USMNT should not be worried about Mauricio Pochettino to Manchester United rumors

Less than a week before the USMNT returns to action in the Nations League, the last thing fans want to hear are rumors about Mauricio Pochettino becoming the new head coach at Manchester United. Alas, that's the world in which we're living. With Michael Carrick squarely on the hot seat at Old Trafford, Pochettino has been labeled as the favorite to take over if United decides to make a change.

The rumors are par for the course. U.S. Soccer finally has a top-flight coach, and when that happens, other people are going to want him. This isn't the first time rumors about Pochettino leaving for another job have surfaced. It probably won't be the last. That's at least part of the reason why USMNT fans shouldn't be worried about losing Pochettino.

There is no job yet

At the moment, Carrick is still technically employed by Manchester United. Obviously, things are bleak for the Red Devils, who are 18th in the Premier League ahead of the international break. But they haven't yet decided to sack Carrick, so there isn't yet a vacancy available for Pochettino to take.

Moreover, Pochettino is likely to be the favorite for any high-profile job that comes up. He's an established coach, and the assumption is that he'll return to club soccer at some point. Therefore, his name is going to get tossed around whenever there is an opening or a suspected opening. That's not enough to worry that he's going to leave the USMNT.

The timing doesn't seem to be aligned. If United wants a full-time head coach in place by the end of the international break, how could they possibly snag Pochettino? Nothing about Pochettino's history suggests he would actually ditch the USMNT on the eve of two competitive matches for another job. Even if Manchester United makes him the top target, the stars aren't aligned right now, and the timing is all off.

Project 2030

Teams may approach Pochettino about jobs, but there's no reason to think he is serious about leaving. After all, Pochettino is a little more than three months removed from signing an extension to remain with the USMNT. That contract gave him new duties to shape more than just the national team, and abandoning that project so early doesn't make sense. If Pochettino had a strong urge to get back to club soccer, he wouldn't have agreed to the extension that gave him far more control.

Plus, Pochettino seems committed to taking the USMNT through the 2030 World Cup. There is no question that he enjoyed the run during the 2026 World Cup this past summer. It's also no secret that he loves a lot of the young talent being integrated into the national team to complement a strong returning core. The lure of coaching the 2030 World Cup could be just as strong as the lure of coaching a team like Manchester United.

Seriously, who even wants the Manchester United job?

Obviously, there are few jobs in soccer as prestigious as coaching Manchester United. It would be foolish to think otherwise. But given the current state of the club, why would Pochettino or another high-profile manager be eager to take the job? United could easily spend the rest of the season fighting relegation. The club doesn't look anywhere close to competing for trophies or living up to the club's expectations. In short, the immediate future doesn't look too appealing for anyone replacing Carrick.

Also, it's not far-fetched to think that Pochettino would be hesitant to take another high-profile job. He's had similar jobs at PSG and Chelsea, and he knows there is massive pressure and little margin for error. In his last job before the USMNT, Pochettino was sacked at Chelsea after less than a year. There's no reason to think the leash would be any shorter at Manchester United, a club that is far more desperate for results.

The silver lining

In the event that Pochettino actually leaves for Manchester United, there is a silver lining. Of course, U.S. Soccer doesn't want to deal with another mid-cycle coaching change. But if Pochettino leaves after the November window, the timing would actually be ideal. U.S. Soccer would at least have the benefit of time to find a replacement.

Outside of a glorified ID camp in December, the USMNT won't have another game after the Nations League quarterfinals until March. That's plenty of time to assess options and find the right person for the job. There is actually more time between the end of the November camp and the March window than there was between the end of the World Cup and the start of the September-October window. Time would actually be in the USMNT's favor.

Of course, the hope is that Pochettino stays with the USMNT for the full cycle. At this point, the rumors and speculation about joining Manchester United are just that. He's a top-tier coach with an impressive resume, making it inevitable that Pochettino will be connected with other job openings. But there are far more reasons to believe that Pochettino will stay than there are reasons to think he'd actually leave. For the moment, USMNT fans need not worry about their coach, even amidst the rumors that are more of an annoyance than a cause for real concern.

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