Mauricio Pochettino is set to manage the USA for their two fixtures during the November international break in an unusual agreement with Manchester United. The Argentine may not take up his post at Old Trafford until next week, placing the Red Devils at an immediate disadvantage for their first match of his reign away at Liverpool.
Compensation package and announcement
United have taken the initial steps towards arranging the compensation package required to secure Pochettino, with a formal announcement expected shortly. The international break frequently presents a favourable opportunity for struggling clubs to appoint new management, as it can provide the incoming boss with nearly a fortnight to prepare his new squad.
However, The Athletic reports that Pochettino is expected to honour his remaining commitments with the USA, with United's hierarchy perfectly comfortable with this arrangement. The Americans are scheduled to face Haiti on two occasions, with both fixtures held on US soil after Haiti's home fixtures were relocated on security grounds.
Pochettino's focus on training
Yet ahead of those matches, Pochettino did little to shift his players' attention, despite the widespread coverage of his links to United. When addressing players and staff at the start of training, he focused solely on the day's session, the three Under-20 players who had joined the squad temporarily, and various other matters entirely unrelated to the Premier League club.
Defender Chris Richards said: "It's kinda been business as usual here." He acknowledged that he and team-mates had seen "all the reports and stuff," but added: "We've just kept our head down. We're training and playing like we don't hear anything. We're training like he's going to be the coach tomorrow, because we don't know what's gonna happen or what's not gonna happen. If you focus too much on what could happen, you won't be able to really focus on what is happening."
US Soccer's replacement challenge
US Soccer faces considerable difficulty in finding a suitable replacement for Pochettino ahead of fixtures on Saturday and Tuesday. The US are scheduled to face Haiti twice in less than seven days. Their first Concacaf Nations League tie is next Saturday in Miami, followed by the return leg against the same opposition on Tuesday in Cincinnati.
Should United press for Pochettino and his backroom staff, including long-standing assistant Jesus Perez, to leave immediately upon agreeing buy-out terms, it would place US Soccer officials in an extraordinarily awkward predicament.
United's managerial situation
This leaves United in a challenging situation, largely of their own creation. Carrick has not been formally sacked, but his impending departure is widely understood. A £7million settlement with US Soccer to secure Pochettino has been reached, however the club now face the alarming prospect of having no head coach available to take charge when players return from their scheduled break.
That would represent yet another scathing indictment of the United hierarchy, who have been well aware for weeks that Carrick finds himself in increasingly choppy waters. They have remained steadfast in their backing of him, yet results and performances have shown little sign of improvement. Should Pochettino be the man to take the reins, his first match would see him face Liverpool with just days in the job under his belt.
