Team Focus: A Good Season for PSG and Blanc – But Where Next?
When Thiago Silva lifted the Coupe de la Ligue trophy, high in the main stand of the Stade de France just after 11pm on Saturday night, the Paris Saint-Germain captain and his teammates celebrated with gusto. There was no tokenism, no sense that this was a mere trinket of consolation - just roars of joy.
It was, evidently, a moment that PSG needed after the challenging spell that has followed their Champions League exit to Chelsea. The defeat at Stamford Bridge hit to the heart. It was a night on which, after André Schürrle’s opening goal for the hosts, the swagger drained out of Laurent Blanc’s side alarmingly quickly. The team with the third highest average proportion of possession in this season’s Champions League retreated into their shells to such a point that they ended up with just 48% in the match that they had bossed in the opening 20 minutes.
In one sense, everything is rosy again. Saturday’s win could well be followed by another trophy next weekend; wins against Evian at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday and at Sochaux next Sunday would clinch a second successive Ligue 1 title. Blanc, having declared himself “happy” at the club and with president Nasser al-Khelaifi saying he is satisfied with his coach, looks set to sign an improved contract to stay, even though nothing has yet been made official.
Yet that Blanc’s position had been questioned in the media in the days following the Champions League exit is a reminder not just of how deep the defeat cut, but of how high expectation is – and thus, how potentially fragile the coach’s status could be. Silva, speaking before Saturday’s final, acknowledged it as a fact of life at the Parc. “In football,” he said, “when you’re working with a great team in a project built to win, you’re exposed. When you go out of the Champions League and you lose in the league (successively, with the league defeat to Lyon last week), it’s normal that there’s pressure.”
Saturday’s victory was that fine balancing act in microcosm. PSG started strongly, and looked like running away with the final after Edinson Cavani’s first-half brace. Their midfield trio of Marco Verratti, Blaise Matuidi and Thiago Motta suffocated Lyon in that opening period and prevented them getting any foothold in the game (the trio’s pass completion rates were 91%, 93% and 89% respectively). The average player position map also reminds us that the lively Matuidi frequently dropped out wide to combine with left-back Maxwell, who had created Cavani’s early opener.
Yet the current below-normal confidence was clear in Lyon’s ability to turn things around after the interval. It is shocking to absorb the fact that Cavani’s penalty – scored in the 32nd minute – was PSG’s last shot on target of the evening. Remi Garde’s side had more attempts in open play than their prestigious opponents (5 to 3), while PSG’s edge in overall attempts (8 to 6) was gained by two late attempts on the counter-attack as Lyon threw caution to the wind as they chased an equaliser.
Lyon deserve credit for their vigour and fight, though the second half shouldn’t colour our view of the game as a whole. PSG were deserved winners, despite the controversy of Cavani’s ultimately winning goal, with Anthony Lopes’ supposed foul on Lucas Moura clearly occurring outside the penalty area. They mastered possession as adeptly as always under Blanc, having 58% of the ball and landing 89% of their attempted passes, but also dominated the physical side of the match, winning 69% of the game’s aerial battles.
The spine of the side is hard to question. Silva’s ability to get the job done with the minimum of fuss on the big occasion was again clear too, as he made 6 clearances (his partner Alex made 5). The pair only made a tackle between them, emphasising their level of control. In front of them, Motta and Matuidi helped PSG to keep shape when Lyon applied pressure, as did Javier Pastore and Yohan Cabaye after their entrances as substitutes. Cabaye made two tackles and completed 100% of his passes after arriving in the 74th minute, which was exactly what Blanc would have wanted from him.
The detail of the struggle in the latter stages should – and will – be forgotten with the passage of time. This two-trophy season should be considered a successful one. It’s just that PSG’s second-half wobbles at the Stade de France, quite a normal passage within a cup final against capable opponents, is judged in the context of the moment - a context in which PSG, for really the first time under Blanc, have revealed a frisson of vulnerability.
