Man Utd: Gary Neville tells Pochettino to make THREE demands amid instant threat of INEOS sack

Mauricio Pochettino has been warned to cover his back completely if he becomes the next Manchester United manager, following the sacking of Michael Carrick, while also making three demands to INEOS to safeguard himself against early dismissal at Old Trafford.

Carrick was officially shown the door on Thursday, having overseen a run of just one win in United’s last 10 games in all competitions, with the Red Devils currently sitting in the Premier League relegation zone.

Man Utd released a 142-word statement as they bid farewell to their former midfielder, with the focus now very much on who will replace him at Old Trafford.

As TEAMtalk revealed earlier in the week, former Tottenham boss Pochettino is the firm favourite to take the reins at United and even has his four-man backroom team already lined up.

But with Carrick becoming the latest manager to fail in the post Sir Alex Ferguson era, along with the continued demonstrations against the Glazer family ownership and INEOS’ failure to improve on-field performance, Neville has fired a warning to Pochettino.

“If I was Mauricio Pochettino now, I would be literally protecting myself up to the high heaven,” he said on The Overlap podcast.

“He’ll do that with a pay-off. So do that in your contract.”

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Meanwhile, Neville has advised the current USA head coach, who Fabrizio Romano has revealed is on the brink of taking the Old Trafford job, that he needs to make signing demands for January and beyond if he is to have success where others have failed.

The United legend added: “Secondly, he [Pochettino] needs two defenders in January. So he’s got to insist that he gets two defenders in January.

“He’s got to insist that he gets a minimum budget next summer for the transfer we’re not to be able to turn this around. He’s got to insist that he gets a budget that follows.

‘They have to give it to him or else he shouldn’t take the job.”

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Expanding further, the former United right back didn’t hold back in his criticism of the current defensive options at the club.

“I mean look the back four that he finished with on Sunday was [Diogo] Dalot left back, [Noussair] Mazraoui right back, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven,’ he said.

“That is probably the worst back four in the Premier League.

“I don’t know a back four that is worse than that in the Premier League right now if I watch it. That is why I can’t believe Manchester United have ended up with that back four.”