Mauricio Pochettino will remain in charge of the US men’s national team for the rest of this international window, with the Carrick Man United story now sitting alongside two important Concacaf Nations League quarter-finals. That means the former Chelsea boss will lead the USMNT against Haiti in Miami on Saturday and then again in Cincinnati on Tuesday, even as Manchester United move for his services.
The timing is notable. Pochettino has spent the week leading training at the federation’s headquarters and training facility outside Atlanta, and he has yet to speak publicly about the United link. He is scheduled to address reporters on Friday morning, but for now the focus remains on the job in front of him and not the one being discussed elsewhere.
United’s approach adds a fresh layer of pressure
On Thursday, Manchester United sacked Michael Carrick and then officially made contact with US Soccer in an approach for Pochettino’s services. The article also says Pochettino and his representatives had already ironed out details of a proposed agreement, which underlines how far the situation has moved in a short period of time.
That inevitably puts the Carrick Man United narrative into sharper focus, but it does not change the immediate task for the USMNT. They need clarity and concentration across two matches in a tight window, and Pochettino has made it clear through his actions that the work continues as normal for now.
Players are keeping the message simple
Folarin Balogun was clear on Thursday when he said: “If I had a vote, I’d like to keep things the way they are.” It was a straightforward reflection of a squad that appears intent on blocking out the noise and staying with the current routine.
Antonee Robinson took a similar line earlier in the week. On Tuesday, he downplayed the significance of Pochettino’s reported departure, saying: “As a soccer player, we’re pretty used to sort of fast training environments and games … so we’re all very good at just focusing on the next task and about the next session or the next game coming up,” and added: “For me personally, I don’t really look at it … It’s just focusing on we’ve got a game at the weekend and I’m going to do everything I can to be ready to play for him, and how he wants us to play.”
That is the practical reality for the USMNT right now. The next two games come first, and Pochettino is still the man preparing them. Whatever happens next, Saturday in Miami and Tuesday in Cincinnati will be judged on their own terms before the wider Carrick Man United picture becomes the dominant story.
