Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that he is facing a “sad situation” with his Paris Saint-Germain facing extensive scrutiny from its own supporters.
Pochettino remains one of the frontrunners to be appointed the next Manchester United boss when a long-term successor to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is named this summer.
The former Tottenham boss has admirers at Old Trafford, but there is an acceptance that the ball is very much in his court with a contract at the French giants lasting until next summer.
However, his future at the Parc des Princes remains perilous after PSG crashed out of the Champions League against Real Madrid in midweek.
Pochettino could only watch on in horror as his charges surrendered a 2-0 aggregate lead to Los Blancos, with Karim Benzema netting a hat-trick in the closing stages of the game.
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The defeat has led to speculation that the 50-year-old is set to lose his job, despite the fact that the Ligue 1 title is effectively already secured.
PSG moved 15 points clear at the top of the table on Sunday, as they cruised past Bordeaux 3-0 in the French capital.
But it was a difficult afternoon for all associated with PSG,as fans vented their frustrations at players, with Lionel Messi and Neymar’s every touch booed by the home crowd.
Neymar even faced the acrimony of being jeered by his own team’s fans after scoring the second goal of the game.
And Pochettino has claimed the targeting of the two South American forwards was unfair - and opened up on the ‘difficult situation’ he’s facing.
"No, for me it's unfair. We all deserve this anger from the fans, not just Neymar and Messi, they are two world-class players," he told Canal+ following the game. "They must therefore be respected. When we lose or win, it's always as a team.
“My feeling of the match? Very difficult. We can understand the frustration, the disappointment of our supporters.
"We feel the same and we are all together in this immense frustration of not going further in the Champions League. The whistles? It was for everyone. We are a team, we are all together. It's a really sad situation.
"The focus is to win the title. The situation is difficult, we are not going to change the past. I have to try to concentrate and win the title but also the next matches."
United eyes will continue to be laser focused on PSG chiefs as they make a final decision on Pochettino’s future, with sporting director Leonardo refusing to confirm he will be at the club next season.
"We shouldn’t throw everything in the bin. We shouldn’t start from scratch after every loss. The objective is to win the Champions League, and until half time we were fine,” Leonardo explained after the defeat to Madrid.
"Pochettino is still part of the project for this season. It’s not the time to think about that.”
