This is one club that has been extremely poorly run - in fact they have been making so many blunders I am surprised Ed Woodward isn't involved.
Are PSG a failed project?
- Thread starter Nani Nana
- Start date
The 2023 fire sale is in effect :
Contract expired - Sergio Ramos
Earlier this summer - Icardi (Galatasaray), Bitshiabu (Leipzig)
Done - Neymar (Saudi), Diallo (Qatar), Paredes & Sanches (Roma), Gassama (Sheffield W.), Dina Ebimbe (Frankfurt)
On the block - Verratti (Saudi ?), Navas, Bernat (Turkey ?), Ekitike
137m€ in sales (210 spent) so far.
There's still players left rotting at "The Loft" (Remember Draxler ?) but I think some of the fat will have been trimmed.
Contract expired - Sergio Ramos
Earlier this summer - Icardi (Galatasaray), Bitshiabu (Leipzig)
Done - Neymar (Saudi), Diallo (Qatar), Paredes & Sanches (Roma), Gassama (Sheffield W.), Dina Ebimbe (Frankfurt)
On the block - Verratti (Saudi ?), Navas, Bernat (Turkey ?), Ekitike
137m€ in sales (210 spent) so far.
There's still players left rotting at "The Loft" (Remember Draxler ?) but I think some of the fat will have been trimmed.
Neymar off to Saudi, Messi off to MLS, Mbappé wanted out.
Unless some marquee signings join, and Ozzy Dembele is not one any more, I must say the PSG project looks a bit off.
Unless some marquee signings join, and Ozzy Dembele is not one any more, I must say the PSG project looks a bit off.
This is not what failure looks like:
PS: Somehow we are still in the top 5 of this century.
PS: Somehow we are still in the top 5 of this century.
Depends what their goal was. If it was to walk the Ligue 1, become a household name, and be competitive in the CL, then they succeeded. If their goal was to win the CL they failed.
Half those trophies are from competitions that are quite irrelevant. And that is not in regards to PSG but the whole table.This is not what failure looks like:
PS: Somehow we are still in the top 5 of this century.
Considering each one of their trophies was domestic, it doesn't entirely look like success.This is not what failure looks like:
PS: Somehow we are still in the top 5 of this century.
I think the big signings might actually be what has been the biggest weakness.
Beckham, S.Ramos, Buffon didn't really bring a lot on the pitch.
Neymar, Mbappé and somewhat Messi were more a lot productive but after their signings the rest of the recruitment took a different turn and tried to do the rest on a (relative) cheap.
Ibrahimovic and Di Maria did well but up to their ceilings.
I think the most successful signings were all in that first wave of Serie A transplants : Verratti, Thiago Silva, Thiago Motta, Cavani. And Matuidi though that was maybe not a QSI choice.
There's still the sickness of way too many signings every year, they need to settle on a functioning core and midfield.
this is why I hope that new owners won’t turn us in to the next galacticos.
Target the best players but to a cohesive manner.
Anyway, it was obvious that certain players like Neymar and others would struggle a bit outside out Barcelona even in a league like the Ligue 1 & competing for the CL.
Target the best players but to a cohesive manner.
Anyway, it was obvious that certain players like Neymar and others would struggle a bit outside out Barcelona even in a league like the Ligue 1 & competing for the CL.
What do you mean...
PSG before the QSI take over was far from being the most successful club in France, they were waaaay behind Marseille, Saint Etienne, and Lyon.
Just because they cheated financially doesn't mean it isn't success, City cheated too to become one of the biggest clubs in the PL era.
If winning trophies every season means you're run poorly, I wish the same for us.
I think they’re on the right track now with appointing L Enrique and getting rid of Neymar/Ramos type players.
Messi too was a liability sometimes because him Neymar and Mbappe together would severely hurt their defending efforts.
I think they’ve made some good acquisitions this summer and the midfield should do better with Enrique’s coaching now.
Messi too was a liability sometimes because him Neymar and Mbappe together would severely hurt their defending efforts.
I think they’ve made some good acquisitions this summer and the midfield should do better with Enrique’s coaching now.
You clearly have no clue.
Neymar was excellent apart from season 21/22 and he has generally always been excellent for his country which btw isn't Barcelona.
Messi did not have a good debut season but before the world cup, he was brilliant and just recently won 3 trophies with his country as the player of the tournament. He has also been voted player of the tournament 7 times and has won every trophy with their national team: u20 wc, Olympic gold, copa America and the World cup. His country is Argentina, not Barcelona, in case you forgot.
