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What makes this PSG team so great? Their attackers love to defend | Luke Entwistle
TL;DR
PSG's attackers, including Ousmane Dembélé, are embracing defensive responsibilities under coach Luis Enrique, shifting the team's dynamics. This change aims to enhance their competitiveness in the Champions League after past failures with a solely attacking focus.
Key points
- PSG's attackers are embracing defensive roles under Luis Enrique
- Luis Enrique emphasizes teamwork and defensive contributions
- Kylian Mbappé learned leadership includes defensive responsibilities
- Désiré Doué leads in pressing among European players
- New attackers like Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia adapt to this philosophy
Paris Saint-GermainOusmane DembéléKylian MbappéKhvicha Kvaratskhelia
Ousmane DembĂ©lĂ© grins when he says that, if he does not press, he will be benched by Luis Enrique. The Ballon dâOr winner does not do his defensive work under duress. Like the rest of his teammates, he seems to derive enjoymentfrom a part of the game that was once seen as unnatural. Attackers would attack and defenders would defend; simple rules for a simple game. But demands have changed.
The forward line of Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and Neymar was a mouthwatering prospect but they failed to take Paris Saint-Germain close to a Champions League title and there was a lack of joy in their work*.* All attack and no defend made PSG a dull watch. There was a lesson in their failure: that football had changed and matches could not be won by the sheer weight of their attacking talent.
Luis Enrique tried to teach MbappĂ© that lesson in his final season at the club. In a documentary on the managerâs first year at PSG, there was a scene in which MbappĂ© was sat down like a naughty schoolboy and forced to watch his own defensive shortcomings during the Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona. Luis Enrique made his demands very clear: âI read that you like Michael Jordan,â he said. âMichael Jordan grabbed his teammates by the balls and defended like a son of a bitch. You think you have to score goals for us. Of course, youâre a phenomenon, a world-class player, no doubt, but that doesnât matter to me that much. Being a leader is, when you canât help us with goals, you help us defensively. If you set the example by going to press, you know what we have? A fucking team.â
MbappĂ© has since admitted that he was âhalf-thinking about Madrid at that pointâ and that he âdidnât make the most of Luis Enriqueâ. The France captain never bought into the overarching philosophy. He thought that defending would stymie his attacking potential and he did not want to give up the freedom he had been granted by his former managers for the sake of the collective.
The players who now make up PSGâs forward line â DembĂ©lĂ©, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, DĂ©sirĂ© DouĂ© and Bradley Barcola â have no such qualms. In Europeâs top five leagues, no player has made more presses per 90 minutes than DouĂ©. Kvaratskhelia also features in the top five. The footage of DembĂ©lĂ© waiting to pounce on Yann Sommerâs goal-kick during last seasonâs Champions League final is one of the prevailing images of PSGâs maiden triumph. Fail to comply and youâre on the bench; having four world-class options for three places in the team ensures that threat is not a hollow one.
But the players themselves, notably DembĂ©lĂ©, also drive the standards. âAbove all, we have to play for Paris Saint-Germain to win matches because, if we play alone on the pitch, that wonât work. Last year, we put the club above everything else, before thinking about ourselves. We need to rediscover that. We have to play for the club first and foremost before thinking about ourselves,â he said in February. Performances in the Champions League since suggest he has been heard by his teammates.
Q&A
Why are PSG's attackers focusing on defense this season?
PSG's attackers are focusing on defense to adapt to Luis Enrique's philosophy, which emphasizes teamwork and defensive contributions to enhance overall performance.
What lessons did Kylian Mbappé learn from Luis Enrique?
Kylian Mbappé learned from Luis Enrique that being a leader means contributing defensively when not scoring goals, a lesson highlighted during a documentary on Enrique's first year at PSG.
Who are the key attackers in PSG's current lineup?
The key attackers in PSG's current lineup include Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Désiré Doué, and Bradley Barcola.
How does Désiré Doué's pressing compare to other players in Europe?
Désiré Doué ranks among the top players in Europe's top five leagues for presses per 90 minutes, showcasing his commitment to the team's defensive strategy.
