In the end it came down to a choice of one.
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it → come → one
From the moment Manchester United was aware of Mauricio Pochettino’s availability he stood alone — the only candidate as the troubled Premier League club went in search of a new coach.
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club → stand → coach
United’s hierarchy had assumed Pochettino, like Aston Villa’s Unai Emery, was out of reach.
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Pochettino → assume → reach
Emery also has big admirers at United after transforming Villa from a relegation-threatened team to a serial Champions League challenger, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to protect relationships.
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person → have → relationships
The same was thought of Pochettino after he signed a four-year deal in August tying him to the U.S. men’s national team through the 2030 World Cup.
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he → think → Cup
United knew him well.
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United → know → him
He had been a leading candidate for the job in 2022 when Erik ten Hag was ultimately hired.
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Hag → lead → 2022
And he left a lasting impression as recently as the summer of 2024 when, under a new sporting leadership, United considered firing Ten Hag and spoke to a range of contenders, Pochettino included.
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Pochettino → leave → contenders
It was determined then — on both sides — that the timing wasn’t right so soon after his brief spell in charge of Chelsea, the person said.
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person → determine → Chelsea
Now, with Pochettino re-energized by his experiences with the U.S., including a run to the round of 16 at this year’s World Cup, the timing is right.
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timing → re → Cup
United was finalizing the details of Pochettino’s appointment on Thursday, with his appointment expected to be confirmed imminently, said the person, who also detailed United’s pursuit of the Argentine coach this week.
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who → finalize → coach
Work has been underway to conclude the deal once United was made aware of a break clause in Pochettino’s recently signed contract, with due diligence carried out before coach Michael Carrick was fired on Thursday.
Confident that Pochettino wanted to take on what has increasingly looked like an impossible job, it was a matter of informing the U.S. soccer federation of its intention to move for a coach, who did so much galvanize the nation during the World Cup.
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who → conclude → Cup
That formal approach came on Wednesday, the night before Carrick was relieved of his duties, the person said.
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person → come → duties
By that stage rumours had already been swirling around Pochettino and the odds on him to become United’s eighth permanent coach or manager in 13 years had been slashed.
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odds → swirl → years
There has been criticism of United’s handling of the process, making Carrick wait until Thursday to learn his fate that had been long-trailed.
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that → make → fate
Firstly, no decision could be made until an internal review had been carried out.
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review → make → ?
The person said Carrick had been kept informed about the process.
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Carrick → say → process
It wasn’t until a meeting with minority owner Jim Ratcliffe in Monaco on Wednesday that chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox made the recommendation to change the coach and the decision was made.
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decision → make → coach
Berrada and Wilcox returned to Manchester on Wednesday night and rather than inform Carrick by phone, chose to tell him face-to-face at a meeting at the club’s training ground on Thursday morning, according to the person’s description of events.
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Berrada → return → events
It is unlikely to have come as a surprise to Carrick, even if he was less than six months into a two-year contract.
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he → come → contract
He had overseen United’s worst start for 40 years.
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He → oversee → years
With only one win in 10 games the 20-time English champion sits 18th in the standings, in the relegation zone.
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champion → sit → zone
Another person with knowledge of the decision-making process said the results were simply “not acceptable for Manchester United” and a change had to be made.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to do so publicly.
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they → say → anonymity
Barring a late hitch, Pochettino’s first game in charge will be against Liverpool on Nov. 22.
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game → bar → Nov.
He will be the latest in a long line of candidates charged with the responsibility of bringing the good times back to a club that for so long dominated English soccer.
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that → charge → soccer
It has not won the Premier League title since Ferguson’s final season in 2013 and has been overtaken by rivals like Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.
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It → win → City
Pochettino, who won the French title with Paris Saint-Germain and turned Tottenham into a Premier League title challenger, had an underwhelming experience when last in England for one season with Chelsea in 2023-24.
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who → win → 2023
Chelsea ended sixth in the standings, missing out on Champions League qualification and beaten by Liverpool in the final of the English League Cup to leave Pochettino still without a major trophy in English soccer.
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Chelsea → end → soccer
Both United and Pochettino will hope that, together, they can snap that streak.
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they → hope → streak
The Aporia
