Man Utd sent grave Pochettino warning amid shock claim he’s too ‘smart’ to take Red Devils job

Manchester United have astonishingly been told that they will perform no better under Mauricio Pochettino than they would under Michael Carrick, with a big prediction on where they will finish this season – while one of the Argentine’s former players has revealed why his old boss is “too smart” to take on the Red Devils hotseat.

It’s all change at Old Trafford once again as the Red Devils prepare to dismiss Carrick just a matter of months after appointing him on a permanent basis. And with the international break presenting the struggling club with the perfect chance to make a change, United’s chief decision-makers have very quickly settled on the appointment of Pochettino as his successor.

With his appointment being ratified by the best of them all, Sir Alex Ferguson, we exclusively revealed on Wednesday morning how INEOS have seen their compensation bill ramp up to the £10.5m mark as they look to bring four of Pochettino’s most trusted backroom staff with him to Old Trafford.

However, despite widespread claims that a full agreement is on the brink of being finalised, one of Pochettino’s former players at Southampton, Dejan Lovren, has revealed that he thinks Pochettino could turn down the job and is “too smart” to take on the Red Devils job.

Lovren, who played under Pochettino for a season at Southampton in 2013/14, told Hajper: “I know Mauricio Pochettino really well, and I know what he likes, but I don’t see him at Man Utd.

“He’s quite smart and knows what’s going on around the club, and there is definitely a bigger issue than just changing the manager.

“Even with Michael Carrick, you feel there is something good in him, but there is a bigger issue. The foundations are not quite right.

“There is a period where things can go wrong, but now it’s getting out of hand for how many years Manchester United has not been at the top for such a big club.

“I believe they deserve and always need to be in the top four, but you don’t see it.”

While Lovren has expressed his doubts on the wisdom of the 54-year-old quitting his comfortable number as USMNT coach for Old Trafford, another former Premier League defender has explained why United will not fare any better under the Argentine than they would under Carick…

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Man Utd warned results won’t improve under Pochettino

That warning comes from ex-Liverpool and Chelsea man Glen Johnson, who feels United keep falling into the same traps: new manager bounce before slipping into their old ways.

Explaining why results will ultimately prove no different under Pochettino, Johnson told SeatPick: “I think any move Man Utd make for a new manager will be sideways because the club needs to sort itself out internally before the move forward on the pitch.

“They’ve had over 10 managers since Sir Alex Ferguson left, which for United is unheard of. They need to get themselves sorted from an organisational and business point of view before they can think of making any forward steps on the pitch.

“No new manager will be able to turn around Man Utd’s problems at the moment. They get it consistently wrong in the transfer market, they have problems internally in the dressing room, and I think the dust needs to settle before any progress is made.

“No manager in the world could walk into Man Utd could walk into that dressing room and do a better job than Michael Carrick.

“They won’t stay in the bottom three as the season progresses, but they won’t finish any higher than mid-table with how topsy turvy their performances on the pitch are. I think if they stick with Carrick, they’ll finish mid-table, and if they bring in Mauricio Pochettino, they’ll finish in mid-table. I don’t know why anyone would want that job right now.”

On what a reasonable target would be for this season, Johnson added: “It’s all about building for next season and securing the future of the club now for Man Utd.

“A new manager now may see them bounce back with some temporary form. But, long term, I don’t think it will be sustainable. They’ll end up falling back into their old ways if they don’t change things behind the scenes.”

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk exclusively revealed on Tuesday that the club’s PR and social teams are now preparing an emotional and sensitive exit message for the sacked Carrick.

Elsewhere, a report has revealed the three things that INEOS will task Pochettino with this season upon his appointment at Old Trafford.