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The world is still buzzing in hysteria and excitement as Lionel Messi is officially a PSG player.
The announcement last month sent massive waves across social media and the entire world, with crowd of supporters trooping to the Parc des Princes to get a glimpse of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.
When he made his debut in a Ligue 1 game against Reims last week, the cameras were firmly focused on him while he was warming up on touchline to when he came on and replaced former Barcelona teammate and Brazil superstar Neymar.
Such is the impact and influence Messi commands across the globe.
It’s exciting times at PSG because Messi is not the only big name to have joined this summer.
The French outfit took on a very rare opportunity to snap Real Madrid and Spain legend Sergio Ramos, Liverpool and Netherlands midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and highly-rated AC Milan and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, all on free transfers.
Achraf Hakimi is the only player that attracted a transfer fee which was still a bargain €60 million agreement with Inter Milan.
These acquisitions added to already existing players that include Marquinhos, Marco Verratti, Leandro Parades, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Angel Di Maria and Mauro Icardi, is creating a debate that this is one of the greatest squads in the history of football, some comparing it to the Galacticos of Real Madrid in the early 2000s that included Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Guti, Raul, Iker Casillas and Claude Makelele.
Indeed, the prospect of seeing Neymar, Mbappe and Messi take to the field at the same time has mouths watering for what should be a very fearsome attack.
As much as this creates so much excitement and entertainment, it has the potential to create a mess that might not be easy to fix and this could see PSG distracted from their season objectives, chief of them which is winning the Champions League.
Having to manage a squad with a plethora of star players is a herculean task to do. This is because each player is going for individual glory, putting self before the team which could affect results.
Signs of this are already manifesting as seen in the Reims match where Mbappe was reluctant to give Messi the ball in some situations the French man should have passed to the Argentine maestro.
What’s more is that rifts can ensue among players seeing they have almost equal relevance and influence. This creates a muddy situation for the manager and in the case of current PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino, he has never managed a squad of this depth before.
He is largely known to be a developmental coach, bringing youth into prominence and limelight as he did at Espanyol and Tottenham Hotspur.
It’s a different reality here and if he can’t massage egos fast enough, ugly scenes and disharmony in the dressing room will ensue. The likes of Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti – who previously managed PSG, have done a tremendous job managing a team of mega stars in the past and Pochettino might want to get advice from them if he’s to have a long stint at the Parc des Princes.
Also the problem of the club gelling to the manager’s tactics and plans could be a big issue. If the players can’t adapt to how Pochettino wants to set the team up, reaching set targets will be a molehill.
This was particular under Thomas Tuchel who tried to implement a compact system focused heavily on the retaining possession, but he was not able to get it into muscle memory of the players and he was ultimately dismissed.
Fans can therefore bask in the euphoria of getting to watch a star studded PSG team led by Messi, but the concerns raised above are genuine and something that shouldn’t be shied away from.
All eyes will firmly be on the French club and what their fate will be come the end of the 2021-22 season.
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You make fine points. I suspected from the onset that the biggest problem Messi will face in PSG is Mbappe. For one, the French star likes Ronaldo more than Messi. Secondly, he has been made to feel like the star of the team recently and Messi’s presence changes all that. This change of reality has fuelled his desire to leave the club. He sees Messi as a rival than a teammate; a player who stands between him and ballondor. Like you mentioned in the post, we are likely to see a PSG team that will be selfish in the final third. If Messi, Neymar and Mbappe complement each other rather than compete against each other, we would witness a devastating force like we saw with Barca’s MSN.
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You’re spot on boss. Sadly Messi, Neymar and Mbappe might not compliment each other. Messi’s arrival changes the dynamics completely which might negatively affect the dressing room.
In theory, it should. However, the ego and the ambitions of both players will make it hard for them to work together.
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