How Pochettino Could Set Up a Team at Manchester United

Manchester United have appointed Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach following the dismissal of Michael Carrick. The 54-year-old coach led the United States to the round of 16 at the World Cup in his most recent role. Pochettino's previous jobs at Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea, along with his 18 months at Paris Saint-Germain, give a sense of the team he could build at Old Trafford.

At Southampton, the team used a 4-2-3-1 formation similar to the one used by their previous head coach, Nigel Adkins. However, the style of play changed completely with a high pressing approach. Rather than making major changes to the squad, he developed the existing players. Apart from Dejan Lovren and Victor Wanyama, no significant signings joined the squad. Adam Lallana, Morgan Schneiderlin, Jay Rodriguez, Luke Shaw and Nathaniel Clyne stood out after they adapted to Pochettino's demands. Lallana explained that he understood from the first day that there was no free-roaming number 10 role on the left side of the team.

A similar structure was built at Tottenham. When the team lost the ball, they applied aggressive and intense pressure, and when they won it, they moved forward quickly with direct vertical passes in the style of Bielsa. The 4-2-3-1 formation was preferred for the most part. Young players such as Dele Alli and Harry Kane developed within this system. While the full-backs provided width in attack, Eric Dier dropped back and formed a back three when the team was in possession. This arrangement allowed Alli, Christian Eriksen and Heung-Min Son to play close to Kane.

Pochettino says that the biggest influences on his coaching career have been Bielsa and Sir Alex Ferguson.