This Wednesday, L’Equipe focused in particular on Désiré Doué, the 20-year-old midfielder/forward for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team, ahead of tonight’s clash against Liverpool (first leg of the Champions League quarter-final). His versatility was a key topic of discussion, with the possibility of eventually settling him into a specific position. Julien Stéphan, the coach who knew him at Rennes and now manages Queens Park Rangers, offered a fairly clear answer.
Stéphan: “He needs to continue exploring and absorbing a wide range of experiences.”
“I don’t think we should, in the short or even medium term, pigeonhole him as a ‘Désiré’ player. He needs to continue exploring and absorbing a wide range of experiences. Who would have imagined that a winger as unpredictable as Ousmane (Dembélé) would become such a lethal number 9?” Désiré has everything technically, physically, and mentally to be one of the best players in the world. He’ll reach full maturity around 24, 25, or 26. Until then, let’s allow him to explore. And then, he might have to become that central, ultra-decisive player, and play further up the pitch.
Some players are “specialists” in one position, others are more versatile. You have to know how to adapt to the players and the needs of the team, in a football that’s becoming increasingly fluid. Doué fits perfectly into this modern style of play, championed by Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique in a philosophy full of fluidity. All the better, as it gives the coach numerous options and allows the player to accumulate maximum playing time.
With all his technical, athletic, and tactical qualities, Doué is already establishing himself among the best. Now he just needs to find the best position depending on the rest of the team and the opponent. With possible adjustments during the match, without necessarily making a substitution, it’s a valuable asset. We could even add that it happens during a single play. So why try to pigeonhole this sublime player? He should be allowed to express his creativity, as long as it remains within the collective game plan and there’s the intelligence to coordinate. This can be more complicated with the national team, where the group interacts less frequently. But it always seems a shame to try to pigeonhole Doué.
