Absolute bullshit. It's been a really bad day for VAR. Turns out that the farmers in France can't use it either.
PSG - 2021/22 | French Spurs?
- Thread starter iKnowNothing
- Start date
Classic case of idiots looking at the end of a sequence without asking how it got there
How did Messi play ? Just saw that he was subbed out
Not bad at all, however other players need to make more runs when he plays his through balls and there are definitely times where outside of di maria and neymar he gets ignored weirdly enough.
His goals will come. But poch has his work cut out for him
Except one FK hitting the woodwork, he has been very average. A shadow of his Barca days
Invisible with his strolling around. Seems lost when he can’t demand the ball every time and has to move for a position. Which is weird
Well, unlike Ronaldo, he played all his pro career in a single club and in a similar system during his years there.
Although I don't think PSG was the right move for him, he will adjust over time and get back to a good level.
He was decent, unless you judge players solely off G/A. Orchestrated every good move in the 1st half and unlucky not to score twice including 1 free kick off the bar. Less involved in the 2nd half
Yeah, people saying average are way off the mark but I wouldn’t say he was brilliant today or anything. Extremely unlucky to not score today much like the match against Brugge
He is a tactical problem in this line-up though, Lyon could play through PSG super-easy because literally no one pressed.
Messi is not unique, as i've said, Neymar and Mbappe doesnt work off the ball either, but adding Messi on top of that makes it very unbalanced.
Yeah good luck to any manager trying to balance that side and keep everyone happy at the same time.
He was brilliant. Scored a wonder goal in the 89th minute and helped the team win 2-1 away from home.
I said Messi, not Jessi Lingardinho
Dani Alves was right when he said Messi is disconnected from the game if he doesn't have the ball often
What a spoiled brat
Why would Poch have his work cut out for him? Its not Pochs job to get Messi playing to his best ability before every game. Messi should stop being so shy and speak up on the pitch to his teammates.
They will have a few amazing games when all 4 of their attackers click and run over the opposition, but I still just can’t see how a line up with Messi, Neymar and Mbappe will win 7 CL knockout games to lift the big ear with their current work rate.
He’s such a smug twat.
Problems in paradise. 
There's just something about the underdogs punching over their weight, isn't it?
Icardi saving PSG is way too funny.
I watched a compilation video the other day of various managers and players discussing how to stop Messi and I seem to recall a lot of them saying he seems out of the game completely then in an instant switches on and produces moments of magic.
When watching him on TV, throughout the years, I thought he was at the centre of everything for Barca but maybe on the pitch his presence is felt differently.
This PSG side look very disjointed to me. I don't think 'MNM' will reach its potential.
He’s the manager. Messi is ready to play, but I’m talking about Poch needing to get psg firing on all cylinders and fitting all the pieces together.
Pochettino ain't the right man for that team.
As for Messi, I'm sure he can do a lot better if he has Hakimi running down the right wing instead of Kehrer, he'll have someone really fast and impactful to play off.
Overall some nice one-two between Messi/Neymar and Messi/Mbappe and he could've easily gotten a brace.
As for Messi, I'm sure he can do a lot better if he has Hakimi running down the right wing instead of Kehrer, he'll have someone really fast and impactful to play off.
Overall some nice one-two between Messi/Neymar and Messi/Mbappe and he could've easily gotten a brace.
Time will tell of course. I found him very underwhelming and clearly average, there is a good reason he was subbed before all their other attackers.
It’s been a couple of games. It’s funny how carried away people are getting with a few meh performances (in games they’ve mostly still won). They have to learn how to play together. As I’ve said before, I believe you’ll see this team firing on all cylinders by the second half of the season.
I’m sure they’ll be good, the potential is there but managing that side will be a handfull. Messi is obviously the best player there but you have two other guys that want to be “the man” or so to speak. Normally if a player like Messi comes in he instantly becomes the alfa in the group, the leader. I’m not so sure that’s going to happen there, from the outside looking in I’d say it’s one of the more challenging top sides to manage. Having three players brilliant players who all demand touches around the same areas of the pitch will be a challenge. But I’m sure they’ll work it out.
Looking at the situation at United it’s totally different. Ronaldo comes in and everybody knows instantly that he’s the alfa. Also, it does help the situation that while he demands a lot of touches in the penalty area he’s far from ball dominant so Bruno and Pogba can keep doing their thing for the most part.
