba will likely still be injured after picking up a hamstring problem against AS Roma. 

At Tottenham Hotspur, Pochettino favoured a playmaking right-winger, often playing Christian Eriksen on the right flank. Perhaps Bruno Fernandes will be the first-choice right-winger under the new head coach. 

That could see Patrick Dorgu return to the left wing and Matheus Cunha play as a No.10, replicating the Dele Alli role. However, Pochettino may be willing to change his tactics for the current squad. 

Speaking on The Overlap in April, Pochettino said: "Today, [coaches need to] provide players with the good tools to adapt, and to make decisions naturally and genuinely.

“Because if you have a plan and that plan doesn’t work, [the players will think], 'What do I need to do?'”

Perhaps that has always been what Manchester United need.