Willian Pacho, 24, the Paris Saint-Germain center-back, is going through a less controlled period in a Parisian team that is generally less dominant. In the pages of L’Equipe, Demba Ba offers a clear analysis: the Ecuadorian defender’s drop in performance is also explained by a collective environment that has become more demanding and more exposed.
Ba: “You talk about Pacho, but he’s much more exposed.”
Is this a temporary lapse, the result of a season without proper preparation, or the consequence of a more structural problem?
Today, PSG is judged on individual aspects. But what we perceive from their current difficulties is the extent to which the individual is impacted by a less dominant collective. You talk about Pacho, but he’s much more exposed.
This overexposure means that where he had 10 duels to contest last year 40 meters from his goal and won 8, he now has twice as many 10 meters deeper. With midfielders protecting him less. And naturally, the risk is greater. And if, on top of that, you add a form of physical fatigue or mental strain, you have a less effective player.
Ba: “I think Pacho is capable of rising to the challenge.”
Can João Pedro hurt him on Wednesday?
“He can hurt anyone, actually. He runs, he shouts, he’s constantly making runs. He reminds me of Diego Costa. And for a center-back, that’s exhausting both psychologically and physically. I think Pacho is capable of rising to the challenge. He showed that many times last year.”
Demba Ba’s perspective usefully shifts the debate. Rather than singling out Pacho as the main culprit for his less convincing performances, the former striker emphasizes the environment in which he now plays. A less stifling PSG, less protective midfielders, more frequent defensive situations closer to goal: all of this mechanically increases the difficulty of his interventions.
In this context, even the smallest lost duel is more noticeable and carries more weight. Added to this can be the wear and tear of a long period of physical and mental exertion, understandable for a player so heavily involved. But Demba Ba doesn’t rule out an immediate response from the Parisian defender. On the contrary, he points out that Pacho has already shown, even in high-pressure situations, that he has the mental and athletic stamina to withstand very demanding attackers.
