Lineker 'surprised if Pochettino lasts 18 months' as United's deep problems laid bare

Gary Lineker says he would be surprised if Mauricio Pochettino is still in charge at Manchester United in 18 months, pointing to a cycle of managerial scapegoating that has seen 12 coaches come and go since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

Pochettino has been appointed as Michael Carrick’s replacement, arriving at Old Trafford after spells at PSG, Chelsea and the United States national team. The Argentine was first seriously linked with the United job back in 2018, when his work at Tottenham put him in contention to succeed José Mourinho. He arrives now to a club sitting in the Premier League relegation zone with just one win in ten league games.

“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,” Lineker said on The Rest Is Football podcast. “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 was unsparing in his assessment of where the real fault lines lie. “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. These guys are all good coaches. You look at some of the names they’ve had in the last 10 years. What’s that, 12 coaches now who have gone since Alex Ferguson? And they all leave and they say the club’s a mess.”

Both Carrick and Rúben Amorím, the two most recent occupants of the dugout, failed to reach 18 months in the role — a pattern that lends weight to Lineker’s concern.

Pochettino himself was visibly emotional when confirming his departure from the United States job. “It’s difficult to talk now,” he said. “I’m a very emotional guy. It’s a very sad decision. But we are professionals and we are trying to make our dreams come true.”

The scale of the rebuild facing him is significant. United’s defence has been neglected across multiple transfer windows and is widely regarded as requiring urgent reinforcement. Bruno Fernandes, last season’s PFA Player of the Year, has rejected the offer of a new contract, while the club’s primary striker Benjamin Sesko remains sidelined through injury.