Why the attacking trio of Messi, Mbappe and Neymar could stifle PSG’s progress?
It was all smiles at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)’s training ground on Tuesday morning, with pictures of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar training together going viral on social media.
Until last week, no one expected to see these three world-class players playing for the same team. But Barcelona’s huge debts meant they couldn’t afford Messi, allowing PSG to swoop in and sign the Argentinian on a free transfer.
The six-time Ballon d’Or winner could make his debut on Friday against Brest, which would mark the world-class strikeforce play together for the first time.
But while PSG currently boast the best frontline in the game, that doesn’t guarantee success. Football is a team sport, and that means their defence and midfield must be equally competent for them to get the desired results.
Egos and the difficult decision to compromise
The Ligue 1 giants are desperate to win the UEFA Champions League, and their latest investments suggest they are not yet ready to give up on that dream.
While they have a squad that is capable of conquering Europe, some players need to sacrifice themselves for the good of the team. In a team full of world-class stars, who would those players be?
Messi, Neymar and Mbappe all thrive scoring goals, and each player will definitely be aiming to reach new heights this season. But who would take the free-kicks, penalties and take the back seat?
Each of them is a top player in their own right, so who’d opt to sacrifice? Should Mauricio Pochettino manage to get them on the same page, things could work out well. But if their individual egos override the objectives of the team, that could stifle PSG’s progress.
PSG's team balance could be sacrificed
Pochettino has a dream team, but his biggest challenge would be how to get the balance right. The Argentinian manager must do that while also getting Messi, Neymar and Mbappe to deliver at the other end.
There is no doubt the aforementioned three players will be starters, but the seven other outfield players must provide the right balance to make the team competitive.
"Balance is the most important. At one point, we always talk about great players, attacking, going forward, but we need a balance,” Thierry Henry said of PSG’s star-studded team, as quoted by BeSoccer.
"In general, teams that don't concede a lot of goals are not far from the title, or even from the Champions League. When you have superhuman players, it gets a little easier. They (PSG) concede too many goals for my liking to be able to go a little further. It is true there was a lack of players but the balance is the most important.”
In football, a balanced team is more likely to get results than a team full of talented stars. PSG could end up being the latter if Messi, Neymar and Mbappe are not handled well by Pochettino.