Pochettino a decade in Man Utd's making - but Carrick deserves better

When the expected formalities of Michael Carrick's dismissal as Manchester United manager are completed after a summit meeting in Monaco, Mauricio Pochettino looks set to turn a decade-long courtship with Old Trafford into a full-blown relationship.

Pochettino and United go back a long way, with the Argentine's name associated with the club since he was spotted leaving a lunch appointment at Scott's restaurant in Mayfair with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2016.

Ferguson was three years into his retirement, while Pochettino was building his reputation at Tottenham, where he fashioned an intense, all-out-attacking team that the great Scot admired.

Pochettino called it "a meeting in London between colleagues, between a genius and an apprentice".

In that moment, a link was forged.

Pochettino was mentioned as a contender to succeed Louis van Gaal when he was sacked by United in May 2016, then when Jose Mourinho suffered the same fate in December 2018.

Pochettino was the other name on United's shortlist when Erik ten Hag was appointed in April 2022, then again when the Dutchman was shown the door in October 2024.

Finally, as Carrick awaits what looks to be the inevitable, it looks like Pochettino will inherit the Old Trafford empire.

The problem for Pochettino is that the once great footballing empire is crumbling before the eyes, the dysfunctional product of years of poor decision-making and questionable appointments, allied to a Frankenstein's monster of a squad assembled by six managers.

One of Pochettino's quirks is to have a box of lemons in his office, believing they absorb negative energy. He will need several truckloads of the industrial strength variety to suck away the current mood at Old Trafford.

First things first, however, and that means waiting for the official confirmation of Carrick's departure, a long drawn-out affair which does little credit to part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.

Carrick, 45, has proved to be out of his depth since being confirmed as permanent head coach following a successful interim spell, but his history of success as a player, his basic decency and his obvious desire to turn United's fortunes around makes the ham-fisted handling of his sacking another uncomfortable episode.

It is an emotion reflected by United's increasingly disaffected fanbase, who have made it clear who they blame for their current place in the Premier League relegation zone.

Pochettino ready to accept Man Utd offer to replace Carrick

The Monaco summit that will decide the future of Carrick and Man Utd

Would Pochettino be the right appointment to replace Carrick? Have your say

Pochettino's appointment would land in the middle ground between the flawed sentimentalism of turning to fan favourites with little or no track record of success, such as Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as well as the quick fix of bringing in proven past winners such as Van Gaal and Mourinho.

With his one-time dream of returning to Spurs now seemingly out of reach forever, Pochettino is ready to pick up the reins at the fallen giants that are United, another club he has clearly always had in his sights.

He is currently coach of the USA, whom he led at this summer's World Cup, but even then United were lurking on his agenda.

During the campaign Pochettino held court with invited journalists at the USA team hotel in California.

When mention was made of United, Pochettino turned to his closest confidante and ever-present assistant coach Jesus Perez to say: "One day, your dream comes true. You go to Manchester United."

Perez replied with "United should have got you", promoting the response from a smiling Pochettino: "Future. Future."

The big question now is what Pochettino will United be getting?

He remains a beloved figure at Spurs, where he had an outstanding record of consistency following his appointment from Southampton in May 2014.

He never finished lower than fifth - in his first season - in any full campaign in charge, including second place behind Chelsea in 2016-17 and third in 2015-16 and 2017-18.

The one question mark always placed against Pochettino, including when he finished sixth at Chelsea in 2023-24, was an inability to get his teams over the line to tangible success in England.

Pochettino claimed the first trophies of his managerial career with Paris St-Germain after leaving Spurs - the 2021 French Cup and 2022 Ligue 1 title - but the club's hierarchy felt that was the minimum he should achieve given the squad at his disposal, and he did not see out his contract.