Can Mauricio Pochettino's Tactical Chaos Cure Manchester United's Modern Curse?

Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to take up one of the most cursed jobs in modern-day football, with his move to Manchester United now official. The Argentine will become the eighth manager to take the full-time role since the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down, following a historic two-decade tenure that saw him lead the Red Devils to 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies. Pochettino was first linked with the United job in 2016 after the club sacked Dutchman Louis van Gaal.

The Argentine, then in charge of fellow Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur, decided to stay at the North London side, where he almost led them to Premier League and Champions League titles. After the 2019 Champions League final, Pochettino was sacked by Spurs, ending a five-season trophyless spell.

Despite a high-pressing and attacking style of football, Pochettino's promising spell at White Hart Lane left a lot to be desired. After a short hiatus from coaching, Pochettino took charge of French giants Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, where he continued the philosophy of high pressing and forcing opponents to make a mistake in their own half.

However, his first season at Parc des Princes turned out to be a nightmare, with the club losing the Ligue 1 title to Lille by just one point, which ended their run of three consecutive league titles. The club decided to persist with him, even offering him a new contract, which he accepted and helped them reclaim the French football throne the following season.

However, it was not enough to save his job as poor results in the Champions League undid him, especially having a star-studded team that included the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi.

High Press, High Toll

The 4-2-3-1 remained his preferred formation throughout his managerial career so far, though his playing approach has often been deemed too chaotic for modern football, despite being praised by his peers for his tactical acumen.

Pochettino's high-pressing approach, which was inspired by the legendary Marcelo Bielsa, whom he described as the "father of football", had its own drawbacks compared to a hybrid positional playing style.

While his teams are known to dominate possession due to high pressing lines, it has been deemed counterproductive due to the high physical toll on the players, which often led to a lack of intensity in the attacking third.

United have often lacked pressing intensity for a consistent run of games, and Pochettino's approach can help change that quickly. However, a structure behind the ball, a well-drilled pressing system, a clear set of defined roles, and a familiar system for the players must all work in unison to save a sinking ship.

His tenure at the USA so far has been built on a better structure than what he had deployed at his previous teams.

United's success under Ferguson was built on all of those aspects clicking in unison, but that approach was less common back then. So, it is up to Pochettino to figure out a way to platform their strengths.

Source - ndtv.com