“MNM (Messi-Neymar-Mbappe) was Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) greatest asset, but it was also the soap opera of the season.”
“Coach Christophe Galtier used the ‘give MNM the ball and let the other players do the rest’ tactic very often.”
These are just a few of the things that French football writer Julien Laurent said in a scathing critique of PSG in a piece he wrote for BBC Sport on Sunday. Despite winning the French Ligue 1 title for the 11th time, the club’s future looks bleak after this season.
PSG drew 1-1 away to Strasbourg in the 37th round of the 2022-2023 French Ligue 1 on Nov. 27 to clinch the title with one game remaining. However, the team faces uncertainty this summer following the departure of coach Christophe Galtier, who took over from Mauricio Pochettino last summer, and the departure of star players such as Messi and Neymar.
PSG have won the Ligue 1 title 11 times in the last 12 years. Of course, their dominance in Ligue 1 cannot be compared to that of Bayern Munich, who have won the German Bundesliga for 11 consecutive seasons, or Juventus, who have won nine consecutive Italian Serie A titles until 2020. Still, it’s a historic title run in Ligue 1.
Galtier has led the team well in the first half of this season. They were unbeaten going into the 2022 World Cup break in Qatar. However, the start of 2023 saw a collapse, with eight defeats in 19 games.
“Galtier never looked good, he never built anything with the team, he had no identity, no style. He struggled to handle and control a dressing room full of superstars.”
Laurent concludes, “MNM was the greatest front three ever assembled, but the reality was different. They were unbalanced, incapable of pressing, and disjointed,” he continued.메이저놀이터
“Even off the field, they were not perfect,” he said, citing the example of Messi traveling with his family to Saudi Arabia on tour without the club’s permission.
He also pointed out that Mbappe publicly criticized the manager’s tactics in September last year. Mbappe then leaked news that he wanted to leave the club next January, despite signing a new contract in May last year.
This breakdown in discipline at MNM, Laurent writes, has shaken up a dressing room that was never united or strong in the first place. I think it’s safe to say that this is a family of beans.