Mathieu Le Scornet, one of Désiré Doué’s trainers, was asked by Le Parisien about the 19-year-old midfielder/attacker’s progress at Paris Saint-Germain following his transfer from Rennes. It comes as no surprise to him to see him gradually making his mark at PSG, given his qualities in the game and his mentality.
Le Scornet “Doué is capable of helping PSG win.”
“The luck he has, in my opinion, is the presence of Luis Enrique, who has brought him along really well. People compare him to Neymar because there are similarities, but Désiré has his own moves. He’s capable of helping PSG win because he’s got a range of techniques that can make all the difference.
With the Doués, it’s the body and the spirit. He’s always been a team leader. Whatever the moment of the match, he’s impervious to any pressure, because when he takes to the field, it’s to play soccer.
Le Scornet “Doué learned that beyond being beautiful, a technical gesture had to be efficient.”
Over the years, he has learned that beyond being beautiful, a technical gesture must be efficient. And now he knows how to choose the right gesture. He has also made enormous progress with his back to the game. He’s a brilliant, gifted player who tames things with great lucidity.
Compared to Ousmane (Dembélé), who’s a feline, Désiré is a dragster. When he puts his foot down and dribbles, he tears up the pitch. He’s more compact, denser. He’s a block! Doué has raised his game yet again, almost becoming a regular in this PSG team with its sights set on winning the Champions League.”
It’s interesting to see Luis Enrique’s contribution being highlighted. Scornet has nothing to do with it, but the Parisian coach was particularly criticized during the autumn when results were sometimes a little disappointing. More because of inefficiency than play, except that there’s always a lack of hindsight and everything was tackled. In fact, everything had to be thrown away.
Doué was also called into question during this period. Within a short space of time, it was already clear that his arrival was a mistake. The Parisians were able to keep up their hard work and confidence, thanks in particular to a determined Luis Enrique, who was able to protect his squad.
They have progressed week by week, both collectively and individually. Doué is a fine example. He didn’t give up, he fought hard and he grew into Luis Enrique’s philosophy. We had no doubts, given his talent and mentality. He hasn’t had a “star” attitude and still doesn’t when he succeeds. He knows what’s important and that there’s still a lot to do. This is achieved by putting technical quality at the service of play and efficiency. A very important element, when “showmanship” can have its limits.
