Man Utd Star Harry Maguire Already In Trouble Under Pochettino

Former Manchester United midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, who worked under Mauricio Pochettino, believes Harry Maguire could be in a spot of bother. Pochettino is expected to take the mantle at Old Trafford, with Michael Carrick set to be sacked and the current USMNT boss already in line to take over.

Pochettino has a $10million release clause in his US Soccer contract, but United appear willing to pay it to finally appoint a manager with serious Premier League experience.

There will be excitement aplenty surrounding the arrival of ‘Poch’, as he is affectionately known, but there will be some players at Old Trafford sitting nervously as they ponder what the arrival of the former Spurs boss could mean for them.

Former United midfielder Schneiderlin, who was part of Pochettino’s successful Southampton side back in the day, has offered some interesting insight on that front.

“First, Mauricio Pochettino will need to adapt to the players he has until January,” he told the Metro. “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.”

Discussing the defenders and who could be in trouble, Schneiderlin suggested Maguire could be vulnerable. He added: “With Lisandro Martínez, I think he can manage it in a way because he’s more aggressive and has good positioning.

“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.”

REUTERS/Jon Super

Maguire, who is now earning around £120,000-a-week after taking a pay cut in his new deal, may have hit work cut out to land a starting spot, but he may have a chance while the personnel at Old Trafford is in its current state. Lisandro Martinez has not played particularly well this season, although it’s true he is likely to find an ally in fellow Argentine Pochettino.

Elsewhere, Leny Yoro is a more youthful option who is going to have to prove his consistency. United undoubtedly need more depth at the back, and until they get it, there is every chance Maguire will still get regular minutes regardless of who the manager is.

The question is whether he can deal with a more progressive style of play, and whether we start to see mistakes when he is being asked to make brave decisions on the ball at the back.

Then again, Maguire is far from an old-fashioned defender, for lack of a better term. He made his true breakthrough under Brendan Rodgers at Leicester City, who employed a forward-thinking style of football at the time, and one of his strengths is stepping into the midfield with the ball. The questions may come, as Schneiderlin points out, with defending in a high line and recovering quickly when the high line is beaten.