GRAFT BEATS CRAFT EVERY DAY OF WEEK
EUROPEAN success for the last two managers to leave Paris St-Germain is a statement in itself.
Unai Emery went on to lift the Europa League with an inferior line-up of Villarreal players.
Thomas Tuchel went on to win the Champions League with a talented Chelsea team.
The common denominator? Both had an XI who were prepared to put a shift in.
Mauricio Pochettino has seen enough from his egotistical front three – Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe – to know that he cannot get the PSG team playing on and off the ball.
With Manchester United waiting to provide a soft landing, you can see why the former Spurs boss is letting it be known he is ready to answer the call from Old Trafford.
Anyone who saw the way that Pochettino (inset) made Southampton and Spurs two of the toughest teams to beat in the Premier League will know that the Argentine knows how to organise a team that wants to work.
He turned Tottenham’s defence into the best in the country two seasons running, then took the North Londoners to the 2018 Champions League Final.
With the talent available at United, you could see him joining Emery and Tuchel in succeeding away from that toxic PSG dressing room.
Jamie Carragher and Thierry Henry, on TV duty for CBS Sports, discussed the trouble with PSG, which was laid bare for all to see on
by DARREN LEWIS
Wednesday night in their defeat at Manchester City.
“Pochettino has got to get out of that club,” said Carragher. “If he’s got the chance to go to Manchester United... I’d be gone tomorrow.
“I honestly would and it’s because of those three stars.”
Henry weighed in: “If you want to win the Champions League, you cannot defend with seven players. It is impossible, I don’t care who you are.
“Teams that win titles and win the Champions Leagues also, you need to have your front three chasing the ball.
“We saw it with Tuchel. He couldn’t make PSG defend. As soon as he arrived at Chelsea they listened.
“Everyone that left PSG went on to win in Europe – Emery and Tuchel.” Carragher believes the way in which PSG were shown up by City’s industry underlines why Pochettino’s embarrassment of riches is actually fool’s gold.
“I just don’t believe teams can carry anybody now,” Carragher added.
“Let’s say the four teams, of which I think one will win the Champions League – Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea or Bayern Munich – they do not carry one passenger.
“PSG are carrying three, they’ve got absolutely no chance of winning the Champions League.
“I just can’t accept, I don’t care how good they are, that they don’t work for the team.
“The days of carrying passengers are long gone.”