Next PSG Manager: Galtier a worse choice than Zidane - or even Mourinho

Mauricio Pochettino has finally been set free. Paris Saint-Germain are looking for a new manager and the only sensible conclusion to draw from the last ten years is that any hopefuls should think twice about taking the job.

It seems to chew up and spit out every manager who takes on the challenge.

The last two PSG managers, Unai Emery and Thomas Tuchel, have gone on to great success elsewhere, and it does appear as though the penny has dropped in Paris. The hierarchy may have finally realised it might be them with the problem; that player power in a club of superstars is denying them the chance to build a coherent project capable of winning the Champions League.

Or have they? The hiring of Luis Campos - the man responsible for building iconic Monaco and Lille teams - as sporting director seemed to suggest as much, although that is conflicted by reports Kylian Mbappe has been handed unprecedented power over decision-making at the club.

Whether or not PSG are about to take a new direction will soon become clear: Campos's first choice to replace Pochettino is said to be Christophe Galtier 1.364/11, while the owners want another star signing in Zinedine Zidane 3.55/2.

The current odds suggest Campos has won this opening battle and will get his man. But despite the errors PSG have continually made over the last ten years, there is every reason to believe that Campos is in the wrong here.

Galtier is not a natural fit while Zidane seems perfect for the job. It would be ironic - and so very PSG - if the first time they left a footballing decision to someone with footballing expertise it was the one time their preferred candidate was, for once, the right way to go.

Galtier's tactics and history a concern

What Galtier achieved at Lille, winning the 2020/21 Ligue Un title alongside Ocampos, was incredible. But what's curious about the 55-year-old is that his achievements either side of this, with St Etienne and Nice, reveal a conservative coach who plays dull and uninspiring football - and in both cases this has ultimately led to disappointment.

He stabilised St Etienne and took them into Europe, but by the end the players were left flat by a system that congealed and fell apart. The same thing has happened in double time at Nice, who were expected to challenge near the top but finished fifth in Galtier's first season in charge.

As a reactive tactician and counter-attacking coach, who favours a deeper line of engagement and a compact shape, it is very difficult to see how Galtier could inspire the egos in the PSG dressing room or bring the attacking football the hierarchy demands.

In fact, even though his Lille team were exciting to watch they also largely played on the counter, while relying on a crop of hungry young players punching above their weight. This is the defining feature of Galtier's and Campos's careers, and it couldn't be further from what awaits them at PSG.

Zidane was the perfect choice

But Campos is getting his way because PSG have begun to accept their current policy of buying the biggest stars isn't going to win them the Champions League. However, on this occasion, it just might have done - had PSG opted for Zidane.

Winning Ligue Un is far too easy for PSG and only becomes a challenge when they hire a project manager like Pochettino. Clearly, then, what they need is someone who can manage the egos and release their talented players in the latter stages of the Champions League. They need someone with the gravitas to handle the situation and the feather-light tactical touch in big games.

Zidane's three consuective Champions League wins with Real Madrid were defined by exactly that. His decorated playing career (and now managerial career) demanded respect from big personalities like Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo, while his tendency to play a conservative-but-malleable system repeatedly got Real through tight games in Europe.

To cap it off, Zidane is a France legend and idolised by Mbappe. There has perhaps never been a more perfect, more obvious marriage than that of Zidane and PSG this summer.

All the club want is to win the European Cup, and right now there is a free agent, Frenchman, ego-handling, three-time winner stood right in front of them.

Even Mourinho better than Galtier

But even if PSG were not able to land Zidane, and there are rumours he would prefer to wait for the France job after the World Cup this winter, then PSG would be better off looking at someone other than Galtier. The best outside bet is Jose Mourinho at 26.025/1 - a man with the tactical qualities of Galtier but with a better track record.

Mourinho has become something of a joke in England after his failed spells at Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur but his Europa Conference League win with AS Roma shows he still has respect in mainland Europe. What's more, PSG's easy superiority domestically means fewer chances for collapse, while Mourinho's infamous tactics in the Champions League could give PSG the killer instinct they need.

He may well be past it, and may well ultimately upset too many people to be a great success in Paris. But considering he plays a counter-attacking style of football and has vast experience dealing with difficult dressing rooms, he is surely an upgrade on Galtier.