Manchester United: How Mauricio Pochettino will differ tactically from Michael Carrick

Detailed summary

Mauricio Pochettino will demand one thing from the players upon being appointed the new Man United boss

The Manchester United squad might want to brace themselves for what is coming their way.

Michael Carrick has been sacked and it is expected that Mauricio Pochettino will be arriving to replace him in the Old Trafford dugout.

Pochettino interviewed for the United job in 2024. He was close to getting it on more than one occasion in the years before that too.

Finally he is set to get his chance and the task is now bigger than ever, with United sitting in the relegation zone and in desperate need of a dramatic turnaround.

It is likely to start with hard work. United rank 19th for distance covered in the Premier League this season, with the team set up in a very passive manner.

Fitness has been a concern. When asked in the summer if pre-season had involved a lot of running, Youri Tielemans replied: “No. When you come back from the World Cup, you don’t do lots of running. Just chill.”

There is not going to be much chill with Pochettino around. He has a long history of getting his players working hard.

In the 2013-14 season, his Southampton side covered more distance than any Premier League team. That season, Tottenham ranked 20th.

When Pochettino then took over at Spurs the following year, nobody ran further than them over the next four seasons.

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