Paris Saint-Germain only managed a draw against PSV Eindhoven on Matchday 3 of the Champions League group stages (1-1 video summary here). On the set of CBS Sport, former player Thierry Henry, now a consultant, spoke about the shortcomings of this Parisian team, particularly since the departure of 25-year-old striker Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid.
Henry “In a game like this, Kylian can turn it around”
“ After Kylian left, people said they were going to be more stable or more balanced. It worked at first, they gave the impression of being a team and yes, they are more of a team, more stable but they still lost Mbappé.
It’s very difficult. In a match like that, Kylian can turn it into 2-1 or with a winning goal towards the end, a moment of magic. You’ve lost a little magic, but the team seems a little more solid in terms of balance. Obviously, that’s not good enough.
Henry “you can’t be ‘100% young’ too soon.”
You decided to get rid of those guys (the stars), the way it was going with the public… They decided to go for the youth. But when you decide to go young, you can’t be ‘100% young’ too soon. You need a few guys to mentor you.
Marquinhos has stayed, Hakimi is moving up to ‘veteran’ status. You need guys who help these guys be better.”
The team is in the process of being built up, and this is bound to take time to put in place. The overall control is convincing, but it’s in attack that the results are most impressive and where changes need to be made. A number 9, a pure number 9, now seems essential.
The winter mercato could serve to rectify this shortcoming. Even if Gonçalo Ramos can provide that extra touch, he can’t be alone in this position. On the other hand, Luis Enrique needs time to find the right solutions.
The primary objective is to qualify for the last 16 or last 8 of the Champions League. The capital club will then have the winter mercato to make the necessary changes to the squad in order to be at 100% in the second half of the season.
