"We won’t find an excuse" - PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino shies away from blaming Kylian Mbappe and Neymar after duo struggled for chemistry in Monaco loss
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager Mauricio Pochettino accentuated the club's focus on a "collective performance" after their 3-0 loss against Monaco in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Kylian Mbappe and Neymar started the game alongside Gini Wijnaldum as the front three. Lionel Messi was reported to be ill and sat out the game.
Full-Time in Monaco 
🔚 Full-Time in Monaco
#ASMPSG https://t.co/QHRychuRzK
When asked his thoughts on the match, Pochettino avoided blaming individual players and focused on a collective effort. He said (via L'Equipe):
“We always judge on collective performance, on the collective state of mind, I do not want to focus on individual performances. We won’t find an excuse. The most important thing is to find solutions, we have to stop looking for excuses, to find pretexts.”
A brace by Wissam Ben Yedder and a goal by Kevin Volland sealed the three points for Monaco against PSG. With the win, they moved into seventh position in the table. They are level on points with eighth-placed Lens but are ahead on goal difference.
The Parisians, meanwhile, stayed at the top of the league with a lead of 12 points over second-placed Marseille.
PSG could reportedly see a few departures at the end of the season
It has been a rather disappointing season for PSG except in Ligue 1. They are set to win another league title which they missed out on last season as Lille were crowned champions.
However, they were eliminated from the Coupe de France in the Round of 16 this season by Nice in February. They were also eliminated from the Round of 16 in the Champions League by Real Madrid earlier this month.
This could potentially see a few key departures for the club in the summer as they look to rebuild for the elusive Champions League title.
Pochettino’s PSG have just been smashed 3-0 against AS Monaco. The Parisians have also now lost 4 of their last 6 matches.
Their worst run of form in nearly 3 years. 🆘
#PSG #Messi #Pochettino https://t.co/FPRE91l8lw
Manager Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly set for an exit from the club in the summer. According to The Times, the Argentine manager along with sporting director Leonardo could be on their way out after the UCL disappointment.
According to Marca, Kylian Mbappe is also set to leave PSG in favor of a move to Real Madrid in the summer. Meanwhile, Neymar could also be on his way out of Paris in the summer, according to Fichajes. The club's owners reportedly do not want the Brazilian at the club next summer.
Finally, there were reports of Messi wanting to leave the Ligue 1 side to return to Barcelona. However, SPORT has refuted those claims and stated that the Argentine does not want to return to the Catalan club.