Last week's hard-fought victory over Marseille pointed out the dozens of problems PSG are facing. The system of diagrams is not connected, the stars coordinate disjointedly and lack creativity. Perhaps he has never won, Pochettino's face is as charming as it is now.
Like many other teams, PSG also had personnel problems last month. Star Neymar is suspended; centre-back Marquinhos and goalkeeper Navas are injured; conductors Verratti and Diallo are absent due to COVID-19. There was a time when, for 8 consecutive matches, Pochettino could not use these key players at the same time. With only nearly a week left until the big match against Barcelona, Poch has yet to find the optimal option for PSG.
In the victory over Marseille, Poch sent Di Maria in but not long after assisting Mbappe, the Argentine midfielder had to practice leaving the field. Neymar started from the bench but before being called up to the competition, the Brazilian striker vomited for unknown reasons.
Pochettino used to like playing 4-2-3-1 at Southampton and Tottenham but against Marseille, he switched to the classic 4-3-3 attack. In this way, Verratti and Gueye were forced to spread the wings to detonate the above factors on each wing. This has given Marseille more space. Normally, if Verratti and Gueye play as a central midfielder pair, PSG's opponents will have a hard time doing so.
When Neymar is absent, Sarabia, Rafinha or even Mbappe can take on the left striker position. On the opposite wing, of course, is Di Maria. The striker position at the moment still gives Pochettino a headache, forcing him to choose between Kean and Icardi.
The Argentine strategist seems to still prioritize Icardi because of the striker's experience. However, reality is proving the disadvantages for the former Inter Milan star. Although he scored against Marseille, Icardi's playing style was criticized for lacking both physical strength and intelligence. Meanwhile, Kean is younger and more active, having scored in both of his debut games under Pochettino.
With the former Juventus striker, the defenders will lose a lot of energy because Kean is very strong. Therefore, the wingers like Mbappe or Di Maria will have space. Poch needs to make a decisive choice.
With Di Maria and Verratti having to race against time to ensure their fitness for the match against PSG, the possibility of Poch using this duo is still open. Although Barcelona is in decline, with PSG's current instability and vulnerability, Nou Camp can still be a death destination for the French team.
Pochettino's current PSG is a version that is criticized for not being able to stifle opponents. Poch still has a lot of time but will be narrowed if he cannot overcome Barcelona to advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
