Gary Lineker has said he would be 'surprised' to see Mauricio Pochettino remain in charge of Manchester United for more than 18 months, arguing that the club's problems lie above the coach.
Pochettino has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal to replace Michael Carrick at Old Trafford, with his first match set to be away to Liverpool on Sunday 22 November. The Argentine will take charge after his final two games with the United States national team and is expected to deliver an immediate improvement in results.
United are 18th in the Premier League table and have not won in their last eight league matches, a run dating back to late August.
Lineker's warning on Old Trafford cycle
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker said he expects Pochettino to make a solid start but doubts he will succeed long term. '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,' he said.
'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.'
Lineker added: '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.'
Criticism of club leadership
The former England striker noted that United have gone through around 12 coaches since Alex Ferguson left, with each departing manager describing the club as 'a mess'. He also said the club failed to back Carrick properly in the summer, despite his strong second half of last season.
'There will always be coaches to blame, and they didn't back Carrick properly in the summer. They didn't,' Lineker said.
'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.'
Lineker also criticised the club's ownership, saying: '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.'
Pochettino's emotional farewell
At a press conference on Friday, Pochettino was in tears when asked why he took the United job after signing a new four-year contract with the United States Soccer Federation in August. 'It's difficult to talk now. I'm a very emotional guy. It's a very sad decision,' he 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.'