Looking at the situation at United it’s totally different. Ronaldo comes in and everybody knows instantly that he’s the alfa. Also, it does help the situation that while he demands a lot of touches in the penalty area he’s far from ball dominant so Bruno and Pogba can keep doing their thing for the most part.
people often forget that Barca even with MSN in its prime barely managed to win the league after being second for majority of season and that was when all of them were younger and physically more capable of covering for each other. they had their struggles, club sacked Zubizarreta (who hired Enrique) and Enrique himself had a "clash" with Messi during their crisis in winter/january. it was the end of march when they finally managed to go past Madrid and win by 2 points in the end. the rest is history.
I'm deliberately comparing current PSG with prime MSN because it seems people are expecting the same thing (and straight away), but it's a different situation. regardless of age, Mbappe certainly won't run like prime Suarez used to and doesn't even want to be here. Messi also wouldn't even be here had covid didn't feck Barca heavily and is 6 years older, just like Neymar. Suarez looked at Messi as a best friend while Mbappe probably sees him as a intruder. I could be wrong of course, but I'd be surprised if they ever come close to the chemistry MSN developed through the season, especially with Herrera and Gueye playing behind them.
obviously, the season is long. CL is basically everything that matters to them, Verratti and others will recover and Poch has all the time in the world to make them click.
I'm deliberately comparing current PSG with prime MSN because it seems people are expecting the same thing (and straight away), but it's a different situation. regardless of age, Mbappe certainly won't run like prime Suarez used to and doesn't even want to be here. Messi also wouldn't even be here had covid didn't feck Barca heavily and is 6 years older, just like Neymar. Suarez looked at Messi as a best friend while Mbappe probably sees him as a intruder. I could be wrong of course, but I'd be surprised if they ever come close to the chemistry MSN developed through the season, especially with Herrera and Gueye playing behind them.
obviously, the season is long. CL is basically everything that matters to them, Verratti and others will recover and Poch has all the time in the world to make them click.
Can't help but looking at their squad... I think their best formation should be 3-5-1-1 with Messi behind Neymar or Mbappe and Verratti - Wijnaldum - Herrera / Di Maria midfield.
Good points. Ronaldo is basically an upgrade over Cavani, and apart from that he means no real change for Uniteds setup.
But fitting all those similar players at PSG in one system would give any coach a headache.
Yeah, I think people are a bit unfair in that regard. They see brilliant players and think everything will instantly click. They’ll have to learn to play together and all of them will have to accept that their stats might (and probably will) suffer a bit. People are already calling for someone else to take over and yet they have won 6 of 6 games in the league (yeah, not a very special league but still, they are winning) and then drawn one game in the CL, one. I think it’s crazy calling for his head at this point in time and it really just shows how entitled and spoiled football fans (and some owners) have become.
I’m not saying if he’s the right guy or not, but at least give the guy a little more time and a fighting chance.
It’s funny, Tuchel wasn’t good enough for them and everybody can see that he’s a very good manager (he probably doesn’t hate the fact that he has more CL trophies to his name than them). Sometimes, the problem is staring at you right in the mirror…
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Well they still managed signed Neymar, Mbappe, Verratti, Di Maria, Donnarumma, Icardi, Hakimi etc before they reach their peak though. I think money is also a key factor.
Totally agree. We basically upgraded our CF with Ronaldo and hence have a perfect situation where everyone else can do the defending and creating and Ronaldo can focus purely on getting on the scoresheet. Works for him and works for us.
With PSG they have three players who, although I wouldn't say are solely focused on goalscoring, all want to be the difference makers in the final third (Messi deeper as well) and aren't used to having to defend. It's much more imbalanced and seemingly not well thought through. Tactically makes much more sense to have two great difference makers and one who can put in a shift like Suarez used to or Firmino/Richarlison (random examplee) do.
For these front three to work against hard working teams they need a midfield of Kante, Casemiro and peak Modric. We have Ronaldo that doesnt do shit defensively, they have three Ronaldos.
It's early days with several possible outcomes. Personally I'm fond of runners and focal points.
I guess PSG could try to play a narrow 4-3-2-1 like AC Milan did with Seedorf and Kaka (Neymar and Messi) behind Inzaghi (Mbappe).
