Mauricio Pochettino tipped to axe £80million Manchester United star | Football

Mauricio Pochettino has been tipped to wield the axe as and when he becomes Manchester United head coach by one his former players, Morgan Schneiderlin.

The former France international cut his teeth in the Premier League as part of a Southampton side that prospered during Pochettino’s time on the south coast.

United are expected to part company with Michael Carrick on Thursday and will move swiftly to hire the 54-year-old who is currently employed by US Soccer.

Pochettino is likely to be at the helm after the international break and take charge of his first game on November 22 when the Red Devils head to Anfield.

A catastrophic start to the season has resulted in United dropping into the relegation zone and Schneiderlin, who spent two years as a player at Old Trafford, expects his old boss to ring the changes, particularly in defence.

United have conceded 19 times already this term with only bottom of the table Crystal Palace and newly promoted Ipswich hemorrhaging more.

With Pochettino favouring a high defensive line, Schneiderlin fears that spell curtains for the long-serving Harry Maguire who has been a fixture at the heart ofUnited’s defence under Carrick.

He told ComeOn: ;First, Mauricio Pochettino will need to adapt to the players he has until January.

‘And then after that, yes, I think he will need legs if he sees in training sessions that certain players don’t have the legs to do it.

‘I think my only question mark is maybe the defensive line. That’s an area that can improve, because in my time, Mauricio always played with a very high line. He demands a lot of running to show for the ball from the goalkeeper.

‘When the opposition plays long, he wants the defensive line stepping up very quickly to the halfway line, and you need serious legs for that.

‘He’s not a manager who likes to sit back and defend deep in his own defensive third, but in midfield with players like Baleba and Mainoo, I’m sure they will shine under him.

‘With Lisandro Martínez, I think he can manage it in a way because he’s more aggressive and has good positioning.

‘With Harry Maguire, you can see his best games are when he defends a bit deeper, when he defends the box and has everything in front of him. Defending big spaces is going to be harder for him. But again, maybe Pochettino finds a way to use him and make him important.

‘But yes, Lisandro Martínez, Leny Yoro, and the other guys, I think they have a real chance to make an impact, because that aggressive style is much more their game.’

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