"I would rather see him at the heart of the game" - Ludovic Giuly names Lionel Messi’s best position for PSG
Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and French winger Ludovic Giuly believes Lionel Messi's talents are best suited to the No. 10 position, with the Argentine playing right behind the striker.
Giuly reckons Messi could have more influence on the proceedings if he played behind the striker, a role he excelled at during his time at Barcelona. Speaking to French outlet Le Parisien (via Culture PSG), Giuly said:
"It's true that seeing him on the right side is a little weird, he would do much more good in the axis. But it's a choice of coach and team balance. I would rather see it behind the attackers, at the heart of the game, as was the case at the end with Barcelona."
Messi a besoin de temps pour s’adapter au #PSG selon Giuly culturepsg.com/news/club/mess…
Messi joined PSG earlier this summer on a free transfer after Barcelona's financial woes prevented the 34-year-old forward from signing a new contract. The arrival of Messi into an already stacked PSG frontline consisting of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Mauro Icardi was a mouthwatering prospect for fans.
To accommodate the likes of Messi, Mbappe and Neymar, PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino has sometimes played the Argentinian forward on the right wing with Mbappe up front and Neymar on the left.
Lionel Messi is slowly settling in at PSG
Lionel Messi's slow start to his life at PSG could be attributed to the fact that he moved clubs for the first time in his illustrious career. The Argentine skipper's start in Paris was also hindered by international commitments and injuries.
However, Messi has now started showing signs of his best form. The 34-year-old forward scored his first goal for PSG in their 2-0 win over Manchester City in the UEFA Champions league.
He then scored twice in their 3-2 win over RB Leipzig. Messi linked up nicely with Mbappe, with the pair helping PSG mount a comeback against the German side. The 34-year-old also allowed Mbappe to take a late penalty despite being on a hat-trick himself. However, the penalty was missed by the Frenchman.
Despite his excellent Champions League form, Messi is yet to score a league goal for PSG. The former Barcelona superstar has made four appearances in Ligue 1, but has completed the full 90 minutes on just two occasions.
He will have a chance to open his account in the league when PSG host Lille this weekend.
❌ Lionel Messi is yet to score in a Ligue 1 fixture.
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