So PSG almost certainly did manage to add RKM to its roster in the dying minutes of the mercato. And to retain Mbappé (?) at least until January.
They couldn't help but splash cash around again (maybe helped by that Saudi deal picking Neymar for much, much more they could have offloaded him elsewhere) but at least the recruitment was a lot more coherent on paper.
The team is still very attack heavy (Luis Enrique basically plays with 4 forwards so far, one being nominally in midfield) but instead of three divas there's now two full lines -and cover to spare- of 3 they can play.
The defense is also a lot beefier, so long they don't accumulate injuries.
The weak point is midfield as you have a double pivot basically doing a lot of the work : Ugarte has been impressive at 6 and is perhaps the transformative player they needed. 17yo Zaïre-Emery as his partner has shown very promising things... But the cover behind them is lacklustre. Verratti is still there and may not have a new club by tonight, I'm sure he can contribute to the 8 position but that's too light, all the more so within a difficult CL group.
In public Nasser was magnanimous and said he just want the new team to do their best in UCL without giving a stated objective.
The core of that new team is strong. Even if Mbappé leaves.
They couldn't help but splash cash around again (maybe helped by that Saudi deal picking Neymar for much, much more they could have offloaded him elsewhere) but at least the recruitment was a lot more coherent on paper.
The team is still very attack heavy (Luis Enrique basically plays with 4 forwards so far, one being nominally in midfield) but instead of three divas there's now two full lines -and cover to spare- of 3 they can play.
The defense is also a lot beefier, so long they don't accumulate injuries.
The weak point is midfield as you have a double pivot basically doing a lot of the work : Ugarte has been impressive at 6 and is perhaps the transformative player they needed. 17yo Zaïre-Emery as his partner has shown very promising things... But the cover behind them is lacklustre. Verratti is still there and may not have a new club by tonight, I'm sure he can contribute to the 8 position but that's too light, all the more so within a difficult CL group.
In public Nasser was magnanimous and said he just want the new team to do their best in UCL without giving a stated objective.
The core of that new team is strong. Even if Mbappé leaves.
Every season I dream of a top signing in the midfield, and every season I end up being disapointed. It's the most important area in this game but management doesn't seem to think that it's important to get a top player there even with Luis Enrique as coach. Why spend all this money on RKM and Barcola to end up with Ugarte/Vitinha/Zaire Emery as starters in the midfield? That's just stupid.
Also, I think the transfer window is still open for a couple of weeks in SA and Qatar so there's still big chances Verratti and Draxler leave.
I keep forgetting that... Plenty of time still for Verratti to move.
Draxler the less said the better.
They need at least two other good central / defensive midfielders. Seen someone suggest Marquinhos as a DM if and when the rest of the starters at the back will be fit.
Marquinhos or Danilo could sort of work as DMs if Ugarte get injured, my biggest concern is that we have no holding/creative midfielder at all if Verratti leaves. We built a transition team for a coach that plays possession football. It doesn't make sense.I keep forgetting that... Plenty of time still for Verratti to move.
Draxler the less said the better.
They need at least two other good central / defensive midfielders. Seen someone suggest Marquinhos as a DM if and when the rest of the starters at the back will be fit.
I'm sure Mbappé will try his hand at 10 soon 
I'm sorry but why did they seat PSG at the growns up table.This is not what failure looks like:
PS: Somehow we are still in the top 5 of this century.
We for example have 38 titles in the 21st century including 1 Champions League, 2 Europa Leagues and 1 Intercontinental Cup.
Am I supposed to be impressed at all those domestic french titles they have bought with oil bills?
That's not the point, we all know that some titles are worth more than others. The thing is, in a decade PSG went from being a totally anonymous Ligue 1 side to winning 9 ligue 1 titles and being the only club in europe along with Bayern and Real Madrid to exit the group stage of the CL over the last 10 competitions (reaching a final and a semi final).
While it's obviously not a total success considering the amount of money spent, it's certainly not a failed project.
You've had Luis Campos at PSG for two seasons now and it doesn't seem like you're happy with his work.
And you're correct about Luis Enrique placing a emphasis on building the play via dominating the ball. But he has shown in the past that he can adapt and coach a team to transitioning quickly with success.
They are a petro fueled joke.
Rashford's penalty was one of the only amazing moments of our horrible last years. Di Maria and Neymar....haha
Rashford's penalty was one of the only amazing moments of our horrible last years. Di Maria and Neymar....haha
His work last season was pure garbage. It's a bit different this summer since the club managed to unload huge wages and get very interesting players (Hernandez, Kolo Muani, Dembele, Ugarte) but the 1st thing we need is a world class midfielder for christ sake.
