MANCHESTER, England, (Reuters) – Manchester United turned yesterday to Mauricio Pochettino to haul them out of the Premier League relegation zone, entrusting one of football’s most storied clubs to a manager with a big reputation but precious few trophies to show for it.
The club of George Best and Bobby Charlton, of Eric Cantona and David Beckham, have gone without a league title since 2013. The 20-times English champions have won once in 10 league games and sit 18th, their lowest position at this stage of a top-flight season since 1986-87.
Pochettino joins on November 18 after a spell as United States coach, and will lead the USA in their upcoming quarter-final legs against Haiti in the CONCACAF Nations League before joining United.
“Not too many opportunities can happen in your career like Manchester United and, of course, when that arrives it is difficult to turn down,” an emotional Pochettino told reporters.
“In some ways, it is a very sad decision (to leave the US team),” he added while wiping away tears.
“But in other ways, we are professionals, and we also need to look ahead and try to find the next step to help make your dreams come true.”
The 54-year-old, who has reportedly signed a contract until 2029, inherits a team whose glorious past stands in brutal contrast to their present plight, enduring their worst start to a season in four decades.
They have won just three of their 15 matches in all competitions and are one point above bottom side Crystal Palace.
A GLAMOUR CLUB’S GAMBLE
For decades, United stood as English football’s undisputed glamour club, embodying prestige, success and global appeal while boasting a galaxy of superstars.
Ten years after the 1958 Munich air disaster had killed eight Manchester United players as the team flew home from a European Cup tie in Belgrade, crash survivor Charlton and mercurial Northern Irish winger and sixties icon Best scored at Wembley as United beat Benfica to become the first English club to lift the trophy.
That night captured the hearts of Manchester United fans across the globe, forging an emotional connection with the club that the legendary treble-winning side of 1999 would only go on to cement.
But their recent struggles have left United searching for stability rather than stardom and Pochettino’s appointment represents a calculated gamble on a coach whose teams have often impressed without consistently delivering major trophies.
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