Mauricio Pochettino was one of the few to escape criticism from Parisian ultras this Friday evening during the first period of the victory against Rennes (1-0). The Parisian coach, however, appeals to the fans of the union before approaching a decisive moment of the season with the knockout stages of the Champions League against Real Madrid.
You’ve conceded just two goals in seven games in 2022. Was that one of your goals before joining Real Madrid?
MAURICIO POCHETTINO. It’s always a good thing to maintain the confidence of the defensive line. Teams that win trophies do so by showing defensive solidity. Not conceding a goal also allows us to win at the end of the match like tonight.
Have you talked about the unhappiness of the ultras with your players?
The break is very short. We always use it to analyze the meeting and adapt. We don’t have time for anything else. We do three or four minutes of analysis with the staff and we use them to make changes like this evening.
How do you live this difficult climate a few days from Real Madrid?
I send a union message. I think that’s what the club needs. Fans are very important to this club. They have the democratic right to express themselves. But we are going to enter an important period of the season. We need to be together, to fight together for the objectives. When the season ends, we can sit down and criticize ourselves so that the club can remain one of the best in the world.
How do you analyze the attacking difficulties of your team compared to the performance against Lille?
It was a different game. Rennes evolved with a very low block with tactical discipline in 4-5-1. The striker was practically 30 yards from his own goal. It was difficult because we had the opportunity to score in first without succeeding. The motivation of the Rennais increased over the minutes. Beyond all that, we managed to stay alive in this game. It allowed us to score at the end of the game.
You only have one shot on target. Is this a number that concerns you?
No, that doesn’t worry me.
You worked on the physical plane in January. There are no injuries tonight. Are you arriving in the best of moods?
Yes. We have done a great job with investment from all the players. We will be in a very good mood against Real.
Can we have more news about Neymar? What is it missing to come back?
You have to be careful with expectations. Everyone has their own. But they are not always consistent with reality. Neymar’s development is good. We hope he can be with us in the group. We will see.
