The new Mauricio Pochettino era with Paris Saint-Germain has come with mixed results.
PSG has as of late picked up several key wins, such as in the Trophee des Champions final against Olympique de Marseille. But as shown in recent performances such as against Lorient, the team still has ways to go before it can play up to its high potential.
For Pochettino, he is seeing improvements from the team on a game-by-game basis but notes that there is still work to be done on the pitch.
The Argentine manager spoke to RMC Sport about PSG’s showings as of late.
“We can see that they are improving, that they will improve, little by little,” Pochettino said. “But it’s always like that in football, it takes time to work, to get to know each other and reach the desired level. The level necessary for a team like PSG.”
Pochettino is one manager who is quite reliant on training sessions to help build team chemistry and allow for the players to work on tactical aspects of the game plan. He aspires to see PSG’s hard work in training sessions pay off with strong performances on the pitch.
“We train like we play,” Pochettino said. “When we train with consultation, application and intensity, then the matches, with the talent we have, will always be easier. And we can hope for positive results. We firmly believe in that.
“And it’s good to see that after such a short time, players have bought into this idea. … And that they share a new philosophy and ideas.”
Pochettino also touched on one key tactical aspect that he is attempting to implement on the team. In short, it is not solely about having the players move around a ton both with and without the ball but also that it is all done with purpose.
“It’s not running for the sake of running, you have to run with a goal, and with a collective organization because in the end, making individual efforts a lot of times is not efficient,” Pochettino said.
“Efficiency comes with being compact and moving with clear ideas.
“This is our big challenge. Namely, being a very dynamic team with the ball, with all the talent that we have, but also that this team is recognized for its aggressiveness.”
PSG will have another key match upcoming in its Ligue 1 fixture against Nimes Olympique. This should provide the side with a test on where it stands as a team.
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