I'm surprised you didn't sign one. I guess Campos will want to persevere with Fabian Ruiz or have you given up on him?
I think even with the mistakes that were made last season, I think there's enough there for Luis Enrique to work with even if the team building has been a little odd.
Can't be starting a new thread on them, but 10 points after 5 matches, +4 goal difference, 3rd in the table. Lost at home to Nice, fielding a midfield of Soler - Zaire-Emery - Vitinha and Marquinhos left on the bench.
What's going on there? Anyone follow them here?
What's going on there? Anyone follow them here?
The midfield is still thin. Ugarte had a booming start as expected as a DM. Zaïre-Emery also very good but that's basically the two solid midfielders that kept it all together in the first few games and they can't play them every game. Ugarte was benched (for UCL) and WZE is 17. All the midfield recruits from the year before had a muted season and it's not quite sure they can find their place (Vitinha, Soler, Ruiz). I still think Verratti could have walked into this midfield when fit and available but it was not meant to be. Temporary solutions may be putting Marquinhos in midfield flas a DM or having Lee Kang-in pulling worker's shift.
A ton of roster changes, new coach, some players still getting acclimated (RKM). So far there's a lack of creativity and some issues with finishing bar Mbappé (Dembélé, Ramos). The team is good already at possession and doing a lot of passes. If it clicks they'll probably start walking the league but it could be the most open it has and will be for a while.
Once Mbappe and Neymar left they will fall into obscurity. Saudi can offer better money for older superstars they used to sign. The likes of Zlatan and Cavani. And the younger ones probably wont go there for career, they must have seen what happened to Mbappe. Atleast Mbappe can afford what he did, he will come out victorious because he is a generational talent.
People went to Paris for money and city. Now money is not attractive anymore because of SaudiArabia. City is just a city nowdays. Star has faded without anything to show in Europe. With that I mean CL. The only thing club wanted to win.
You can’t buy tradition. This is only going one way. Back to being Newcastle of France.
Donnamrumma caused them to crash out of champ league 1 year + ago with a howler in the last minute against Real Madrid. I think performance wise, PSG was okay but failed to win any European trophies.
Cavani joined PSG at 26 ?
You don't even know what tradition means.
They won their farmers league for god knows how many times since the arabs came and France ALWAYS produces world class talents if they are smart they would establish themselves as a special club for talented French players just like Bayern in Germany.
Before Qatar owners, 2 league titles since being founded. And some domestic cup.
After Qatar owners, 9 titles in 11 years. And some domestic cups.
So where is that winning tradition before being bought? Tell me. You got a lot to learn.
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Is Soler any good? He was hyped up years ago at Valencia.
As usual though, PSG go into a new season with a light midfield.
As usual though, PSG go into a new season with a light midfield.
Longest tenure in French elite (since summer 74 and running). Only finished 10 times lower than 9th, and four of those were before 1980. 2 back to back C3 finals (one won) just after an UCL semi. Over ten podium placings in the league besides titles. 8 Cup wins, 3 League Cups before the takeover (14 and 9 total each including QSI ownership, + 5 FA Cup final lost / 1 League Cup final lost). I'd say that's plenty "tradition" for 50 years of existence.
I always looked at PSG as the stereotypical ugly ass rich dude. Sure he wifed a model but she’s banging the pool boy. Or if single, PSG is the dude who takes his boat out and bunch of bikini clad girls go on it, but when they take their instagram photos they tell him to disappear and not be in the picture
So the season before Messi comes PSG don't win the league and if they don't win the league the first season he leaves it'll show how much Messi carried them through the AM role. And it'll make Mbappe look a big failure.
And we are the type of yesterday-rich guy who still goes on and on about his golden day, while his mansion is not maintained properly every year.
We did much worst than PSG sadly.
PSG aspired to become a dominant club. And they and did it at a certain extension, at least at the national level they can be considered a dominant club.
We were one of the most dominant clubs on the planet, at the same level of Real, Barca and Bayern under SAF.
Then the jokers who run the club after SAF’s retirement, managed to turn us into the new laughingstock of football as Liverpool was before Klopp.
That was the biggest mistake the Quatar did when they bought PSG. They went into Real Madrid's Galactico mode of buying expensive superstar players from abroad instead of becoming Bayern of France. I blame their former sporting director Leonardo for that the most. Now for the first time they are trying to build a team and a team around some key French players..