MANCHESTER, Nov. 13 -- he is expected to finish two matches with the United States before taking over a club whose next league assignment is Liverpool away.

Sky Sports reported on Friday that the two sides had agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal, with Pochettino due to fly to Manchester on Wednesday and take training on Thursday. That would leave three training days before the November 22 match at Anfield.

The timetable matters as much as the contract. United have dismissed Michael Carrick with one win in 10 Premier League matches and a place in the relegation zone. Their proposed replacement would arrive with little time to work on the recurring defensive failures that survived the team's recent comebacks.

The agreement is not yet the s...