Mauricio Pochettino has the chance to rebuild Manchester United by combining the attacking principles associated with Sir Alex Ferguson’s era with the pressing and tactical flexibility he learned from Marcelo Bielsa.
When asked to name three Premier League managers he would have liked to play under, Pochettino gave the same answer three times: “Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Alex Ferguson.”
That response reflected more than admiration for Manchester United’s legendary former manager. Pochettino has long viewed Ferguson as a model for building teams, sustaining success and maintaining competitiveness over many years.
Now in charge at Old Trafford, the Argentine’s task is not simply to improve results. He must also help restore an identity that has become less clear since Ferguson retired in 2013.
Pochettino’s football shares some features with the approach Michael Carrick tried to establish at United. Both favour quick attacking play, flexible movement and exploiting space. The difference may lie in the structure needed to make those ideas work consistently.
Pochettino spoke about his respect for Ferguson in a 2023 interview with Sky Sports while he was Chelsea manager. Six years earlier, he had lunch with Ferguson, describing the meeting as one of the special moments of his career.
“When I was young and at the beginning of my coaching career, Ferguson was always my inspiration and my first reference,” he said. “When you have the chance to spend two hours with someone who is considered the greatest manager in the history of football, you can only enjoy every moment.”
United’s possession problem
Carrick produced positive results and convincing attacking displays during spells in charge. United even finished last season in form that no other Premier League side could match.
However, the team struggled to impose itself when it had to dominate possession. Under Carrick, United lost only once in 13 matches in which their possession was below 50%, winning 62% of those games. Their win rate fell to 36% when they controlled the ball.
The figures suggested United were more dangerous when opponents advanced, leaving space for direct counter-attacks. That suited several of the team’s forwards and offered greater protection to the defence. Casemiro’s set-piece quality also provided an important attacking option, particularly against sides defending deep.
Carrick’s longer-term ambition was different. He wanted United to build from the back through short, accurate passing, drawing opponents out before attacking the spaces behind them. The same difficulty had affected earlier projects under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag: moving from exploiting space to creating it against compact defences.
Freedom within a structure
Pochettino’s ideas were shaped by Bielsa, under whom he played, particularly the emphasis on high pressing, movement and intense physical work. His football is direct and vertical, but that does not mean surrendering possession. The ball is used to reach dangerous areas rather than simply maintain a statistic.
His recent work with the United States offered another example. Players were given freedom to rotate and exchange positions, while a smaller number retained clearly defined responsibilities. Short passing combinations could draw opponents towards the ball, while movement off it opened routes towards the forwards. Quick passes behind the defensive line also allowed Folarin Balogun to exploit space.
Pochettino summarised his philosophy in 2014: “My philosophy is to give players a style with more freedom, while maintaining good organisation.”
That balance may be the key to his United project. He must improve fitness, make the high press sustainable and provide solutions against deep defensive blocks. Cole Palmer, who enjoyed one of his best Premier League seasons under Pochettino at Chelsea, said the manager gave him “the confidence and freedom to move anywhere on the pitch, where I can use my strengths”.
Brighton, managed by Fabian Hurzeler, show that pressing and possession can still succeed in the Premier League, having reached second in the table with the fourth-highest possession rate after 10 games.
Pochettino will need to turn similar principles into a complete system. His challenge is to give United’s players freedom without leaving them without guidancea combination that could determine whether Ferguson’s influence becomes inspiration or genuine revival.
