“A tough season” - Willy Sagnol suggests Lionel Messi’s PSG arrival has changed Pochettino’s game plan

Former France international Willy Sagnol has come to PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino's defense. The Argentine tactician has received his fair share of flak since taking over the helm of the club last year.

More recently, though, he's come under fire for PSG's unsatisfactory performances, which have also raised questions over his future.

Rumors of an exit have been going the rounds for some time now with reports linking him to Manchester United, who're looking to hire a permanent manager this summer.

However, Sagnol urged critics to cut the manager some slack as he believes Lionel Messi's arrival has changed the dynamics at the club.

Speaking to beIN Sports as relayed by PSG Talk, the 44-year-old said:

“It’s been a bit of a tough season. But it was above all the arrival of Lionel Messi that changed a lot of things. It’s wonderful to have a player like that in Ligue 1, for the image of the championship. But for a coach it's super hard to integrate."

The Parisians' squad is now packed to the rafters with talent, especially in the offensive department, but Sagnol added that managing all of them at once is no mean feat:

“When you also have Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and Angel Di Maria… How do you get them all to play together? It’s not possible, there is no coach who would manage to play the four sets in important Champions League matches where the level is so high.”

PSG were pegged back in the 16th minute in their latest game against Saint-Etienne and looked set for another defeat. However, Messi and Mbappe combined to carve out a 3-1 victory, taking the Parisians 16 points clear at the summit.

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PSG manager's future depends on Champions League result

PSG overcame Real Madrid 1-0 in the first-leg of their round of 16 clash at home. They are now the favorites to progress, although the scrapping of the away goals rule keeps the tie in the balance.

If the side are unable to get far into the competition, Pochettino's days at the Parc des Princes will be numbered.

The Champions League is a competition they've pursued for a long time. The Parisians came very close to lifting the elusive trophy in 2020, but were undone by Bayern Munich in the final. Last year, they were knocked out by English champions Manchester City in the semi-finals.

This year, however, with such a stellar squad at their disposal, led by Messi, the club chiefs won't accept anything less than lifting the cup.

Now, with the finals also moved from Saint-Petersburg to the Stade de France in their own country, the Parisians will be dreaming of winning their first European title.