Thierry Henry, the former Arsenal and France striker, praised Luis Enrique’s work at Paris Saint-Germain in an interview with The Athletic. Impressed by PSG’s pressing game, he highlighted the project’s coherence and the high collective standards demanded by the Spanish coach.
Henry: “You see how PSG press? They are unplayable.”
“You see how PSG press? They are unplayable. But it took Luis Enrique five or six months to get this team up and running. (…)
When Mbappé, Neymar, and Messi left, everyone wondered where PSG would go from there. Then Barcola and Doué arrived. No one imagined they would achieve what they have. But Luis Enrique knows exactly how he wants to play.
Remember what Dembélé said? If you don’t run at Paris Saint-Germain, you’re out. It’s as simple as that.”
Tactically, this pressing style offers a twofold benefit for Paris: disrupting the opponent’s build-up play and regaining possession in areas favorable for launching an attack. The initial pressing run made by the lead attacker must be supported by his teammates, who close off passing lanes and reduce the space available to the ball carrier.
This highlights the importance of the high standards Henry mentioned: a single player failing to follow the movement can provide the opponent with an escape route. The collective success he describes therefore relies on genuine coordination. This is also what makes his praise for Luis Enrique so significant: securing such commitment from attacking players allows their efforts to serve the entire team.
