Manchester United’s senior playing squad has delivered a mixed and divided reaction following the executive board’s decision to appoint Mauricio Pochettino as head coach, with internal reports from Carrington revealing that key dressing room figures had privately backed an alternative candidate to replace the outgoing Michael Carrick.

The managerial transition follows a decisive summit in Monaco where INEOS co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada, and technical director Jason Wilcox finalized Carrick's departure after a dismal domestic run left the Red Devils 18th in the Premier League table.

While senior leaders within the squad respect Pochettino’s extensive European credentials and past Premier League experience with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, a significant faction of the dressing room was hoping for a different tactical direction.

Internal sources suggest that several influential players favored bringing back former interim manager and club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, believing his intimate knowledge of Old Trafford's environment and previous successful spell as caretaker would deliver immediate emotional stability during a critical relegation battle.

The preference for Van Nistelrooy stemmed from the desire for an immediate, culturally aligned motivator who understood the pressure of the environment without requiring a prolonged adaptation period.

However, INEOS leadership chose to overrule player sentiment, prioritizing Pochettino’s proven track record of building high-intensity pressing structures and managing elite-level squads across prolonged Premier League campaigns.

Despite initial reservations regarding the board's choice, Manchester United’s squad members have pledged full professional commitment to the incoming Argentine manager as he takes charge during the November international break.

With the Red Devils sitting in the bottom three after picking up just one win in ten matches, players acknowledge that personal managerial preferences must be set aside to focus entirely on collective pitch recovery.

Pochettino now enters Carrington facing a delicate balancing act—he must quickly win over a divided dressing room while installing his tactical demands ahead of a daunting debut against arch-rivals Liverpool at Anfield.

How quickly the new manager unifies the squad will ultimately determine whether Manchester United can climb out of the relegation zone and salvage their turbulent 2026/27 campaign.

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https://www.football365.com/news/man-utd-squad-react-pochettino-appointment-reveal-alternative-want-replace-carrick