Mauricio Pochettino faces an uphill activity with PSG after getting back from sabbatical

Just a yr after being proven the door at Tottenham Hotspur, Mauricio Pochettino is again within the mixture of issues after Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain introduced his appointment as the top coach of the membership on Saturday.
Joining his former membership the place he had spent two-and-a-half seasons as a participant between 2001 and 2003, the Argentine will probably be tasked with what his predecessor, Thomas Tuchel, failed to attain — convey the elusive UEFA Champions League trophy to Parc des Princes for the primary time within the membership’s 50-year existence. Keeping that in thoughts, Pochettino instantly vowed “to win with style”.
“PSG are one of the biggest clubs in the world, so it’s not only important to win but to win with style,” the 48-year-old instructed the membership’s web site after filling within the void that Tuchel’s abrupt sacking on December 24 had left. “I return to the club with a lot of ambition and humility… and will do my utmost to give our team the combative and attacking playing identity that Parisian fans have always loved.”
So what’s the precise place that Pochettino finds himself in?
Owing to a lacklustre begin to the season, PSG are at the moment in an unprecedented third place in Ligue 1 with 35 factors from 17 matches. The Parisians are nonetheless only a level off the highest spot however it’s their worst return at this stage for the reason that 2013/14 season. Having misplaced 4 occasions within the league this season, they’ve already misplaced extra matches than in the entire of the final marketing campaign.
In Europe, Pochettino can have the duty of plotting the downfall of Barcelona in a UEFA Champions League last-16 tie at Camp Nou on February 16, with the return leg on March 6. Considering his feat of main Tottenham Hotspur to their first-ever look within the competitors’s last, PSG might be mentioned to be in trusted arms.
Mauricio Pochettino performed as a defender for PSG throughout his taking part in profession. (Twitter/@PSG_English)
Before spending the final yr avoiding managerial rumours, indulging in punditry, and holding Zoom conferences with Argentine coaches, Pochettino saved himself busy with the job of reworking Tottenham Hotspur right into a power to be reckoned with. During his five-and-a-half-year keep in London, he led the membership to 2 Premier League title races and turned it right into a UEFA Champions League common.
Prior to all the popularity, Pochettino’s story of ascension started again in 2009 when he was appointed because the supervisor of La Liga facet Espanyol, the place he as soon as used to play as a hard-tackling defender underneath the steerage of Marcelo Bielsa.
Over the years, he has fine-tuned his Bielsa-inspired ideas — utilizing a diamond within the defensive third whereas having possession and instructing his entrance 4 to stay slim in the course of the off-the-ball urgent. He additionally successfully makes use of his fullbacks to change play very often to create extra angles to progress the ball additional up the pitch. With the expertise obtainable to him at PSG, he’ll most definitely profit from it in his most well-liked 4-2-3-1 system.
Apart from having world-class forwards in Neymar and Kylian Mbappe and an environment friendly midfield operator in Marco Verratti, he can have underneath his wing a number of compatriots to depend on resembling Mauro Icardi, Angel Di Maria, and Leandro Paredes. Adding to that, the presence of ball-playing defenders like Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe will assist Pochettino to stay to his typical buildup course of.
READ | Bayern attain zenith, Liverpool finish drought within the time of coronavirus
With the switch window open, he will even be eager to herald new faces like Inter Milan playmaker Christian Eriksen and even Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli. Whether or not Pochettino will use his Argentine ties to herald six-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi on the finish of the continued season stays to be seen.
The son of a farmer from the agricultural village of Murphy, Pochettino is a stickler for element, which coupled together with his tactical acumen, devotion to a gorgeous model, man-management abilities, and recognition amongst the Parisians from his taking part in days, makes him a probably splendid match as the brand new occupant of the PSG dugout.
Now, Pochettino is because of meet together with his squad at PSG’s first post-Christmas coaching session on Sunday forward of their journey to Saint-Etienne on Wednesday. Then, PSG host Brest subsequent Saturday earlier than the Trophee des Champions towards Marseille on January 13. Can he settle in earlier than the flurry of matches? Only time will inform.