Hakimi might become a key like Cafu was for AC Milan, Dani Alves was for Barcelona or Maicon was for Inter in order to provide much needed width seeing as Neymar, di Maria and Messi are all 30-35 - they can't play as they did at 23.
An issue is that apart from Hakimi and Mbappe I don't really see who will make runs from midfield like Lampard or Kaka, nor do I see decoy men like Pedro or Thomas Müller. Wijnaldum and Verrati are close to 30.
Mbappe is a runner, a second striker in the mold of Henry and Ronaldo who can play CF but who in my view benefits from having a real CF next to him. He is also a lot smaller than Henry and Ronaldo who couldn't be bullied easily. PSG could play Icardi but who they drop then? The best scenario would be if Mbappe learned how to play more like Inzaghi or David Villa, small men who were great CF.
Heck, at Barcelona David Villa actually turned into somewhat of a decoy man in order for Messi to play "false 9" = somebody had already made a run taking defenders away. But Mbappe has too much in his locker for that and won't shift to a proper CF until his pace is gone like brazilian Ronaldo. Then we might see poacher Mbappe who can certainly be WC using different attributes.
Another way is if Messi does what Zlatan or Cristiano did - stop dropping deep and become CF up top. I can't see Messi doing it but my oh my, imagine Messi with Agueros playing style and allowing full playmaking to Neymar, Verrati and di Maria with Mbappe bombing in from the flank like Jairzinho in WC 1970.
I guess PSG could try to play a narrow 4-3-2-1 like AC Milan did with Seedorf and Kaka (Neymar and Messi) behind Inzaghi (Mbappe).
Hakimi might become a key like Cafu was for AC Milan, Dani Alves was for Barcelona or Maicon was for Inter in order to provide much needed width seeing as Neymar, di Maria and Messi are all 30-35 - they can't play as they did at 23.
An issue is that apart from Hakimi and Mbappe I don't really see who will make runs from midfield like Lampard or Kaka, nor do I see decoy men like Pedro or Thomas Müller. Wijnaldum and Verrati are close to 30.
Mbappe is a runner, a second striker in the mold of Henry and Ronaldo who can play CF but who in my view benefits from having a real CF next to him. He is also a lot smaller than Henry and Ronaldo who couldn't be bullied easily. PSG could play Icardi but who they drop then? The best scenario would be if Mbappe learned how to play more like Inzaghi or David Villa, small men who were great CF.
Heck, at Barcelona David Villa actually turned into somewhat of a decoy man in order for Messi to play "false 9" = somebody had already made a run taking defenders away. But Mbappe has too much in his locker for that and won't shift to a proper CF until his pace is gone like brazilian Ronaldo. Then we might see poacher Mbappe who can certainly be WC using different attributes.
Another way is if Messi does what Zlatan or Cristiano did - stop dropping deep and become CF up top. I can't see Messi doing it but my oh my, imagine Messi with Agueros playing style and allowing full playmaking to Neymar, Verrati and di Maria with Mbappe bombing in from the flank like Jairzinho in WC 1970.
———Neymar-Mbappe
——————Messi
Nuno Verratti Herrera Hakimi
Kimpembe Ramos Marquinhos
——————Navas
Could this work ? Only setup I could come up with to accommodate MNM and maintain some semblance of balance…
——————Messi
Nuno Verratti Herrera Hakimi
Kimpembe Ramos Marquinhos
——————Navas
Could this work ? Only setup I could come up with to accommodate MNM and maintain some semblance of balance…
goes to show you can make a team out of 11 individuals.
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PSG have higher ambitions than us too tbf. Messi was brought in to win the Champions League for them and continue been the best in the world like he was at Barcelona.
Any less is a failure given the way they aggressively have gone after these massive name players.
United and Ronaldo would take a league title I think. That would be fantastic for us.
Funnily enough we are looking a lot closer to our goal than they are and I would back us against them over 2 legs to get the job done as a bonus.
perhaps that was true in 2016. and before Spanish and Italian clubs got fecked by covid, but there are no reason not to realistically hope for CL now. this season it's all about English clubs + PSG and Bayern. so if you're beating Chelsea, City and Liverpool for the title, you're CL contender as well. rebuilding phase is over, everything else is on manager(s).