Lucas Chevalier, 23-year-old Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper, is in a bit of turmoil following his arrival this summer from Lille. There have been some mixed performances and already some criticism. Former Paris goalkeeper Jérôme Alonzo (2001-2008) spoke about this to the newspaper Le Parisien. He’s sending out strong messages.
Alonzo: “This exile on another planet is coupled with a very heavy legacy to bear.”
“This exile on another planet is coupled with a very heavy legacy to bear. Lucas is taking over from the current best goalkeeper in the world, who is also the one who brought his first Champions League title to Paris. He must perform at least as well as him on the line and bring something extra to the game. Good luck!”
(During the penalty conceded by Zabarnyi) He’s dropping back at the start when he should be moving forward. This is the typical attitude of a goalkeeper who isn’t fully confident.
Alonzo: “Here’s his next challenge: to become the boss of PSG.”
He’s the future great French goalkeeper, without a doubt. We just need to give him time. He’s in exactly the same position Donnarumma was when he succeeded Navas. I want to see him destroy everything in his box like he was at Lille, chest out, chest out. Here’s his next challenge: to become the boss of PSG.”
Indeed, we must take into account a particularly difficult situation for Chevalier. There’s always an adjustment required during a transfer. Sometimes, it happens particularly quickly (as with Willian Pacho or João Neves). But that doesn’t make it the norm.
There’s a need to adjust to a new context and establish reflexes with new teammates. Added to this is the fact that this is a special club, of a very high level, and each player is highly anticipated. They also have to take over from Gianluigi Donnarumma (26 years old), who finished very strongly with great performances in the Champions League, and the title at stake.
Some have thus forgotten that everything hasn’t been perfect. As is often the case, those who aren’t there are idealized. Like when we saw “experts” and supporters calling for Chevalier’s arrival last winter. He is there, with all his qualities; now we just need a little patience. And, possibly, performances that serve as a benchmark.
Because, as Alonzo points out (and we highlighted this in our analysis), Chevalier seems to be lacking a little confidence at the moment. He should have come out and reassured everyone about the action that led to Ilya Zabarnyi’s (23-year-old defender) red card. Seeing him fall back is striking. Especially since he didn’t do it at Lille, where he knew how to assert himself off the line.
It’s up to him to rediscover that mindset, with the help of his teammates and the coaching staff. It should come soon; Chevalier has the qualities to have a successful spell at PSG, which can’t be judged solely on the first few matches.
