CASADO LLERENA: What Paris Saint-Germain must do to improve performance
Column: Just Wondering
The French league team, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), is considered by most to be one of the best and most profitable teams in European football. The team has superstar players like Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and Lionel Messi in its main lineup.
But with Neymar sitting out the rest of the season for surgery to repair torn ankle ligaments and the team's recent poor performance, many PSG fans are beginning to doubt the team's ability to win.
PSG is on a losing streak after being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Bayern Munich.
The team's loss against Stade Rennais and Lyon frustrates PSG fans as fans boo and whistle at its star players. Messi is at the forefront of criticism, with fans calling for his resignation from the club.
At the beginning of the game against Lyon, PSG fans insulted Messi, a preposterous reaction given that he is one of the best-performing players for PSG. The team's manager, Christophe Galtier, even stated that the fans' whistling was uncalled for because Messi is trying his best to win for the team.
While the insulting, booing and whistling at the team's star players is disrespectful and uncalled for, PSG fans have every right to be upset. The team is underperforming — not because the athletes are playing poorly, but because the managers and owners of the team have failed to create a cohesive team.
PSG has spent approximately $1.4 billion over an entire decade with little success to show for it. This does not include player salaries, such as the €489 million that brought Neymar to the team and keeps coaches on the payroll.
The issue is that PSG is becoming less and less of a team and more of a "cool boys club." So, what are some of the issues PSG must address to get the team back on track?
First, the team needs to spend more money recruiting a coach that will create a better defensive line. In most games, PSG's defense line is entirely open, which allows teams like Bayern to score two goals during the second leg of the Champions League knockout stage.
PSG's formation is a 3-5-2, which means there are three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards. The formation leaves the defensive unsupported and susceptible to counterattacks and flanks.
Having five midfielders can leave the players disjointed and unorganized. Though, having two forwards is pretty standard in a game's formation, and it keeps its star players, Messi and Mbappe, in their strong positions.
But the same issue is very prevalent. There is too much focus on the team's attackers in the midfield and not enough on its defense. As such, the first issue for the team to fix is its formation, and an excellent way to guarantee that is by hiring a new coach who may develop a new strategy.
PSG must address the second most prevalent issue: moving forward without its stars. Neymar is out for the season, and it is apparent that the Brazilian superstar's time at PSG could be at risk since he is getting no time on the field, and the team is not succeeding.
Neymar has no public plans to leave PSG, but that will not stop team managers from denying him play time and squeezing him out, just like Manchester United did to Cristiano Ronaldo.
There are always rumors of Mbappe leaving PSG for Real Madrid, but Mbappe has stated that his future at PSG does not depend on the team's success.
Lastly, Messi's time at PSG could likely end sooner rather than later. Many Messi fans want the player to retire from his home team Barcelona, and rumors and speculations hint that Messi could return to Barcelona for the remainder of his football career.
Messi's contract at PSG ends in June of this year, and he would be a free agent for Barcelona to reclaim its legend once again. Reportedly, Barcelona has increased Messi's return offer to €200 million, which indicates that he may be likely to return.
This means that 2 out of the 3 stars at PSG have no guarantee of signing back on, which leaves the team scrambling for solid forward players and emphasizes that the team needs a resolution without depending on its star players.
The team needs to invest in backup forwards, as the team currently only has Hugo Ekitiké and Ilyes Housni, two players who seem to be largely absent from the field.
Resolving those two key issues will give PSG a better chance at getting back on top and sparking a revival in faith, both for the team and its fans.
Sebastian Casado Llerena is a senior in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in journalism and media studies with a global news specialization and minoring in English. His column, "Just Wondering," runs on alternate Thursdays.
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