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Mauricio Pochettino was announced as Paris Saint-Germain coach with an 18-month contract on Saturday and now work begins to make Neymar and company champions of the Champions League.
Pochettino has been without a club since parting ways with Spurs last year, but ended his time off the touchline on Saturday when he became coach to succeed Thomas Tuchel, who was fired on Christmas Eve.
The Argentine declared that he is full of ‘ambition’ in the new project and with the January transfer window now open, all eyes will be on how Pochettino seeks to alter the composition of his team.
The French giants haven’t had it all coming their way so far this season, losing more league games than in the entire Ligue 1 2019-20 campaign. They currently occupy third place, one point behind the leaders Lyon and Lille.
PSG were also forced to work hard to qualify for the final stages of the Champions League after losing two of their first three group matches.
Here, Sportsmail looks at the issues Pochettino must now tackle after taking the reins in the French capital.
Lack of leadership
The loss of Thiago Silva, without a doubt, has left a hole in the side, especially from the point of view of leadership.
The former club captain joined Chelsea on a two-year deal earlier this summer after spending eight years at the Parc des Princes and has not been replaced.
Silva may be 36, but the role he played in that locker room cannot be overstated.
Marquinhos has taken the bracelet and is an excellent defender, but he is not the kind of dominating presence his predecessor had.
The French giants conceded four more goals in the group stage of the Champions League than last season, where they only let two in.
More alarming is the way they’ve been conceding, carelessly defending too often to blame.
The team has a lot of stars but they lost their true general and Pochettino needs to address that.
Problems from the start
PSG can boast of having one of the best sets of attacking players in the world, but there are times when the team doesn’t have that traditional top-level number 9.
They let one go, of course, and the all-time top scorer, Edinson Cavani, was allowed to join Manchester United for free at the end of last season.
Tuchel himself admitted that the club “could have made a mistake” by letting go of the proven striker.
Often it’s just Neymar and Kylian Mbappé at the helm, but neither really takes on that central role, preferring to open up and show their world-class ability.
When the best teams double down on them, PSG’s attack can stagnate, as we saw on a few occasions in the last Champions League.
They have Mauro Icardi, who impressed last season, but this time he has been plagued with injuries.
Adding another forward to the team could prove invaluable, offering them a Plan B and a way to free up space for their two star men.
Win the wardrobe
Tuchel may have had a falling out with PSG sporting director Leonardo, but he remained a beloved figure in the locker room.
A popular coach is always a tough act to follow, especially when the team is full of superstars with big egos.
Pochettino will have to earn the trust of some of his new players and things could go south very quickly if he misses his approach.
Mbappé spoke highly of Tuchel after his ruthless firing on Christmas Eve. The French World Cup winner admitted he was saddened by the German’s departure and insisted his time in Paris will never be forgotten.
Posting on Instagram, Mbappé said: “ Unfortunately, it is the law of football. No one will forget your time here. You wrote a wonderful part of the history of the club and I say: ‘thank you, coach’ ‘.
January is vital
Many thought PSG would invest heavily in the team after coming so close to Champions League glory in August, but making the Icardi deal permanent was the only move of financial significance.
According to various reports in France, PSG coach Tuchel and Leonardo clashed over transfer goals to improve the team.
We have already discussed the potential benefits of adding a center forward, but the team is also crying out for a midfielder. Only Marco Verratti would enter the elite category and he is prone to injury.
Other than that, the players behind Neymar and Mbappé aren’t even close to their level.
And if they have any hope of finally clinching the Champions League, Pochettino may simply have to dive into the transfer market in search of a world-class creator.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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