Pochettino's Early Picks Revealed: The Seven Man Utd Stars Already Winning Over Their New Boss

According to recent reports, Mauricio Pochettino has already mentally assembled more than half of his ideal starting lineup at Manchester United before even setting foot on the training ground.

The departing U.S. men's national team head coach still has a Nations League two-game series against Haiti to oversee, but his attention must inevitably begin drifting toward the challenge that awaits him in Manchester.

Pochettino officially takes charge on Wednesday, Nov. 18, leaving him just four days to prepare for the following Sunday's away fixture at Liverpool's intimidating Anfield stadium. With so little time to familiarize himself with his new squad, it's entirely natural for the Argentine to lean on his existing impressions of these players.

Marcus Rashford is highlighted as a player Pochettino has "always loved," according to The Telegraph. The same report identifies club captain Bruno Fernandes, midfielders Kobbie Mainoo and Carlos Baleba, along with wide options Amad Diallo, Patrick Dorgu and Luke Shaw as the players likely to enjoy favor under the new manager.

The main complication for Pochettino is that Rashford, Baleba and Shaw are all currently sidelined with injuries. There is optimism that the English pair could return before the international break concludes, but the seriousness of the hamstring injury Baleba sustained during the thrilling win over Roma appears to have pushed back his debut under Pochettino.

Fernandes is a particularly interesting choice to back. During United's search for a new manager, several reports suggested that some candidates were deterred by the dressing room's troublesome reputation. As captain, Fernandes hardly demonstrated strong leadership when he openly criticized Michael Carrick's tactical approach against Como.

The Portuguese midfielder objected to Carrick's instruction to avoid pressing—and proceeded to press aggressively on his own, to the overall detriment of the team. Pochettino has built his name on an intense, high-energy style rooted in pressing, which may align well with Fernandes's instincts.

Fitness and stamina were recurring concerns when Ruben Amorim assessed Mainoo, but Pochettino has reportedly been willing to overlook any physical shortcomings and instead focus on the academy product's exceptional composure in possession.

How swiftly Pochettino can implement an organized defensive pressing system remains uncertain, but one of his other core principles should prove simpler to introduce: attacking fullbacks. From his time at Southampton—when Shaw was at his peak—through stints at Tottenham Hotspur, Paris Saint-Germain and the U.S., Pochettino has consistently deployed his wide defenders as additional attacking threats.

Dorgu could prove vital to this approach on the left flank given his exceptional athleticism and natural attacking tendencies. Given Shaw's notable drop-off in that department, he may even be redeployed as a center back under Pochettino, tucking in behind Dorgu.

Gary Neville Sends Warning to Man Utd Players About Pochettino Approach

Pochettino may have some early favorites but he will have no hesitation singling out those he would rather do without, according to Manchester United legend Gary Neville.

"I actually remember going to see him at Tottenham in his very early days," the eight-time Premier League champion told Sky Sports News. "He had a whiteboard in front of him in his office with all the players' names on little markers and he actually moved a group of players over to the left-hand side of the board and said: 'These are the ones I know I need to get rid of. These are the ones I know I can work with and build around.'

"He's got to identify that very quickly at United and I'm sure he will do that. He's more experienced now than he was when he was at Tottenham."

Pinpointing the squad's surplus players is one thing, but actually moving those unwanted individuals on is an entirely different challenge.

"He's got a big job to do in exiting players," Neville warned. "Manchester United have been really poor at exiting players over the last 10 years. They've not done it very well at all."

Since the summer of 2016—the first occasion United approached Pochettino, somewhat ironically—the Red Devils have invested approximately $2.1 billion in player acquisitions, a total exceeded only by the heavily backed duo of Chelsea and Manchester City in the Premier League. Yet over that same period, United have generated just $605 million through player sales, ranking 13th in the division for transfer income.