Gary Neville warns Pochettino: do not accept the Manchester United job without this condition

Manchester United confirmed the departure of Michael Carrick as manager on Thursday, following the Red Devils' dismal start to the season. The club intend to appoint a permanent successor as soon as possible, with reports pointing to an agreement already struck with Argentine Mauricio Pochettino.

Currently in charge of the United States national team, the former Tottenham and Chelsea boss would cost United 7.5 million pounds to prise away, the fee required to terminate his contract.

Reports suggest United have already reached a verbal agreement with Pochettino to take the reins.

Gary Neville, though, has warned the Argentine against accepting the job unless officials can guarantee backing in the transfer market.

The United legend told "The Overlap" on the "Stick to Football" programme: "If I were Mauricio Pochettino right now, I would literally protect myself to the maximum extent possible."

He continued: "He will do it for a bonus. So, state that in your contract. But secondly, he needs two defenders next January."

"He has to insist on getting two defenders in January," he added. "He has to insist on getting a budget next summer, and he has to insist on getting a subsequent budget. They must give it to him, otherwise he should not accept the job."

"The worst defence in the Premier League"

Money has gone on the midfield, Neville argued, and now United have to land good defenders.

"I mean, look at the back four he finished the match with on Sunday, which consisted of Dalot at left-back, Noussair Mazraoui at right-back, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven," he said.

He didn't hold back: "This is probably the worst back four in the Premier League. I don't know of a worse back four than it in the Premier League currently if you watch the matches."

"I can't believe Manchester United ended up with this back four," he added.

Disastrous results for Manchester United

United slipped into the bottom three on Sunday after twice clawing back a two-goal deficit against Aston Villa.

That stretched their winless run to eight matches. Their only three points of the campaign came against Ipswich back in August.

A 4-1 hammering by Como and a 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth laid bare just how badly the season had unravelled.

Officials wanted Carrick gone after those two results but held off until this week's international break.

The delay carried a risk: United may now have to hand an interim manager the trip to face rivals Liverpool on 22 November.

Pochettino, meanwhile, is set to lead the United States in the home and away legs of the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against Haiti before making the move to Old Trafford, should the deal go through.

Written byAbobakr El Mokadem

Senior Editor

An Egyptian journalist since 2006. I initially specialized in covering local football, but over the years my interest expanded to global football, particularly the top five European leagues, with a special focus on La Liga and the Premier League.

Throughout these years, I combined field reporting with analytical work, and I became deeply involved in international football starting in 2017, when I joined Kooora.

At Kooora, I worked as a news editor, match analyst, translator, voice-over commentator, and video report producer, in addition to writing reports and articles, developing coverage plans for major events and key matches, and participating in their execution.

My passion for football began in 1990, during Egypt’s celebrations of qualifying for the Italy World Cup after a 56-year absence. I vividly remember the Egypt vs Netherlands match and Magdy Abdelghani’s historic equalizer.

On the global level, I became attached to Real Madrid at the start of the new millennium, following the great stars who wore its shirt, especially Zinedine Zidane, and later my favorite player Cristiano Ronaldo.

There are many unforgettable moments, but I would highlight Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Real Madrid in 2009 as the most important, as my favorite player joined the club I support in Europe.

Currently, I specialize in desk editing, translating international news and reports, proposing coverage ideas, and writing SEO-optimized content.

My all-time favorite lineup includes Gianluigi Buffon in goal; Cafu, Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini, and Roberto Carlos in defense; Zinedine Zidane, Andrés Iniesta, Diego Maradona, and Pelé in midfield; and in attack Ronaldo Nazário, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Among the reports and analyses I published on Kooora:

– After Deco and Scaloni’s statements… Is Messi’s era over?

– A golden hour gives Real Madrid hope to overcome Barcelona

– Kooora Report: Unsung heroes who shaped the greatness of the Champions League

– Kooora Story: Real Madrid defeats “itself” and wins a historic title

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