Fitness-obsessed and a 'control freak': what Man Utd can expect from Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino will take over as Manchester United manager at Old Trafford on 18 November, the club confirmed on Friday. BBC Sport spoke to Toby Alderweireld about what players and staff should expect when the Argentine arrives.

Alderweireld, who spent four years playing under Pochettino at Tottenham during a period that included a Champions League final appearance and a second-place finish in the Premier League, said the new United boss has a reputation for "brutal" pre-seasons, an obsession with fitness and a no-nonsense approach.

Alderweireld, 37, described Pochettino as demanding and clear about his expectations: "He is very approachable but you need to follow his plan. If you don't follow his plan, you go on the side and you're not coming back any more." He added: "You need to think about team, team, team. If you're thinking about yourself, you're gone."

On how Pochettino manages personalities and media, Alderweireld said: "He's straightforward, has his own ideas and maybe you agree with them or don't, that's up to you. But you need to follow him and I think that's something Manchester United need - a big character, everyone in the same direction, following the plan and if not, no problem, you can go. He's the main man." He also recalled Pochettino's team-building rhetoric: "He will create an environment like 'it's us against the world' - we are getting fit, we are together as a team. It doesn't matter what people say, let's work together and get results together."

Alderweireld stressed Pochettino's attention to detail: "At Spurs there was coaching staff but he will be there. He knows everything. If he's not there, he's looking at video and data. He knows everything about the players on and off the pitch - the players will be watched." He characterised that approach as positive control: "He is, in a positive way, a control freak because he says your body is your weapon and it needs to be ready to perform."

Manchester United have faced criticism this season for fitness levels, ranking "in the bottom five in the league for distance covered and most high-intensity runs," and Alderweireld said Pochettino's first demand is running and fitness. "First of all he made us very fit. Pre-season was brutal," he said, adding that Pochettino's preferred style — "on the front foot, putting people under pressure, a high line, very dynamic play" — requires the ability to perform frequent high-intensity runs.

Alderweireld described the daily intensity Pochettino imposes: "Every manager wants a good pre-season and time to give the players their ideas and the fitness. But the players are going to feel straight away that it's a different level. This is every day at the training ground, it's 100% - that's what he asks, what he demands. It will be a big difference for the players and they're going to see results there straight away." He pointed to a defining Spurs moment in the Champions League semi-final against Ajax: Pochettino did not give a tactical half-time talk but said, "you're going to be physical, you're going to fight, you only need one goal to be back in the game, believe that everything is possible" and recalled, "I remember the long ball to [Fernando] Llorente and just fighting and asking 'how badly do you want it?' It changed from that moment."

Pochettino will replace Michael Carrick and has signed a contract running until June 2029, taking charge of Manchester United from 18 November.