EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsManchester United are off to their worst-ever Premier League start, having won a single league game after 10 matchdays of the season -- they enter the international break in the relegation zone -- and as such, a change in manager may be in the offing. Club executives met Tuesday morning to discuss the future of Michael Carrick, sources told ESPN, with the 45-year-old on the brink of being sacked.If a change is made in the Old Trafford dugout, a familiar name has emerged as the frontrunner, according to ESPN's Mark Ogden: Mauricio Pochettino. Fresh off leading the U.S. men's national team to the FIFA World Cup round of 16, the 54-year-old former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur boss appears poised for a return to European club football.If Pochettino is indeed Man United's choice, what would be the pros and cons of taking over the Red Devils? And what would he leave behind in the U.S. job? ESPN's Rob Dawson and Cesar Hernandez lay out the case for Pochettino swapping America for Old Trafford. Manchester United: A return to a European heavyweightPros: Manchester United have got a lot of problems, but it's still a big job in the best league in the world. If Pochettino is looking for a way back into club management, there are few better opportunities than the one set to open up at Old Trafford.It won't be easy -- as Carrick, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jos Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim have all proven -- but if Pochettino is the man to put United back on top of English and European football, he would become an instant legend.Through all the ups and down, United remain one of the biggest and most well-supported clubs on the planet, and the chance to manage there is hard for anyone to turn down. There is a very small group of truly heavyweight institutions, and United still have the gravitas -- if not the recent results -- of a footballing superpower.Cons: He could fail. The worst-case scenario is that Pochettino doesn't get the bounce he's looking for and becomes the first United manager in more than 50 years to oversee relegation to the second tier. That's unlikely to happen, but there will be some concern about whether he's going to get the tools necessary to be a success. The financial situation is tight, which means there isn't the money to make wholesale changes to the squad.Expectation is high at United regardless of off-field issues, but at the moment, the club don't have the capacity to match the spending of Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea. Without a big transfer budget, it puts more pressure on Pochettino and his staff. The emphasis will be on improving the players already at Old Trafford and trying to take risks in the market so they can hopefully bridge the gap with their rivals.If it doesn't go well, Pochettino will pay the price like all the other managers before him. -- Dawson USMNT: How long can he stay away from the club game?Pros: Why ruin what's clearly a dream start to a new World Cup cycle? Since the summer's round-of-16 exit, Pochettino has earned four consecutive victories (including wins over rivals Canada and Mexico), provided thirteen debuts, and seen seven teenage prospects find the back of the net -- all while giving a handful of high-profile figures like Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie a break.If Pochettino leaves soon, he won't be able to fully experience the fruits of his labor in what could be a perfect balance of an exciting generation of rising prospects and well-experienced stars. Let's also not forget that he was given this position midway through the previous cycle, meaning that he hasn't been able to truly stamp his mark until just now. After laying out a strong foundation, it would be difficult to immediately walk away from the evolution of the national team.Cons: Would Pochettino's stock remain the same for European clubs if he were to stick with the USMNT through 2030? He's been open about wanting to return to the Premier League one day, and if he were to stay with the U.S. through the next World Cup, that would be a six-year run without experience or relevance in England. Abroad, it's also difficult to imagine that success at competitions like the regional National Leagues or Gold Cup would gain much attention.It's also worth noting that success with the USMNT isn't a given either. Despite the promising start to the new cycle, the U.S. has shown time and time again that it's capable of stumbling against dark horses in Concacaf. Looking wider at competitions like the Copa Amrica or the next World Cup, the U.S. also needs another generation or two of progress before reaching the heights of an elite national-team program. -- Hernandez Should Pochettino stay or should he go?Dawson: Go. Pochettino has said before he would like another crack at the Premier League, and United is a big opportunity.He's been close to the job in the past and there have been a couple of near misses -- in 2018 after Mourinho, in 2022 before Ten Hag and again in 2024 when the Dutchman was retained. He has a CV strong enough to withstand failure at United -- if it comes to that -- and there's a chance to build something special and wake up a sleeping giant.He's missed out on managing United before and the opportunity may never come his way again. The pros comfortably outweigh the cons and he should grab it with both hands if and when an offer is made.Hernandez: Go. If the dream is to one day go back to Europe, this would be a great opportunity to help revive a sleeping giant. Sure, things could continue to be chaotic at Manchester United, but the upside is absolutely massive and enticing at a major club in the best league in the world.There's also something to be said about Pochettino's prime coaching years. If he were to stay with the USMNT through the 2030 World Cup, that would mean spending most of his 50s outside of the Premier League. For a coach who is ambitious as he is, that's not an ideal scenario on paper, and is surely a factor to consider here.And even if things don't go well at Man United, Pochettino should feel confident enough with his experience to jump to another Premier League club or to another elite European team. Refocus on the club game abroad, and then, reconsider a return to a national team down the line.
