Next Man United manager: Neville urges Pochettino to demand three guarantees before taking the job

Michael Carrick’s departure from the Manchester United dugout, announced on Thursday morning, has paved the way for the possible arrival of Mauricio Pochettino at Old Trafford. With the club 18th in the Premier League, inside the relegation zone, Manchester United are looking for a change of direction to try to avoid an even more complicated situation this season.

Faced with the possibility of taking over the team, however, the Argentine has received a warning from Gary Neville: do not accept the challenge without concrete guarantees from the board.

The former defender believes Pochettino needs to protect himself before taking the job, particularly given the limitations of the squad and the need for an overhaul. For Neville, INEOS must present a clear commitment to the sporting project, both with regard to immediate signings and planned investment for next season.

Appearing on The Overlap, the Sky Sports pundit pointed to three demands he considers fundamental for the manager: a significant compensation clause in case of dismissal, the signing of two centre-backs in the January window, and a guarantee of a minimum budget to strengthen the squad next summer.

Neville demands signings and financial guarantees for Pochettino

Neville’s first concern relates to the Argentine’s job security.

Pochettino would arrive at Manchester United at a time of deep instability, with the team in a delicate position in the table and under pressure for results. The former player therefore argues that the manager should negotiate significant financial compensation if the club’s executives decide to end his work earlier than planned.

‘If I were Mauricio Pochettino right now, I would be protecting myself with everything I have. He will do that through compensation, so put that in your contract. But secondly, he needs two centre-backs in January.’

The need to reinforce the defensive system, in fact, was one of the points most emphasised by the former Manchester United captain.

Neville believes the area has shortcomings incompatible with the ambitions of a club that wants to return to competing for important positions in the Premier League. In his assessment, Pochettino cannot be held responsible for negative results without being given the conditions to fix the problems found in the squad.

The pundit also highlighted the importance of establishing financial planning in advance for the mid-year transfer window. Signing two defenders in January would therefore not be enough: the Argentine would need to be certain he will receive sufficient resources to continue the overhaul in the following months.

‘So he needs to insist on a minimum budget for next summer’s transfers, so that we can turn this situation around. He needs to insist on receiving a budget that matches his proposal. They have to give him that budget, otherwise he should not accept the job.’

Neville concerned by Manchester United back line

To justify the urgency of changes, Neville pointed to the defensive line-up used by Manchester United in their most recent match: the 4-4 draw against Aston Villa. The former player drew attention to the combination of Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, which finished the match as the team’s back four.

In the pundit’s view, the set-up shows the lack of reliable options and the need for investment in the area. The presence of improvised players or players used out of their usual roles also helps gauge the challenge Pochettino will face if he takes charge of Manchester United.

‘I mean, look at the back four he finished with on Sunday: Dalot at left-back, Mazraoui at right-back, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven. That is probably the worst back four in the Premier League.’

Neville was even more emphatic in showing his disbelief at the state of the squad. For him, it is difficult to find another top-flight team that has finished a match with such a weakened defensive structure.

‘I do not know of any worse back four than that in the Premier League at the moment, if I am watching the games. It is unbelievable that Manchester United finished the game with that back four.’