PSG boss Ancelotti: Players must take responsibility

Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti has questioned his squad's attitude after a worrying run of form that has provoked speculation over the Italian's own future.

Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Nice means PSG have now picked up a paltry four points from their last five Ligue 1 encounters, leaving the capital club in fourth place, five points adrift of leaders Lyon. They were also knocked out of the Coupe de la Ligue by Saint-Etienne on penalties last week.

"As coach, I have to take my share of responsibility, but the players have to do the same," Ancelotti said. "I get the impression the players feel the club's project and the problems in the team's play don't concern them.

"My players don't make a team. They're still a group of individuals. We still don't have any consistency in our game. It's neither solid nor unified. The work of a coach is to find a solution very quickly."

Whether the 53-year-old will have the time, however, remains open to debate. France's main sports daily, L'Equipe, reported on Monday that the club's Qatari owners, who have invested some €250 million in players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Javier Pastore since taking over in summer 2011, are quickly running out of patience.

Club president Nasser al-Khelaïfi missed the Nice game, travelling instead to Doha. BeIn Sport, the TV channel of which Al-Khelaïfi is also president, revealed Pep Guardiola was also in the Qatari capital this weekend.

While local paper Le Parisien reports Jose Mourinho remains the club's target, L'Equipe claims sources close to PSG's owners have confirmed there are talks with former Barcelona boss Guardiola, who is taking a sabbatical year with his family.

They report Guardiola is not keen to take over immediately at PSG with his children in school in New York, where they are learning French, but would be willing to do so from next summer. Eric Gerets, the former Marseille coach currently in charge of Qatari side Lekhwiya, is being mooted as a possible interim.

Ancelotti remains convinced, however, he can turn the situation around without having to dip into his employer's vast resources once again. "It's certain I'll find a solution," he said, "but we have to quickly find a solution to be more effective on the pitch. I want quality players to make a team, but I'm not thinking about the transfer window. I have to find solutions with the players I have."

The former Chelsea boss would receive a pay-off of more than €11 million were he to be sacked.

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Source: ESPN