Christophe Galtier holds crunch talks with PSG squad amid poor run of form after 2022 FIFA World Cup: Reports

Manager Christophe Galtier has reportedly held crunch talks with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) players following their poor run of form after the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

They have lost two of their four Ligue 1 games since the restart of club football following the showpiece event in Qatar. This includes a 3-1 defeat away to RC Lens on New Year's Day and a 1-0 defeat against Stade Rennais at Roazhon Park on 15 January.

They were unbeaten across competitions before the FIFA World Cup commenced in Qatar. But two losses in the space of a fortnight have sounded alarm bells at PSG.

According to L'Equipe (h/t CulturePSG), Galtier and sporting director Luis Campos have held a series of personal interviews with the club's players. The main topic of discussion in these meetings has been regarding a change of attitude, especially towards conducting their defensive duties.

The capital-based team have kept just two clean sheets in their past 10 games across competitions. For a team of their stature, this is a record that would need improving.

Their next task is a round-of-32 clash against sixth-tier side US Pays de Cassel at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on 23 January. Given the disparity in quality between the two sides, Galtier has reportedly vowed to start a strong team in order to build momentum with a win.

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Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar Jr criticized for lack of defending by former PSG star

Despite Neymar Jr., Kylian Mbappe, and Lionel Messi's obvious impact in the attacking third, their contribution off the ball has been called into question many a time.

The latest personality to point their finger at the attacking trio is former PSG midfielder Jean-Michel Larque. Speaking on French football show Rothen s'enflamme, he said (h/t Paris Fans):

"[Sergio] Ramos' performance crystallizes criticism but I wouldn't want to blame all the ills, all the responsibilities of an unbalanced team on a single player. We often speak, tactically, of an unbalanced team with three attackers who do not defend."

He added:

"There is a defense which is still in great difficulty in my eyes, because the effort of the Parisian leaders is constantly focused on the names in front. And behind, from time to time, we take a player who gives satisfaction."

There were claims earlier this season that Galtier could drop one of Messi, Neymar, or Mbappe to balance out the squad. But that is yet to materialize.

When fit and available, the trio are almost never absent from Galtier's starting XI. Given their status and attacking abilities, dropping one of them from the starting XI would be a hard sell to PSG fans.