Mauricio Pochettino began his reign as PSG manager with a disappointing 1 – 1 draw away at Saint-Etienne.
After 13 months after being fired by Tottenham Hotspur, Mauricio Pochettino was named new PSG boss on Sunday.
He replaces the German Thomas Tuchel, who said he was going to leave at the end of the year. However after a disappointing start to the season, PSG decided to fire him.
Mauricio Pochettino spent 2 and a half years as a player in Paris in the 1990s. He made a fantastic impression there. On those terms, giving him the job makes sense.
However, it’s going to be tricky for him. Not only because of PSG’s tough start to the season, but because of the kind of coach he is.
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Pochettino is a cones and whistle, training ground type of coach. He enjoyed success at Southampton and Spurs by developing young players and instilling a collective attitude.
PSG is a completely different proposition. It’s glitz and glamour, it’s individualism and big egos. It’s Neymar and Mbappe.
Unai Emery and Thomas Tuchel before him both struggled to deal with Neymar and his entourage. Either the PSG squad will change Pochettino, or the squad will change him.
After his hugely successful Tottenham spell, Pochettino was in demand by all the top European clubs. He was only ever going to go to a giant. It is his first giant job though, and how he does will define his career.
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As an antidote to the glitz and glamour, the Argentine could work quite well. Pochettino played in Paris at a time when there was a bit of blood and thunder in the stadium. PSG are known for inviting Beyonce and Leonardo di Caprio to watch games. However, they invited the ultras back to the ground because they knew it missed that atmosphere.
If Mauricio Pochettino can combine their newfound opulence with the old school passion, PSG could be a force to be reckoned with.
