How will struggling Man Utd line up under new boss Pochettino?

The Argentine, who has agreed to take over at Old Trafford, has been briefed to stabilise a side that has looked directionless and to begin restoring an identity at Old Trafford. His first game is a brutal trip to Anfield against Liverpool.

Pochettino’s preferred style has long centred on a fluid 4-2-3-1, with an emphasis on playing out from the back and creating overloads in the final third.

Central to that approach is the role of the full-backs. At Tottenham, PSG and Chelsea, he demanded they push high and wide, providing the team’s primary width while the wide attackers inverted or drifted inside.

That requirement immediately raises questions about Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot.

Shaw, once a natural fit for the system during his early Southampton days under Pochettino, has spent recent seasons plagued by fitness issues and has rarely shown the consistent ability to bomb forward and recover at the required intensity.

Dalot has been more durable but has often looked one-dimensional or error-prone when asked to play as an aggressive overlapping full-back.

Neither has regularly produced the high-volume attacking output Pochettino expects.

As a result, Patrick Dorgu is being widely tipped as a potential starter on the left, offering greater athleticism even if his defensive reading remains a work in progress. On the right, Dalot is still likely to keep his place in the short term simply because of limited alternatives.

Pochettino is pragmatic enough to ease the squad into his methods rather than force an overnight high-press revolution, but United fans must be patient and willing to let the former Spurs boss work.