ANALYSIS – Luis Enrique will be rotating his players this Saturday (9pm), in Angers, for the 11th day of Ligue 1. Will this be an opportunity for some of the players to grab some playing time… and score some points?
For once, Luis Enrique is not hiding his plans. The Spanish coach will “turn“in Angers this Saturday (9pm). This is due to the “little rest time” between this meeting of Ligue 1 Matchday 11 and defeat by Atlético Madrid (1-2)on Wednesday for the the fourth day of the Champions League. “We want to show the same image as usual in the championship. That can help us for what comes next. There will be changes (in the 11). It won’t be an easy match. I need all the players ready”.assures the 54-year-old Spanish coach, noting that there are “a blockage in terms of efficiency in the C1. In the league too, but it’s less obvious… Watch out for a trap match for the Parisian leaders, against a team from Angers who have just won in Monaco and are in 15th place. Ligue 1 standings.
In any case, this match should allow a number of hairdressers to stretch their legs and, perhaps, score some points. Hairdressing is a relative term in Paris, with Luis Enrique regularly rotating the team, at least in L1. One thing’s for sure, though: the term doesn’t apply to Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Willian Pacho (out at Angers), Nuno Mendes (outplayed against the Colchoneros), Vitinha, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Joao Neves, Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and no doubt Marco Asensio, who regularly lines up as a false 9. Gigio Donnarumma should be included in the list… if Luis Enrique hadn’t downgraded him. against Lens (1-0). For the others, however, Angers represents an opportunity to shine. Here’s an overview.
Ruiz and Lee on the doorstep of 11, what about Safonov?
Fabian Ruiz and Kang-in Lee aren’t exactly hairdressers. They’re not potential first-teamers either, but they’re the closest to the starting 11. In midfield, on the right or as a false 9, the South Korean has played every game this season (14), scoring four goals and playing 770 minutes. Over and above his impact in terms of… of jersey salesLee is perfectly suited to Luis Enrique’s style of play. There are, however, better players than him in all the positions to which he can lay claim. As far as Ruiz is concerned, he’s one of the “five very high-level midfielders”. available to the Spanish coach, namely Vitinha, Joao Neves, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Senny Mayulu (see elsewhere) and Ruiz, “a recognized player, Spanish international, European champion. He has an ability to do things that fans and journalists don’t see.”stresses Luis Enrique. Except that he can’t express himself in Paris at the level he does for his national team. Big gap. La Roja’s Fabian Ruiz would have a place in the Parisian 11. In the meantime, the Viti/Neves/“WZE“ seems to be ahead of the game.
As for Matfey Safonov, recruited for €20m last summerthe situation is more confused. An understudy since the start of the season, the Russian international goalkeeper made his debut against Lens (1-0). A tactical choiceas Luis Enrique explained. Enough to imagine real competition with Gigio Donnarumma? In any case, it was the Italian who kept goal for Paris against Atlético (1-2). He didn’t reassure eitherIf Safonov played against the Sang et Or, his fourth match, it was above all for his ability to play on his feet and offer an additional solution to the pressure from the opposition. A one-off choice or the start of a trend?
Gifted, the growth crisis
50 M€, plus 10 in bonuses. PSG spared no expense to lure Désiré Doué from Rennes and steal him from Bayern. He chose Paris over Munich. But Luis Enrique rarely chooses him. 11 games but only 378 minutes. One assist. Shy when he came on, often on the left, Doué was unable (yet?) to express himself under his new colors. “I’m feeling good, the coach trusts me and so does the team, they’ve integrated me very well and I’m sure I’ll get more and more playing time”., assured the interested party recently. “Very good. There are no mathematical rules in soccer. Maybe a French player has an easier time adapting, but that’s not always the case, every case is different. Most players adapt easily, others more slowly. Désiré Doué is a high-level player for the future and for today. He needs to have the right mentality to help the team today”., slips “Lucho. Message received?
Kolo Muani and Skriniar, a dead end
First-team regulars for the national team, second-team substitutes at club level? This is the life of Randal Kolo Muani and Milan Skriniar, who have few prospects under Luis Enrique. Their profile just doesn’t fit. To imagine better days ahead and get back on the pitch on a regular basis, the Frenchman and the Slovakian are waiting for international windows… and a transfer. In fact, the former Inter defender has already been pushed towards the exit this summer, without success. No doubt Paris will be looking to exfiltrate him again this winter. “Kolo” seems destined for a similar future, according to the latest reports.. However, he still needs to find a suitable replacement. In principle, Paris-SG would expect to pay between €40 and €50m to open the door to the former Nantes player, recruited for €95m. Note that “Lucho” recently reminded us that he also pays attention to what he sees… “in matches and training sessions”.when asked about Kolo Muani. Is this a way of saying that the French international is not at his best at Poissy?
Skriniar has barely had more playing time than the titis since the start of the season, with 201 minutes in three games. 392 minutes, 11 games and two goals for Randal Kolo Muani, recently replaced at half-time. at Nice (1-1). The Bondy native could have been the Parisian hero against Atlético Madrid… if Achraf Hakimi had seen him, alone from six yards out, at the end of the game. In any case, “Kolo” is neither a 9 nor a false 9. And so he doesn’t fit into the boxes that “Lucho” has in mind. And on the right, where we’ve seen him shine in blue? The Spanish coach prefers Ousmane Dembélé, Lee or Doué…
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Lucas Beraldo, who put in a number of fine performances last winter in his first few weeks in Paris, is having great difficulty confirming his position. The quality of his recovery is there. The rest is harder… The young Brazilian international (aged 20) still has his whole future ahead of him. In the meantime, he’s struggling. Luis Enrique doesn’t help him by often playing him on the left. Eight games and 574 minutes. However, the Spanish coach isn’t asking too many questions when it comes to selecting his central hinge. Beraldo is not invited.
Mayulu, Zague, Mbaye, the titis in the waiting room
Full-back Yoram Zague and striker Ibrahim Mbaye are only entitled to crumbs: 71 minutes in one match for the former, 83 minutes in five appearances for the latter. At 18 and 16 respectively, they have plenty of time. But for the time being, Luis Enrique has little faith in them. It’s a different story for Senny Mayulu. Like Zague, the 18-year-old from Le Blanc-Mesnil has played 131 minutes in seven games. What’s more, Luis Enrique has included him in his list of “five very high-level midfielders”. with Vitinha, Neves, Zaïre-Emery and Ruiz. The U20 international already has a goal to his name, against Strasbourg (4-2)He had already found the back of the net last season in the French Cup. Sass, versatility, technical ability… in short, everything his Spanish coach loves.