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Barcelona love to insert buyout clauses that are beyond anyone’s imagination. This manoeuvre is to discourage clubs from eyeing talk less of signing the Catalans' cherished players. However, PSG prove that anything that commands a price is buyable. So, in what was their highlight of 2017, PSG signed Neymar for a world record fee, more than twice the amount Manchester United paid for the previous record holder: Paul Labile Pogba.
Signing Neymar was a statement of intent by PSG because they needed that player with the infamous ‘X-factor’ to help propel them to the zenith of European football. Despite this two-hundred-million-pound outlay, 2017 was a year to forget for PSG.
Without further ado, here are the five things PSG didn’t get right that negatively impacted their 2017.
#5 Selling Blaise Matuidi to Juventus
Tenacious, industrious, driven, and with the occasional goals, Matuidi is one of the best box-to-box midfielders on the planet. So, eyebrows were raised when PSG decided to let go of such an experienced midfielder.
Although the player claimed he needed a new challenge, it appears PSG didn’t try hard to persuade him to stay. After all, this is a club which didn’t change its stance when Adrien Rabiot requested a transfer, meaning PSG didn’t show similar faith in Matuidi.
And that decision is likely to cost them when the going gets tough. And yes, the road is only going to get bumpier for PSG, as indicated by the relative ease with which Bayern dealt with them at the Alliance Arena and the fact that they’ve been paired with Madrid in the round of 16 of this season’s UEFA Champions League.
Make no mistake about Real Madrid’s form; they have a habit of peaking at the latter stages of the season. So, if PSG manages to get past Real Madrid, other teams are lying in wait. This is when PSG will need Matuidi’s authority the most since concerns have been raised about this PSG’s star-studded squad's lack of leaders.
Even questions have been raised about Thiago Silva’s leadership qualities. And in Matuidi, PSG had a leader with guts and grit. So, when the time comes for someone to galvanise the squad, Neymar, Verratti, Di Maria, Areola, Cavani, and Rabiot won’t be the ones to do it.
Well, PSG’s loss is Juventus’s gain.
#4 Not buying a seasoned centreback
They say: ‘Strikers win games, defenders win championships.’ PSG dispensed with the wisdom of this famous quote by persisting with the pairing of Silva and Marquinhos.
At his peak, Thiago Silva was the best defender in the world. However, a string of injuries, questionable performances, and his age (34) mean he isn’t held in the same regard as the world’s top centre-halves.
On the other hand, Marquinhos (born Marcos Aoás Corrêa) is a young, promising defender, but he’s not a worldbeater … yet. And his partnership with Thiago Silva, although good when facing inferior teams, hasn’t been the most convincing against formidable opposition. Despite being shaky at times, both Marquinhos are still good defenders. But what happens when (it isn’t a case of 'if') either one of them is injured, out of form, or needs rest?
Presnel Kimpembe is the only option
The only other recognised central defender on PSG’s books is academy graduate Presnel Kimpembe. Just a year younger than Marquinhos, Kimpembe isn’t one of the most dominant centrebacks in Europe. Therefore, at best, PSG have in their squad an ageing Thiago Silva, a promising Marquinhos, and a backup in an inexperienced Kimpembe.
As a result, PSG should have spent some money on a commanding defender to bolster their backline. Some of the best candidates who would have been suitable for that role are Virgil Van Dijk (arguable the best defender in the Premier League last season), Jerome Boateng (not easy to pry form Bayern’s hands), Sergio Ramos (who should be seeking a new challenge after winning it all with Real Madrid), Konstas Manolas, Leonardo Bonucci (who was desperate to leave Milan), Diego Godin (realistically won’t win neither the league nor the Champions League WITH Athletico), or Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen (whose ambitions are bigger than Tottenham’s; no disrespect to Spurs).
All of these players have strong aerial prowess, something which the PSG defence lacks (Bayern exploited that aerial weakness by scoring two of their three goals from crosses).
In short, PSG may later rue their aversion to signing a world-class centre-back, especially in their potential clashes with European heavyweights, something the likes of Real Madrid should relish.
#3 Signing Neymar
How could signing the third best player in the world (if you believe the Ballon d’Or nonsense) such a bad thing? Well, PSG have dug themselves two holes by splashing the cash on Neymar.
a) Signing Neymar means PSG are almost sure to run afoul of the Financial Fair Play (FFP) rule, which could mean transfer embargo and ban from European competition. Also, signing Neymar for such ludicrous amount is a message to other clubs that PSG don’t compromise on transfer fees. With this knowledge, teams would force PSG to pay higher than the market value for their targets; thus, incurring more operating costs in the long run.
b) Neymar’s signing is disrupting squad harmony. To get Neymar to agree to take a step back in his career (Yes, it is a regression in a career for Neymar because Barcelona are aeons ahead of PSG), PSG had to offer Neymar some perks and accommodate some of his ridiculous indulgences. This has inflated Neymar’s ego and make him more difficult to handle by his coach and less fancied by his teammates. It is the reason Neymar has already been involved in high-profile clashes with teammates, including throwing tantrums when Cavani didn’t allow him to assume responsibilities for the team’s spot-kicks.
If PSG allow Neymar’s bigger-than-thou attitude to fester, the resulting lack of camaraderie would only hurt PSG’s ambition both in France and in Europe.
#2 Surrendering a four-goal lead to Barcelona
Until perhaps this season, PSG were always going to be the underdogs when pitted against Barcelona. So, no one should have begrudged PSG for losing to Barcelona in the race to reach the quarterfinals of the 2016/2017 UEFA Champions League. However, it was in the manner in which PSG lost that disappointed everyone.
In a footballing masterclass, PSG dispatched Barcelona at the Parc des Princes with little fuss. Hence, everyone thought PSG’s advancement to the last eight was a mere formality. But PSG set an unwanted record by becoming the first team in Champions League history to surrender a four-goal, first-leg lead.
In a night many were hoping the underdogs would prevail, PSG had a match to forget. From poor goalkeeping and faltering defence to suspect tactics and inept individual performances, PSG showed they weren’t ready to go head-to-head with the best in Europe. Even that wasn’t the worst thing PSG got wrong in 2017.
#1 Losing the League Title to Monaco
How the 2017 Ligue 1 title eluded PSG defies rational thinking. That PSG squad, which Monaco piped to title glory, was one of the most expensively assembled sides in the history of football. So, losing their crown to Monaco, which had previously finished 31 points behind PSG in the 2015/016 season, beggars belief.
After Qatar Sports Investments’ acquisition of the club, PSG were expected to compete in Europe and dominate domestically. In fact, their regional hegemony was so presumed that no one foresaw Monaco supplanting PSG last season. This loss could be attributed to complacency.
Everyone expected PSG to steamroll their way to the Ligue 1 title. Why not? In 2016, they finished had 31 points ahead of second-placed Lyon. Instead in 2017, PSG recorded fewer points and goals scored, conceded more, and had lesser possession and pass accuracy.
The consequence of their failure means that on the title log, PSG are still four Ligue 1 titles adrift of first place Saint-Étienne (10 titles). Winning the 2017 Ligue 1 title would have meant drawing level with Monaco. Instead, PSG are now two titles short of Monaco’s haul of 8 league titles.
Above all, by not demonstrating enough passion, commitment, and hunger, PSG failed their fans and investors.
