Pochettino must learn from Carrick's biggest flaw to turn around Man Utd

One of the good things Michael Carrick did during his time as Manchester United manager - and he did a few - was to disband the leadership group that had been formed by Ruben Amorim.

Quite how he had found six leaders in the squad in the first place was anybody’s guess, but Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Lisandro Martinez and Tom Heaton formed a leadership group under Amorim. Carrick put an end to it. And the subsequent antics of some of those members showed it was a sound move.

But what Carrick should have put in its place was another leadership group. A leadership group of ONE. The manager.

Carrick had his moments. He was decisive. He sanctioned Martinez and Fernandes for what he clearly saw as ill-advised comments. He was not afraid to make contentious selection decisions. But it is hard not to wonder if Carrick was too protective of his players when things began to go badly awry.

And it is hard not to wonder if Carrick was too indulgent with his players after they had served him well in his 17 matches last season.

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They performed excellently for Carrick but returned for the start of this campaign - what should have been the manager’s first full one at the helm - looking complacent and not fully fit. There was little snap in the tackle, little aggression in duels, little urgency in ball retrieval.

Carrick should have been furious with complacency that was a product of doing decently for half a season and a product of the mentality that appears to have undermined so many United playing careers in recent times. You have signed for United, you have made it - the hardest of yards are no longer needed.

It is a mentality that every manager since Sir Alex Ferguson has had to fight against. To a man, to varying degrees, every manager has lost that fight.

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Perhaps Mauricio Pochettino has the spirit and the single-mindedness to win it. Perhaps he has the ruthlessness to win it. Perhaps he has the nasty streak to win it. He comes across as a charming character, a nice guy, personable and compassionate.

But let’s face it, he’s an old school Argentinian centre-half. And that’s what he needs to be at heart when he takes over at Old Trafford. No prisoners, no mercy. No treading lightly.

This is a United squad that needs home truths. The captain needs home truths - stop the histrionics and knuckle down. The coasting midfield needs home truths - get fitter and run yourselves into the ground. A whole raft of under-performing players need home truths - signing for United is when the hard work should start.

The people who are employing Pochettino need home truths - the defence is not fit for purpose and needs rebuilding with big money as soon as possible.

You could go on and on. Pochettino will, no doubt, be enthusiastic and diplomatic on his arrival. He will pay tribute to the job Carrick has done, as he should. After all, Carrick has left him a squad in the Champions League.

And he will tell the media that he is looking forward to working with the owners and others upstairs. But after that there can be no more Mr Nice Guy.

He has spent the last couple of years in the United States. He knows what hardball is. He needs to play it.