Goodbye Neymar. Goodbye Messi. Goodbye MNM. Frustrated by the turn of events in the French capital, Parisian management opted for a radical change during the last summer transfer window. Yes, but despite several arrivals in the offensive sector (Randal Kolo Muani, Gonçalo Ramos, Ousmane Dembélé, Lee Kang-In, Marco Asensio), the machine is still struggling to get going. Wednesday evening, in the legendary den of St James’ Park, the reigning double French champions bit the dust against Newcastle (1-4), despite a completely renewed attack line. Established in the 4-2-4 designed by Luis Enrique, the new PSG fireworks never really existed in this shock of the second day of group F of the Champions League. From Kylian Mbappé to Ousmane Dembélé via Gonçalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani, the performances remain, certainly, singular but the performance remains more than disappointing.
Dembélé (still) clumsy, Ramos lonely…
If the bankruptcy is, above all, collective and the tactical system decided by the new strong man of the Rouge et Bleu can explain part of the fiasco, the score rendered by the new fantastic 4 of PSG is full of false notes. On his right side, Dembélé, perhaps, seemed the most involved. It was also the former Barça winger who lit the first fuse of this clash (5th). In vain. Always imprecise around the opponent’s surface, the Parisian number 10 subsequently multiplied the technical inaccuracies and bad choices. Far too clumsy in the finish, like this new missed opportunity after the hour mark (69th), “Dembouz” thus continues frustrating performances (19 lost balls, only 1 shot on target out of 3 attempts and 3 small duels won out of 10). Credited with a 3.5 by the FM editorial team, the former Stade Rennais star will, despite everything, have had the merit of proposing solutions to his partners between the lines.
A timid activity which, on the other hand, Randal Kolo Muani cannot boast of. In agony throughout the meeting, the new Parisian recruit – arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt – gave his detractors something to chew on. Invisible when he was not overwhelmed in his rare ball catches, PSG number 23 absolutely did not weigh against the Toons, whether offensively or in his defensive work. With 24 balls hit, the lowest total of the 22 players, RKM was mired in nothingness. Caught in the intensity and guilty of a staggering technical waste, the French international (10 caps, 1 goal) did not, moreover, have the leisure to try his luck. Off topic, he was then logically replaced by Bradley Barcola shortly before the hour mark (57th). After unlocking his goal counter during the Classic, Kolo Muani, rated 4 by our editorial team, this time fell back into his ways. And in great widths…
Mbappé and Kolo Muani invisible, non-existent connections…
A record hardly more brilliant for the one who scored a superb double against OM. Aligned at the forefront of the Parisian attack, Gonçalo Ramos only touched the ball 43 times. Little found by his partners (or surrounded by the Magpies defense on his rare forays), the Portuguese was also a victim of the lack of automatism within this Parisian attack. If his desire to do well and his regular pressing on the Toons rearguard remain commendable and provide a certain contrast with the performance of his friends, the poverty of his match remains, however, quite worrying. And what about the match produced by Kylian Mbappé, credited with a 2.5 by our journalists. Known for being obsessed with numbers to the point of counting his goals scored in training, the Bondynois risks, this time, not dwelling on the statistics sheet…
With just one shot, no dribble attempted and 51 small balls touched (the third worst total behind Ramos and Kolo Muani), the Bondynois completely got through it. Very discreet and incapable of creating differences, the former Monegasque also showed a certain nonchalance during many phases of the game. A generally questionable attitude giving the feeling that the 2018 world champion was elsewhere… “There was no problem with the attitude of my players. Maybe you saw another match. The attitude was optimal. The result is fair, but the score is excessive. I’m happy with what the players did except in the last thirty meters. They did what I expected of them.”, assured Luis Enrique at a press conference. Surprising comments given the sequences observed on Wednesday evening in the bays of St James’ Park.
Often annoyed, sometimes resigned, Mbappé – who quickly left the field after the slap received – generally showed a form of sufficiency. A questioning behavior, especially in the context of such an important poster. Far from the playmaker recently mentioned, the Parisian star above all confirms his big decline after a thunderous start to the season. A decline in performance that PSG is experiencing head-on. A delicate period highlighting, at the same time, the offensive limits of the Rouge et Bleu. Already silent against Clermont last weekend, the capital club is still struggling to find this consistency in the offensive sector and the copy handed down on Wednesday evening will not be able to temper this observation (47 balls lost, 6 shots, 13 duels won out of 29 contested). Absent from the debates, the fantastic 4 simply shattered against the “Toon Army” of Newcastle. A first worrying signal for PSG’s first real test on the European scene…
