Tuchel learning the hard way as PSG鈥檚 Euro woes continue
Print Edition
Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel is enjoying domestic dominance yet the UEFA Champions League is proving a difficult challenge.
Once again, PSG鈥檚 season resembles an ongoing TV soap opera. Some of the cast changes, but the storylines do not.
PSG鈥檚 annual saga is very familiar. It dominates the domestic scene by easily winning the treble, but falls short in Europe. The club鈥檚 hierarchy, based in Qatar, then changes the coach out of sheer frustration.
When Carlo Ancelotti left in 2013 after two years in charge, Laurent Blanc took over.
Blanc was fired to make way for Unai Emery in 2016 after failing to get past the UCL quarterfinals.
Emery lasted two years, failing to reach the quarters, and Tuchel arrived this summer. Emery joined PSG after winning three straight Europa League titles with Sevilla. He is now coaching Arsenal.
The club鈥檚 impatient desire to fast track success has not solved anything because familiar flaws were glaringly evident in Wednesday鈥檚 2-2 home draw with Napoli in the UCL .
PSG struggles to dictate games against strong sides, losing its composure and shape when put under pressure. Only an injury-time equalizer from Angel Di Maria prevented a second European loss in three games, following a 2-3 defeat at Liverpool.
鈥淲e鈥檙e lacking a compact structure,鈥 Tuchel said. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e not compact you can鈥檛 play with intensity.鈥
UCL Group C makes grim reading for PSG fans: third place with games at Napoli and home against Liverpool to come. It is some contrast from the luxury of Ligue 1, where PSG can record an 11th straight win by beating Marseille on Sunday night.
But Tuchel will be judged in the UCL, where PSG鈥檚 best showing is a semifinal in 1995. After three group matches, his side has conceded six goals 鈥 as many as in 10 league games.
鈥淚 knew the group would be complicated, we鈥檙e not the favorites,鈥 Tuchel said. 鈥淲e have to improve, that鈥檚 evident for me.鈥
Complaining about a tough group is what modest sides do, not those aspiring to win the UCL and bankrolled by huge funds. Considering PSG鈥檚 financial might, it should be more logical for Napoli and Liverpool to be worrying.
Tuchel is in a difficult position, for no PSG coach has failed to get out of the group stages since cash-rich Qatari investors QSI bought the club seven years ago. He sounded like he was making excuses when, comparing Napoli鈥檚 side to his own, he said: 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been together for years, (and) we鈥檝e been together for 11 weeks.鈥
Although Tuchel only took charge of PSG this season so did Ancelotti at Napoli, replacing Chelsea-bound Maurizio Sarri.
Tuchel鈥檚 argument is further undermined. Marquinhos, Edinson Cavani, Thiago Silva and Marco Verratti have all been at PSG at least five years for a combined 968 appearances.
Di Maria joined in 2015, while the major additions of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar for a massive outlay of 402 million euros (US$460 million) came last year. They scored freely in their first season together and are big stars, with Mbappe helping France win the World Cup this summer.
So what more does Tuchel need when he has such players?
Several things, he says.
In a candid acknowledgment after the Napoli game, he listed some alarming flaws for such an ambitious side.
鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult for us to respect our game plan and our structure for a full half. I don鈥檛 know why, but it鈥檚 tough,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e play with a plan and a structure for 15 minutes and then we lose it. We have to respect the fact that at the top level we can鈥檛 lose our shape and lose the ball easily.鈥
Liverpool tops the group after its 4-0 home win over Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
