Give a manager unlimited funds on top of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi, and you expect them to implement an unstoppable side. Yet, PSG have looked anything but unstoppable under Mauricio Pochettino.
The former Tottenham Hotspur boss was given all of the tools to succeed. So what’s gone wrong? The entire tenure has a taint of unfulfilled potential about it, and perhaps even regret, with the man he replaced, Thomas Tuchel, achieving Champions League glory not long after his departure.
Now, having seen his side kicked out of the French Cup, Pochettino’s time in the French capital is set to come to an end in the summer. According to Hadrien Grenier, PSG have informed the Argentinian that his stint in the technical area will come to and end at the season’s conclusion.
PSG Stint Could Have Permanently Tainted Managerial Reputation of Mauricio Pochettino
Finally at a Big Club, Pochettino Has Failed to Deliver
It was at Southampton when the Mauricio Pochettino fan club really began to grow. The likes of Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Jay Rodriguez lit up the Premier League as their new manager introduced himself to English football. And then the Spurs job came calling; the next rung in the managerial ladder to the top.
It was in North London, too, that he very nearly ascended to the mountain’s peak. It was also there, however, that he became a nearly man. Every time his side reached the last hurdle, they’d simply fall flat on their faces – whether that be in the ‘Battle of the Bridge’ or Madrid 2019.
Pochettino’s time at Spurs far from harmed his reputation, though. The near misses were simply put down to ‘the history of the Tottenham’. Or, at least, that’s what Giorgio Chiellini famously stated in 2019 after Juventus came from behind to send Spurs packing.
Instead, Pochettino’s reputation was enhanced at Spurs. So much so, that PSG came calling, and, with that, the chance to finally win some silverware. Just months later, however, it was not those in the capital lifting the title. It was, in some underdog story for the ages, a Lille side with the equivalent spending power of Newcastle United under Mike Ashley. And that’s where worries would have began to creep in.
What Now?
If the rumours are true, Pochettino will be looking for a job come the end of the season. But, the question must be asked, who would dare take a manager that failed to get the best out of a side that includes Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar? Surely, if he can’t get the best out of some of the best football has to offer, he will not be able to get simply an average performance out of those at levels below.
This may be harsh on Pochettino, as the blame should lie with the player, but surely it is a concern when even Messi fails in the system implemented. This is arguably the greatest football player of all time; a six time Ballon D’or winner. But, also the man that has managed just one league goal all season.
Such is the hesitance to criticise one of football’s gods, too, Pochettino naturally receives the blame. And, where he goes from here is anyone’s guess. One certainty is that his time at PSG has done nothing but harm his previously unscratched managerial reputation.
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