“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 some 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 the 27th (local time). Despite winning the French Ligue 1 title for the 11th time, the club’s future looks bleak after this season.스포츠토토
PSG drew 1-1 away to Strasbourg in the 37th round of the 2022-2023 French Ligue 1 on 27 April to clinch the title with one game to spare. But the club 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. Nonetheless, it was a historic win in Ligue 1.
Galtier has done well in the first half of this season. They were even unbeaten going into the Qatar 2022 World Cup break. However, the start of 2023 saw a collapse, with eight defeats in 19 games.
“Galtier never looked good, he never created anything with the team, there was no identity, no style. He struggled to handle and control a dressing room full of superstars.”
Laurent added: “MNM was the greatest front three that had never been assembled, but the reality was very different. MNM made the team unbalanced, had no pressing ability, and were disjointed,” continued the criticism.
“Even off the pitch they were not perfect,” he said, citing the example of Messi travelling with his family to Saudi Arabia on tour without the club’s permission.
He also pointed out that Mbappe publicly criticised the manager’s tactics in September last year. Mbappe then leaked news that he wanted to leave the club in January next year, 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.