Manchester United are currently sat inside the relegation zone in the Premier League.
Unsurprisingly, this has led to the powers that be at Old Trafford getting rid of Michael Carrick, who never lost to Southampton, funnily enough, when he was situated in the Middlesbrough dug-out, before the Theatre of Dreams came calling.
They have turned to Mauricio Pochettino now to try to resurrect their horrendous season, as the ex-Saints manager returns to England, after a two-year spell in charge of the United States national team.
Pochettino appointed as the next Man Utd manager
Pochettino will be a well-known figure to fans of the English game, away from just the bubble of St. Mary's, as the Argentine has also managed Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea previously.
Fresh off steering the USMNT to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup, after overseeing wins on the world's biggest stage against Paraguay, Australia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, he will be ready for the huge task of trying to lift the downbeat Red Devils up the Premier League.
Mauricio Pochettino has agreed to become the Manchester United men’s head coach.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 13, 2026
He has agreed a deal to become the next United manager, after emotionally announcing the news during a USMNT press conference, with Pochettino accumulating 150 Premier League wins, when in charge of Spurs, Chelsea, and the Saints.
This appointment will bring up fond memories for Southampton fans, as the 54-year-old was only situated in the St. Mary's dug-out for one year and a bit, but delivered instant success for the South Coast giants.
This appointment will bring up fond Saints memories
When the South American tactician arrived to the South Coast in 2013, he had a tough job on his hands, just like he'll have in the here and now in Manchester.
He was coming in to replace the beloved Nigel Adkins, who had hit a wall in charge of the Saints in the Premier League, after pulling off the remarkable feat of back-to-back promotions to the big time.
Pochettino would arrive mid-way through the 2012/13 season with the top-flight minnows in 15th spot and would safely pull them away from relegation danger, with only five league defeats from 15 clashes.
He would mastermind excellent home victories against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, with the likes of Rickie Lambert, Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana all shining brightly under Pochettino's guidance.
He was only getting started, however, as the 2013/14 season would see him pull off a remarkable eighth-place finish for the Saints, who once looked in danger of relegation under Adkins.
United supporters will be hoping he can rewind time to his Premier League roots when he steps into the Red Devils' hot-seat, as he was a very popular figure at St. Mary's, when turning around the fortunes of his new club swiftly.
The aforementioned Rodriguez would bag an electric 17 goals in all competitions under the Argentine's watchful eye that season, with the recently retired attacker noting in 2017 that the Old Trafford-bound boss was the "best coach" he'd ever worked alongside.
There were so many standout performers from this brief, but brilliant time in Southampton's recent history, with Luke Shaw breaking through in the Saints starting XI under Pochettino, as well, before he became a regular at the Red Devils.
Dejan Lovren and Jose Fonte would also be a formidable partnership in the heart of his defence, with Lovren, arguably, scoring the most noteworthy goal of his quick, in-a-flash regime, as he scored the only goal during a a determined 1-0 win at Anfield in September 2013.
Saints supporters everywhere will wish him well as he faces an uphill battle to stop the rot in Manchester, with their paths potentially crossing next season, if Eckert can guide the promotion hopefuls back to the Premier League.
At the time of writing, the fallen giants, who used to win trophies for fun under Sir Alex Ferguson, do need to ensure they keep their Premier League status...
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