Emery was memed to death for his infamous “water bottles” speech, but he was 100% right and a lot of PSG’s current problems can be linked to a lack of concurrence.
Remember that Dembele’s insane run last year really got started after Enrique dropped him out of the group before the Arsenal game. That’s how it was, every player had to earn his place. A player who cost 80M could be given next to no minutes if he played like a donkey, because there was someone else good enough to take his spot.
However, winning the CL last year has made it so that most players in the starting 11 are untouchable, either because there’s no serious competition, or in certain cases no competition at all.
PSG’s decision to not recruit to at least fill up the bench is seriously astonishing.
Against SC Porto, PSG showed up with only 7 substitutes out of a possible 12! (Porto showed up with 12). Similar situations against Newcastle (9 subs), Athletic (8), Barca (8), and Atalanta (8). For a team which just won the CL, not even being able to bring 10 subs to a CL game is again, frankly shocking.
More than just being about depth in case of injury, having 10 serious possible substitutes is also about having backup plans if starters become shit. And it’s about starters feeling like they still need to fight like lions for their spots.
TLDR: the team is way too lean, we need more options at every spot to become competitive again
by library-weed-repeat
5 Comments
You guys will never be satisfied
Yea that abysmal mercato potentially ruined the whole season and it’s baffling to me how we made zero signings apart from Dro this winter and thats why I can’t take Luchos back 2 back comment from earlier serious.
Porto ?
But we don’t need signing we have the academy. You don’t trust a 17 yearly old nobody to carry us in the ucl how dare you 😡
I’m not a PSG fan but Dembele strikes me as a player that gets too comfortable, he is incredible but he lacks that competitive drive and after an amazing season I think he is relaxing a bit much.
Regarding to the team I think LH is an amazing and very experienced coach and after a long season I believe PSG is starting slow to get to the end of the season on top level.