Blessing in disguise? Mauricio Pochettino ready to leave USMNT for Man Utd

United States men's national team boss Mauricio Pochettino has emerged as one of the favourites for the Manchester United job.

Current Red Devils head coach Michael Carrick is under immense pressure and is facing an uphill battle to remain in charge until the end of the year, let alone the end of the season.

The 45-year-old has overseen a historically bad start to the campaign, and recent fightbacks against AS Roma and Aston Villa have done little to meaningfully strengthen his position; the fact that Man Utd needed late comebacks in the first place doesn't reflect well on him.

Thus far, the club hierarchy has refrained from making a change because senior figures can't agree on a replacement, while there is also an element of self-preservation: a third coaching change in as many seasons would surely prompt changes at the upper management level as well.

With Unai Emery and Fabian Hurzeler unavailable, Eddie Howe, Julian Nagelsmann and Antonio Conte were the favourites to replace Carrick until recently. Now, however, the name of Pochettino seems to be gaining traction.

The Argentine has become joint-favourite with Howe at several bookmakers following the news that Man Utd have begun running the rule over him in their search for a new head coach.

And according to talkSPORT, Pochettino would be interested in the job. That is despite the fact that he signed a new long-term contract with the USMNT in August, which is intended to keep him with US Soccer through the 2030 World Cup cycle.

Ultimately, though, this is in no way surprising. Pochettino's extension was a major surprise, and it was only possible because the 54-year-old did not receive any attractive European offers. Had an interesting project materialised, he wouldn't even have considered staying with the USMNT.

Pochettino has never been shy about admitting that he sees himself as a club manager first and foremost. Just earlier this year, he seemed to suggest that winning the Champions League or Premier League would be more meaningful to him than the World Cup.

"For me, Champions League and Premier League," he responded when asked which competitions he wants to win most as a manager. "Of course, the World Cup, but Champions League and Premier League for me are things that, I don't know how, but I will touch, for sure. I don't know which club."

Pochettino openly flirted with a return to Tottenham before they appointed Roberto De Zerbi. Mere days before the start of the World Cup, it was revealed that he had held formal talks with AC Milan over replacing Massimiliano Allegri. They ultimately chose Ruben Amorim.

Obviously, there is no guarantee that Man Utd will actually pursue Pochettino. He hasn't had a successful stint at a club since his time at Tottenham, which ended in 2019. A disappointing spell at Paris Saint-Germain followed.

He then spent a season at Chelsea but didn't find happiness in West London either, due to clashes with the club hierarchy, something that could conceivably also happen at Man Utd if the current structure remains in place. They want a head coach, not a manager.

Given the state of Man Utd, Pochettino would likely need assurances about his influence and the level of financial backing he would receive before accepting the job, but there is no doubt that he would jump at the chance to take charge of a club of that stature.

His USMNT extension has only delayed the inevitable. Even if it doesn't end up being Man Utd, Pochettino is more likely to be in charge of a European club than the US by the time the 2030 World Cup kicks off.

Of course, Pochettino's departure would be a blow to the USMNT. He is still a very good coach, even if he hasn't developed into the Pep Guardiola-esque managerial genius many thought he could become after his time at Tottenham.

But it is not like the US has a dearth of coaching talent. There are plenty of domestic names that could replace Pochettino, and one stands out above the rest: BJ Callaghan.

The 45-year-old has just led Nashville SC to the Supporters' Shield after the most impressive regular season in MLS history. Last year, Callaghan won the Black and Gold's first-ever trophy when he claimed the US Open Cup.

Few teams in MLS have been coached as well as this Nashville SC team, and they are the overwhelming favourites to go all the way in the playoffs, although with the caveat that anything can happen in elimination soccer.

Callaghan is no stranger to US Soccer. In fact, he was Pochettino's predecessor. He was a long-time assistant to Gregg Berhalter and took interim charge of the USMNT in 2023.

In his first two matches, he masterminded wins over Mexico and Canada to triumph in the CONCACAF Nations League. He then led the US to the Gold Cup semi-final, where they were beaten on penalties by Panama.

He is the obvious choice to replace Pochettino, but extracting him from Nashville could prove difficult. He signed a new contract through the 2028-29 MLS season at the start of the year.

However, if Callaghan claims MLS Cup with Nashville this year, there isn't much else for him to win in Music City other than the CONCACAF Champions Cup (let's just ignore Leagues Cup). It's difficult to imagine that he wouldn't be interested in taking charge of the US again.

But even if Callaghan doesn't want to leave Nashville, there are other names out there. Steve Cherundolo is set to take charge of the U23s at the next Olympics; he could easily be promoted to the role of senior head coach.

He is coming off a three-year spell at LAFC during which he won the Supporters' Shield, MLS Cup and the US Open Cup. He perhaps didn't obtain as much silverware as he should have with the level of talent at his disposal, and he was criticised for his conservative approach, but it was still a mostly positive tenure - especially compared to the failure of his former assistant Marc dos Santos this season.

The 47-year-old is still very highly regarded, and his appointment as Olympic coach came as a shock. It was expected that Cherundolo, who spent his entire playing career at Hannover, would return to Germany to become a coach in the Bundesliga or 2. Bundesliga.

Pat Noonan would surely also be in the conversation if Pochettino were to leave. He might lose his job at FC Cincinnati after a disastrous season shortly, but that should take nothing away from what a transformative coach he has been for that club.

Cincy were a laughing stock in the first years of their MLS existence, but they became an Eastern Conference powerhouse under Noonan and won the Supporters' Shield in 2023.

Another possible Pochettino replacement could be Marko Mitrovic, who has enjoyed a very impressive first season at the New England Revolution, leading them to a third-place finish in the East.

The 48-year-old knows many of the USMNT's current and upcoming stars after spending three years in the US Soccer system with the U19s, U20s and the 2024 Olympic team.

For the US, it might actually be for the best if Pochettino departs in a timely fashion because having this uncertainty hanging over the head coaching position isn't ideal.

Getting someone in who is 100% committed for the full cycle would surely be better for the players and the program as a whole than someone who is constantly linked with - and seemingly keen on - a return to club football.