Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino slammed Sunday's defeat to Monaco as "unacceptable", while confessing that the side are still reeling from crashing out of the Champions League.
Missing Lionel Messi, who was ruled out with flu symptoms, the Ligue 1 leaders were played off the field as Monaco ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.
PSG's place at the summit is still assured, but this latest setback heightened the pressure on Pochettino following that disastrous collapse at the hands of Real Madrid.
MORE: Minute-by-minute commentary & analysis from Monaco 3-0 PSG
These results do little to change the order at the top of the Ligue 1 table, but instead serve to change the optics around the team. PSG brass will already be evaluating the results and performances to decide Pochettino's future after the season concludes.
What did Pochettino say after PSG loss to Monaco?
"I'm disappointed with how we started the game. This is unacceptable," the Argentine fired to reporters after the final whistle. "At this level of competition, you can't start a match like we did. We can be happy to be 1-0 at half-time, because there could have been 2 or 3-0 already.
"In the second half, it was better, we created chances there, but our first half penalized us. I think it's really not acceptable to start a game the way we did."
MORE: PSG fans boo team during Ligue 1 match Bordeaux
Pochettino pointed a finger at the emotional result midweek that has clearly lingered. “It is clear that what happened in the Champions League did a lot of harm. The team clearly needs to break free from this. This prevents us from expressing our best performance.
"This international break should allow us to change the mentality and put us back in place. We have to come back to the game with this responsibility that exists when wearing this shirt."
🗣 "Inacceptable", "inadmissible", "honte sportive"
— RMC Sport (@RMCsport) March 20, 2022
Pochettino n'a pas mâché ses mots après la débâcle du PSG à Monaco. L'entraîneur du club de la capitale appelle son vestiaire à un réveil collectif. pic.twitter.com/ArwKPbMYmb
Sunday marked PSG's third defeat in the league this season, and they are still 13 points clear of nearest challengers Rennes at the summit. Nevertheless, all is not rosy at Parc des Princes, with the futures of Kylian Mbappe and Pochettino in particular not at all certain.
MORE: Why Messi missed Monaco match
Mbappe is heavily rumored to be joining Real Madrid this summer, a double blow after falling at the hands of Los Blancos in the Champions League. Pochettino, meanwhile, has been under heavy pressure all season, but it has ramped up further over the past week after the European disappointment.
