Mauricio Pochettino is all but confirmed as Manchester United’s new manager. Is this a revolution? Or is this a desperate attempt by a club trying to avoid relegation and a manager wishing to return to the Premier League?
Either way, it’ll be fascinating to see the Argentinian manager try to implement his tactics with a squad that seems ill-suited to his style.
What should we expect from these tactics? And what type of players will Pochettino require in the winter if the plan is to work?
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A Brief Overview of Pochettino’s Career
I’ve been writing about football tactics for more than a decade, and I am neither stunned nor overly impressed with this managerial appointment.
Mauricio Pochettino should’ve been Man. United’s manager a decade ago. Now, it’s unclear who this all benefits.
What, exactly, makes him the right choice?
The Argentinian enjoyed a notable playing career as a centre-back, earning 20 caps for his country. He began his managerial career at Espanyol, his former club, and within three years had already earned a job in the Premier League, first at Southampton.
Tottenham came calling in 2014. In fairness, Pochettino’s time at White Hart Lane was filled with notable success. It wasn’t just that he guided the team to a Champions League final, against the odds. It was during this time that Spurs became a neutral’s favourite.
Since then, billed as a world-class manager, he’s been employed by Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and the USMNT, all to relative, if unremarkable, success.
So what does Pochettino have that Julian Nagelsmann, Antonio Conte, or, indeed, Michael Carrick, rivals for the job did not?
Tactical Philosophy
I’ve had the opportunity to study and write about Mauricio Pochettino’s tactics before. Since leaving Tottenham, he’s become something of a luxury-obsessed journeyman.
But what tactical principles define Poch’s style? The use of speed and dynamism!
Mauricio Pochettino’s best teams pressed aggressively, played vertical passes, and moved quickly. Players switched roles to break down opponents’ tactical plans.
He typically uses a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formation. The modern 4-2-3-1 is not out of the question. However, this is all less important than the playing style itself.
His teams build up from the back in a diamond shape. Wing-backs are encouraged to power up the pitch. Defenders employ an aggressive high press.
In other words, Pochettino needs players who are fast and can outrun the opposition. So, what is he doing at Manchester United then?
What Players Will Pochettino Need?
It’ll be fascinating to see what demands Pochettino has made in order to accept the United job.
The squad he inherits is not a poor one. It is, however, one filled with slow-paced players, and ones prone to getting injured.
It’s also one missing a central striker at the moment. The full-backs aren’t particularly offensive. And all of that lack of speed and determination creates big holes in the midfield area.
Pochettino will likely push for at least 2-3 transfers in the transfer window. To my mind, United will need a more dynamic central midfielder than the three they bought this Summer! They’ll need at least one faster central defender who is comfortable on the ball.
They may need an additional left-back. And ideally, they’d need to move on some players with high wages and few triumphs at Old Trafford.
But when has United last had a successful transfer window?
What Could United’s Defensive Plan Look Like?
Lack of speed will be United’s greatest problem going into Pochettino’s appointment.
The Argentinian will, likely, favour a four-man defensive line. He prefers active engagement of the opponent and pressing that encourages turnovers. United simply does not have those players.
I predict that Ayden Heaven and Lenny Yoro, although error-prone, will get more time on the pitch due to their athleticism. Patrick Dorgu and Diego Dalot will, at first, be used as wing-backs.
It’s harder to imagine Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw or Matthijs De Ligt thriving, even mid-term in this setup.
How Will Manchester United Build Up and Attack?
As for the build-up, United’s current players are a little better suited to Pochettino’s methods. He tends to employ a classic playmaker and to encourage quick movement across the pitch. The goal is to create diamond shapes and 3-vs-2 scenarios where the player on the ball has options for his next pass.
Bruno Fernandes will likely act as the playmaker, but he will need to run and press more. Amad Diallo, Bryan Mbeumo, or Mattheus Cunha can thrive in this setup.
There is, however, a problem with the newly arrived central midfielders. Once again, this has to do with speed and dynamism.
While Kobbie Mainoo’s ability to beat the opponent’s press will make him vital in the initial build-up phase, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos lack the speed, or the tactical awareness, it seems to me, to immediately adapt to this style.
Poch’s teams tend to bring one defensive midfielder in between the central defenders when building up, while keeping two defensive midfielders as cover. Direct passes are encouraged in this 3-2-5 attacking shape.
Meanwhile, Carlos Baleba possesses those qualities, but has appeared injury-prone, while Manuel Ugarte, also injured at the moment, is a player who has looked rather limited in his ability on the ball.
And how will United score goals? After all, this has been the team’s biggest problem this season.
Typically, Mauricio Pochettino wants players who can make smart runs past the defenders. He has used both highly mobile forwards, like Harry Kane at Spurs, and classic poachers, like Mauro Icardi at PSG. The point is to have 2-3 players who can create a goalscoring threat based on the turnover created by the relentless pressing.
What Next for Pochettino and United?
Frankly, this doesn’t look like the right fit. In theory, Mauricio Pochettino wants highly athletic players. He needs creative wing-backs, fast strikers, and relentlessly hard-working pivots. United has nearly none of that.
Yet, I think there’s a silver lining. Pochettino at Espanyol, for example, was a very different manager than he was at Tottenham, or later PSG and Chelsea. He can adapt his tactics and can be reactive when needed.
In fact, against the odds, Pochettino could be the kind of manager to build a project around, if he’s still eager to do that. United certainly has the financial resources and youth system to help him build a team around his preferred playing style.
But there’s not much time left!
Both United and Poch have been here before. And if neither party is ready to change their methods drastically, United will be back searching for a manager in just a few months.
