Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has opened up about his time at the French club, shedding light on the challenges of managing top players Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar. Despite their status as some of the best in the world, he admitted it was not easy to manage them together due to their differing playing styles and expectations.
The Challenge of Creating a Unified System
Pochettino explained that it was difficult to devise a single system that suited all three players. He contrasted this with teams built around one star, such as Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United and Real Madrid, or Messi at Barcelona during their prime years. In those setups, everything was tailored to support the main player. However, at PSG, managing multiple superstars simultaneously made the task far more complex.
Conflicting Playing Styles
Speaking to The Overlap, Pochettino detailed the tactical clash among the trio. Messi preferred a slower, possession-based style, building attacks patiently from the back and controlling the tempo. In contrast, Mbappe thrived in quick transitions, needing the ball played into open spaces to exploit his pace. Neymar added another layer of complexity, as he wanted the ball at his feet to dictate play himself.
Pochettino noted that it was almost impossible to satisfy all three at once. Focusing on Messi's style limited Mbappe's ability to find space for runs, while playing quickly for Mbappe prevented Messi from influencing the game as he liked. Meanwhile, Neymar demanded constant involvement in possession-based play.
PSG's Performance Under Pochettino
Despite these challenges, PSG performed well under Pochettino. He managed the team in 84 matches, winning 56 of them. Mbappe later remarked that playing with Messi was a special experience, adding that he missed having the Argentine in the team because of Messi's unique ability to find him in space and create scoring opportunities.
Pochettino's candid remarks highlight the difficulties of managing elite talent, even for a club with vast resources like PSG.
