MY ACCOUNT
Mauricio Pochettino celebrates his 50th birthday today — and it looks set to be a year to remember.
His Paris Saint-Germain side sit 15 points clear in Ligue 1 ahead of Saturday’s trip to Nice and appear nailed on to regain their domestic crown from Lille.
Also still on track for a maiden Champions League triumph, Poch could soon find himself etched in Les Parisiens folklore.
But as rumours linking him with the Manchester United job continue to persist, his long-term future remains far from clear.
We take a closer look at the birthday boy’s performance in Paris and what the future may hold.
Steady start
In many ways, managing PSG is one of top-level football’s toughest jobs.
Such are the club’s riches in comparison to their fellow French sides, anything less than a comprehensive title triumph is considered a failure.
Given Pochettino arrived halfway through last term however, only so much of the blame could be laid at his door for their second-placed finish to Lille.
Lifting the Trophee des Champions and Coupe de France — the first two trophies of his coaching career, remarkably — earned him some brownie points among supporters.
In the Champions League, impressive two-legged victories over Barcelona and Bayern Munich received acclaim before Manchester City proved too hot to handle in the semi-finals.
Kicking on
This term has been a different story, with Poch’s troops falling short in both domestic cups but making up for it with a scintillating league campaign.
Other than a run of four draws in five games around the turn of the year, Les Parisiens have been in cruise control and virtually have the Ligue 1 title sewn up with 12 games to play.
A whopping 37 points from a possible 39 at home has been key to that success — an impressive record they have replicated in Europe with four Champions League victories at the Parc des Princes.
Kylian Mbappe, 23, continues to hog the limelight with 24 goals this season including recent last-gasp match winners against Rennes and, more importantly, Real Madrid.
And while Lionel Messi’s impact has not been as emphatic as expected, there are signs Pochettino is beginning to prise the best out of his countryman.
The 34-year-old has now racked up six assists in his last five league appearances and appears to finally be settling in the French capital.
European pressure
With the league almost secure, attention in Paris has switched to the Champions League — and that is where true success will be measured this term.
Pochettino takes his side to the Bernabeu next Wednesday holding a precious 1-0 lead over Real Madrid thanks to Mbappe’s fantastic late strike.
It was a game the hosts perhaps should have won by a greater margin, but also a performance which should leave them with little to fear heading to the Spanish capital.
Should they progress to the quarter-final stage, PSG will remain one of the favourites to lift the trophy alongside Manchester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich.
European glory has long been the primary target of the club’s owners and if the 50-year-old can deliver it, he will be assured hero status in Paris.
Fall short, however, and the picture could change drastically.
Background issues
Despite on-field success, relations between PSG’s chiefs and the club’s fans are strained.
During last month’s home clash with Rennes, their ultras unfurled banners protesting against several key figures in the club’s hierarchy over financial mismanagement and a supposed lack of passion.
Pochettino attempted to calm the situation post-match, saying: “I want to make an appeal. The club needs unity.
“Fans are the most important part of a club, we need this unity. They have the right to express themselves but we need to be united.”
While the boss has so far avoided the wrath of supporters, ill-feeling towards his superiors is unlikely to bode well for his long-term prospects.
On the move?
That continued uncertainty means a change of scene this summer cannot be fully ruled out.
Manchester United have announced this week that a “thorough process” to appoint a successor to interim boss Ralf Rangnick has commenced — and the Argentine’s name continues to crop up.
His previous exploits in England, guiding Tottenham to regular top-four finishes and even a Champions League final, left his stock high on English shores.
Knowledge of the league and a proven track record, combined with his likeable demeanour, make him an obvious candidate for the Old Trafford hotseat.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid are also admirers of Pochettino’s work with recent reports in Spain claiming the club have made no less than three separate attempts to bring him to the Bernabeu.
It is quite feasible that both clubs will be picking up the phone today and passing on birthday wishes.
Right now though, a Champions League win with PSG would be Pochettino’s best present.
