Gary Lineker makes bleak prediction for Mauricio Pochettino’s fate at Man Utd – ‘I’ll be surprised’
Gary Lineker has explained why he cannot see Mauricio Pochettino lasting too long at Manchester United after succeeding Michael Carrick.
On Friday, Man Utd confirmed Pochettino’s appointment, with the respected head coach officially joining after this international break.
Pochettino faces a massive job at Man Utd, who sit in the Premier League relegation zone after winning only three of their first 15 matches this season.
He is a clear upgrade on Carrick, but he may be doomed to fail because Man Utd’s problems go far beyond the manager in the dugout.
And Lineker fears Pochettino could be gone after 18 months.
“I see Pochettino going in there, and I think they’ll probably get off to a reasonable start, and they’ll do okay for a while,” Lineker said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
READ: Pochettino the ‘bottle job’ doomed to fail at ‘unmanageable’ Manchester United
“I think for Pochettino, it’s a big club, Manchester United, big by name.
“He’ll go on there, and then he’ll be disappointed with the way things occur in the future, and if he’s still there in 18 months, I’ll be surprised.”
“If anything, they’re worse now…”
He continued: “Because again and again, it’s rinse and repeat; the scapegoat is always the coach, and you can see that. And I think the real problems are above the coach.
“These guys are all good coaches. You look at some of the names they’ve had in the last 10 years. What’s that, 12 coaches now who have gone since Alex Ferguson? And they all leave and they say the club’s a mess.
“There will always be coaches to blame, and they didn’t back Carrick properly in the summer. They didn’t.
“He performed brilliantly in the second half of last season. Admittedly, they weren’t in European football, and they were playing counter-attack stuff, but I don’t know how long the people at the top of Manchester United can get away with it. And ultimately, I think the fans know anyway.
“Obviously, there have been years and years of complaints and demonstrations against the Glazers, and obviously Ratcliffe hasn’t made any difference. If anything, they’re worse now.”
READ MORE: Manchester United under Pochettino will be ‘slow and painful’ – but Palmer can vouch for the results
Despite this, Pochettino indicated on Friday that he felt he had to take the Man Utd job.
“It’s difficult to talk now. I’m a very emotional guy. It’s a very sad decision,” Pochettino said.
“But we are professionals and we are trying to make our dreams come true.
“I never said I wanted to go back [to the Premier League] but they know there aren’t too many opportunities that happen in your career like Manchester United. When it arrives, it’s difficult to turn down.”
READ NEXT: Man Utd: Pochettino ‘powerless’ in ‘nest of vipers’ after replacing Carrick
