Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as their new head coach following the sacking of Michael Carrick.
Appointed on a two-year deal after a successful interim spell which saw United achieve UEFA Champions League qualification, Carrick's permanent tenure lasted just 15 matches as he was axed during the November international break.
The Red Devils are 18th in the Premier League and inside the relegation zone after winning just one of their first 10 league games -- a 5-2 win over Ipswich Town -- and none since August.
It is the club's lowest position at this stage of a top-flight season since 1986/87, when they were 20th, and Carrick ultimately paid the price for their wretched form.
Former Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea boss Pochettino is the man tasked with leading United's revival, and the Argentine has a major job on his hands at Old Trafford.
United have forked out $10m (£7.5m) to release Pochettino from his contract with the United States national team, and they're expected to pay more to bring his staff across the pond to Old Trafford.
The answers to United's problems evaded Carrick and his accomplices. There are question marks on the overall condition of the team and their fitness, which were a major contributing factor to the team's struggles.
Then there is the recruitment. Unlike at Chelsea where Pochettino had a blank chequebook to work with, there's no magic wand for the Argentine to quickly eradicate the squad-building mess United have woefully constructed.
Pochettino's compatriot Lisandro Martinez criticised United's summer recruitment following a humbling defeat against Atletico Madrid and the defender placed the blame at the door of Jason Wilcox.
The club signed three central midfielders during the summer, and while it was an area of the pitch that needed to be addressed in light of Casemiro's exit, the decision to splash in excess of £150m on Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba meant glaring issues in the squad went unaddressed.
United were a Luke Shaw injury away from not having a recognised left-back (apologies to Harry Amass in this instance) and so when the inevitable happened, Carrick had to scramble around with makeshift solutions.
Despite the clear inadequacies of their central defenders, Carrick's back four remained untouched. Pochettino must find a way to ensure United's error-prone backline is more watertight, or he risks being doomed to fail from the beginning.
Pochettino is well versed in bringing stability to chaos clubs, and he's proven he can cope under intense scrutiny - although very few other places of work can adequately prepare you for the United spotlight.
For all of his coaching credibility, he remains a manager without having achieved silverware in England, but he returns to club management with something to prove.
Pochettino should offer the Red Devils a short-term kick, although it will be fascinating to see if his own blueprint can ensure medium to long-term success at Old Trafford.
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