Skip to main content

Mauricio Pochettino - The Final Piece in PSG's Champions League Puzzle?

PSG is a unique football club. With a value of over £700 million and its Qatar ownership spending a combined $1.7 billion on players since 2011, it's no secret that they're one of the powerhouses of Europe and the undisputed Kings of France's Ligue 1. However, despite their many accolades and the acquisition of one of the most frightening attacking forces on the planet, the Champions League trophy still eludes them. Now, the blame for this could point in many directions, but such is football tradition, PSG ownership pointed their finger at the manager, leading to the shock dismissal of Thomas Tuchel. However, with the recent hiring of Mauricio Pochettino, have PSG finally got the chance to capture European glory?

On the surface, the answer is clear. Yes. Mauricio Pochettino has already proven that he is a great manager who has the ability to manage world-class talent and reach big cup finals. In fact, just before his premature sacking at Tottenham Hotspur in 2019, Pochettino led them to a 4th place Premier League finish and surprise visit in the Champions League Final, where they fell to a seemingly unbeatable Liverpool side. History has shown that the combination of a world-class squad and a great manager is more than enough for Champions League success. However, Pochettino's triumph's as a manager are stained by one key fact: he still hasn't won anything! In his 10 year stint as a manager, he is yet to win any silverware and is something he will be wanting to change at PSG, but will ownership give him the time to do so? 

To me, this looks like a very one-sided deal. It is very clear that winning another Ligue 1 title is just not good enough for PSG ownership and won't be satisfied without the Champions League trophy in their expanding cabinet. In my opinion, Pochettino is not the man to lead this charge. Not only is he trophyless as a manager but also is not accustomed to this winning role. At all his former clubs, his job has been to bring the club up to a sustainable winning strategy in league play whilst also competing in domestic trophies and European tournaments. This is not the role that PSG are wanting to fulfil as they require a manager with a winning background that doesn't just get them close to the Champions League Final but wins them one. In simpler terms, PSG has hired a developmental manager rather than a winning one and it is a harsh reality they will have to face when sat on their Ligue 1 throne, watching other European giants lift the most prestigious cup in club football.

So in conclusion, this is a great result for Pochettino. Not only is he guaranteed a Ligue 1 title, but will not have to fight for domestic trophies or Champions League places. For PSG, this is the exact thing they are trying to get away from and instead, they need to pursue a progressive manager who's ambition of European domination matches their own.     




Labels:

Comments

  1. Godderzz99January 5, 2021 at 10:46 AM

    Very interesting point of view!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Stevo 57January 5, 2021 at 2:39 PM

    I like him as a manager but there are question marks as you say, I hope we get to see these games to find out.

    Let’s hope so !

    Great work Bridge

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Athlete's Wages - The Price WE Pay For World-Class Sport

In 2014, Michael Jordan became the first billionaire athlete with his combined assets reaching an estimated $1.9 billion. Since then, athletes such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods and Michael Schumacher have all joined the billionaire club as a reward for their decades of hard work and sacrifice to become some of the greatest sportsmen of all time. However, no matter what year you choose, the world always seems to be in some sort of economic crisis  and every day people lose their livelihoods so that people further up the food chain can live a little more lavishly. Professional athletes are treated like gods whilst the mortals within the general public continue their daily struggle to make ends meet. The worst part? The deeper you dig, the more outrageous this illusion becomes. Let's start with some infamous salaries from this year alone (before endorsements and sponsorship):   NBA: Average Salary - $7 million           Highest Paid - Stephen C...
2 comments
Read more

"Pistol Pete" Maravich - The Most Underrated NBA Legend of All Time

When people talk about inventors that were ahead of their time, some might say Leonardo Da Vinci, Plato, or Hero of Alexandria. But if you ever want to find a man that was born into the wrong era, look no further than "Pistol Pete" Maravich.  Now, I'll admit, Pete Maravich isn't exactly a household name in today's NBA and I doubt you'll find him on any all-time lists. However, in the basketball world, there are two main things that Maravich is known for:  1. Having very bad knees. 2. Being one of the best NBA guards of all time.  As the son of a tough basketball coach, Press Maravich, Pete was sculpted into the mould of a great basketball player. The legend of "Pistol Pete" started at Louisiana State University from 1967-1970 and he immediately set the college basketball scene alight. Over 3 seasons, he averaged 44.2 points per game, an NCAA record that still stands to this day and is a stat that arguably makes him the greatest college basketball pla...
Post a Comment
Read more

We Were Wrong

International football is a strange paradigm. The same fans who pushed England to the brink of their best result in 55 years are the same fans that have brought nothing but disgrace to themselves and the nation after Sunday nights heartbreaking exit at Euro 2020. After just 1 minute at 37 seconds, Luke Shaw raised a nation to it’s feet, only for Italy to bring us crashing back down to our sofas with our heads in our hands 66 minutes later. Despite the outrageous home advantage, it was always Italy’s game to lose and with a 33 game winning streak on the line, they showcased not only why they are the best team in Europe, but maybe even on the planet - something our young lions may one day possess (just not in the immediate future).   There were several major errors both on and off the pitch that ultimately cost the lions their first international trophy since 1966. In fact, England’s problems started long before any ball was placed on a penalty spot. After a scintillating 45 minutes ...
1 comment
Read more