Folarin Balogun regrets Mauricio Pochettino’s departure from USA for Manchester United

Folarin Balogun says he would have preferred Mauricio Pochettino to remain in charge of the United States rather than move to Manchester United.

Manchester United previously announced an agreement with the Argentine to take over from Michael Carrick as manager.

“If it had been up to me, I would have chosen to keep things as they were and not have Mauricio Pochettino leave for Manchester United,” Balogun told reporters.

“Things were going well and we had a clear style of play. When you have a top-class manager like Pochettino, it is natural to want him to stay. That decision does not require any thought.”

Manchester United confirmed on its official website that Pochettino will begin work with the club on 18 November.

The club said it had reached an agreement with the United States Soccer Federation to allow Pochettino, who was managing the USA men’s national team, to leave his role. His contract with the national team had been due to run until 2030.

United highlighted Pochettino’s “high-intensity attacking style of football, dedication to building strong and cohesive teams, and outstanding record of developing individual players”.

The club added: “Pochettino has consistently delivered outstanding performances at the highest levels of football across different leagues. He began his managerial career with Espanyol in 2009 before joining Southampton, where he set a club record for points in the Premier League in 2014.”

During five full seasons with Tottenham Hotspur, Pochettino established the club as regular UEFA Champions League contenders. Tottenham qualified for the competition in four consecutive seasons under his leadership and reached their first final in 2019.

Pochettini joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, winning the Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions. He then moved to Chelsea in 2023.

More recently, Pochettino led the USA men’s national team to the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup.

Manchester United dismissed Carrick on Thursday, only a few months after appointing him on a contract running until 2029. The decision came amid a poor run of results in the current season.

United have not won a Premier League match since 30 August. Their continued failure to collect points has left them 18th in the table after eight consecutive league rounds without a victory.