Even amid Manchester United’s repeated forays into the abyss during the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, muscle memory has kicked in regularly during domestic and continental cup competitions.

The Red Devils have reached nine cup finals over the past decade—excluding the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup—despite some truly miserable stretches. Ruben Amorim, Erik ten Hag and Ole Gunnar Solskjær all competed for silverware and in some cases lifted trophies.

While this current iteration of United appears very far from adding to the club’s well-stocked trophy cabinet, winning major titles will be the ultimate objective for new manager Mauricio Pochettino, who has finally moved to Old Trafford after a 10-year flirtation period.

Expectations will be tempered upon arrival considering the abject position United find themselves in currently, but, sooner or later, the onus will be on Pochettino to guide the club back to its perch—and that inevitably requires more deep runs in cup competitions.

Unfortunately for United, their new appointment’s record on such occasions makes for grim viewing.

How Has Pochettino Fared in Cup Finals?

Pochettino has earned renown for his man-management ability and tactical acumen during an impressive coaching career, but those skills have seldom translated to trophies. The 54-year-old has won just three pieces of silverware as a manager, all of which came during his time at Paris Saint-Germain—where trophies are never in short supply, no matter who’s in charge.

The Trophées des Champions—the French super cup—was his first triumph as PSG beat rivals Marseille 2–1 in the 2020 edition (actually played in 2021 due to Covid-19). Despite Pochettino inexplicably surrendering the Ligue 1 title to Lille later that season, the Argentine did at least enjoy success in the Coupe de France final, too, where PSG beat Monaco in front of an empty stadium.

Eventually, Pochettino got his hands on the Ligue 1 title the following season, shortly before his departure from Paris, but he was beaten by Lille in the Trophées des Champions match earlier in the campaign—the third of five cup final defeats in his career to date.

The first two losses were considerably more agonizing. Pochettino was heralded—and rightly so—for transforming Tottenham Hotspur into a serious force, led by the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen, but silverware still eluded him come his eventual dismissal in November 2019.

As Spurs chased their first trophy in seven years during the 2014–15 League Cup final, Pochettino and his players fell short at the hands of bitter London foes Chelsea, who were 2–0 winners under future Tottenham and United boss José Mourinho. Things would prove even more painful four years later, however, as Tottenham defied the odds to reach their first-ever Champions League final.

Pochettino, with the help of the inspired Lucas Moura, had conjured a magical turnaround in the semifinal against Ajax, but they were unable to produce any sorcery in the showpiece event as they sank to a 2–0 defeat to Liverpool. A teary-eyed Pochettino had suffered the biggest disappointment of his managerial career.

Liverpool were again the architects of Pochettino’s misery in 2024, this time while the South American was managing Chelsea. During his sole season at Stamford Bridge, he helped the Blues to the League Cup final, but Virgil van Dijk’s 118th-minute winner at Wembley resulted in heartbreak.

And Pochettino’s most recent appearance in a final ended in similar frustration. After diving into international management, he propeled the United States men’s national team to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup final against arch-rivals Mexico, but an early goal from Chris Richards proved immaterial as El Tri came from behind to claim a 2–1 victory.

That’s seven finals for Pochettino, yet only two triumphs. A warning for United, perhaps.