In Pochettino, Man United finally have a proper manager - ESPN

Mauricio Pochettino is the coach that Manchester United have needed for a decade, but it sums up the dysfunctional nature of the Premier League's biggest club that they have only now hired a guy they rejected three times before.

Will it be better late than never? That's what United will be desperately hoping after persuading Pochettino to turn his back on the United States job to replace Michael Carrick as manager at Old Trafford.

Taking charge at United comes with plenty of problems on and off the pitch for Pochettino. But, after so many near misses — he was on the verge of taking the top job three times since 2019 — maybe he really is the right man at the right time for a club that has been locked in a downward spiral for longer than any of their supporters cares to remember.

The 54-year-old, who built an exciting young team at Tottenham Hotspur before stints at Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and the USMNT, was the «next big thing» the first time he was overlooked by United in favor of José Mourinho in 2016. And while the stars have now finally aligned for United and Pochettino, there is still an element of farce about the appointment.

Had United resisted the temptation to hand Carrick a two-year deal at the end of last season and move for Pochettino, they could have landed him for nothing at the end of the World Cup. But they have instead had to make a $10 million compensation payment to the U.S. Soccer Federation following his decision to sign a four-year contract extension in August.

Pochettino's release fee will be a timely reminder to United, however, that pedigree and experience are worth paying for. Not since they hired Mourinho in 2016 to go toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City have United turned to a