The numbers over the entire season speak for themselves. It is no secret that Blanc was not first choice for the hotseat, but he has changed PSG for the better. They bully teams, and entertain, in a way that Carlo Ancelotti’s vintage rarely did. They have scored 74 times in their 33 Ligue 1 games to date (compared with 69 in all 38 last season). They have fulfilled Blanc’s avowed possession-based mandate, with an average of 64.4% per league match this season, up from 56.1% last campaign, behind both Lille and Lyon. They take 15.4 shots per match, compared to last season’s 13.4 (which had been behind Lille and Marseille).
Losing the talismanic Zlatan Ibrahimovic at just the wrong time of the season was clearly a huge blow. In fact, despite Cavani’s misgivings about starting out wide, the Swede’s tendency to drop deep has allowed the €64m man plenty of time at the sharp end. His 3 shots per game is only marginally below his average of 3.4 in the last five seasons (though short of his uncommonly high 4.6 from last season), and Blanc has begun to fuse an understanding between the pair – no mean feat given Ibrahimovic’s individualistic make-up.
Improving this pairing further next year could be the key to helping PSG step up a level further, because there’s not too much to improve upon. They are dealing in fine margins, as team and coach alike are aware.
How do you think Blanc can improve PSG for next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
Fact was that Lyon had only 5 regular starter at thier disposal. Some lads in the starting XI such as Mvuemba or Tolisso are often not sure to even been on the bench. But still we played good. I hope next season we'll not loose our coach and 1/3 of our squad...
By winning the champions league and winning the french cup
Wenger would not be the right man to lead PSG to a champions League title.. PSG owners want the Champions League.
Interesting article, but I think the stats are a little misleading on Saturday's final. Lyon may have had more shots on goal, but most of them weren't meaningful: Apart from their goal Douchez had little to do, and PSG were comfortable-ish. They (PSG) did seem to lack self-belief in 2nd half though, something for Blanc to work on after the Chelsea game.
I'd remind you that Ibra is 32, Ribery 30.. I mean, if their abilities aren't fading yet, then they will rather soon.
@Exti Yeah, but for 2 more season they can play on very high level. Yes, its not a long term plan, but will do the work :) If they can lure pogba (which is a rumor) that would be a lethal team...
Hoping PSG can reestablish themselves as European giants!
Other scheme like 433 and 4231 need long time (looooong time) to develop and the culture of the team, some players must sacrifice themselves to ensure the perfect balance and other must adapt and play different from their favourite roles. It's not PSG's case at all.
Psg have great names but have inconsistent play and not the right tactic asset too, the starting XI is a clueless bunch of random players. They need a good right fullback because v der wiel is not solid, cabaye and matuidi are good DM, Lucas on the left and lavezzi on the right are good options and in front cavani and ibra. A simple and solid 442, is the shorter and easier way to find a balance and to put together different top players.
...cause a new issue: Ibrahimovic or Cavani, as both want to play all the time. So My team would be GK: Sirigu RB: Van der Wiel CB: Thiago Silva CB: New Player LB: Digne/Maxwel DMC: Thiago Motta/Rabiot MC: Matuidi MC: Cabaye/Verratti LW: Ribery RW: Lucas Moura FC: Ibrahimovic/Cavani That would be a very-very good team...
Contrary to WilliePetes opinion, I think he's the right manager for PSG. Second season in a row, they're very close to advancing into semifinal. He has a core of very good french (even homegrown players), quality foreigners and the right question is what can he do to make them better, thus to qualify into 1/2 final and even win the CL. For me, they are not far from it. Only two addition needed. If he sticks to the formation he uses (and I think he should) he needs to buy 2 players. - a world class left winger. That would be Ribery. He def should go for him. He plays as Winger, he's French, he is into thirties so Bayern would be willing to sell him and plays with his both feets. - a world class central defender. They have Thiago Silva, but Marquinhos (who is a great potential but young) and Alex (who is just not for that level of achievement) are not enough when you need to defend against the top attackers. Also, he should use Lucas Moura on Right Wing more, but that will...
Not sure whether Blanc can improve PSG. Definitely don't feel he's the right manager to lead them to Champions League glory, which is ultimately the next step. If they can get Wenger at the end of the season, they should bid Laurent adieu