What Luis Enrique Must Do First as New PSG Head Coach
Paris Saint-Germain's new head coach will need to decide on a formation, starting XI, captaincy, and so much more.
Luis Enrique gets started as Paris Saint-Germain's head coach this week, with the French champions returning for preseason training this Monday. Not all players will arrive back at precisely the same time, but the Spanish tactician will have the bulk of his squad available to him fairly quickly. Once through the door, Luis Enrique has just under two weeks until PSG’s first friendly against Le Havre, which is followed by travel to Japan for this summer’s tour. The 53-year-old has a lengthy to-do list between now and then which is subject to change depending on what happens on the transfer front.
We look at Luis Enrique’s most pressing tasks as he gets to work in the French capital.
Meet the players
First up for the former Barcelona and Spain boss will be to meet new players who will be returning from their summer holidays from Monday onwards. Before starting to prepare for the coming season, Luis Enrique will need to meet his players and present his vision for PSG’s future to those members of the squad. With a mix of new signings, players returning from loan spells, and the group inherited by the man Gijon, there will be a sense for many that they are starting afresh. Luis Enrique might yet come to similar conclusions to previous Parisien bosses, but he has to at least meet the players first before drawing any conclusions.
Initiate culture blend
An underrated element that could work in the favor of the new boss is the fact that quite a few new arrivals are coming into the squad for this coming season. With new faces comes an opportunity to avoid mistakes from the past, with internal cliques playing a significant role in PSG’s downfall over the years because of a divided locker room. Luis Enrique has an opportunity to set in place a healthier player culture from day one by ensuring a greater mix which could go some way toward breaking up these previously powerful groups within what remains a talented squad.
Assess possible formations
Once the Spaniard has the bulk of his group together, he must work out which formations suit the players available to him and which systems he intends to prioritize in Paris. Sporting advisor Luis Campos has worked towards constructing a squad that is compatible with a 3-4-3 formation, but that does not necessarily mean that Luis Enrique will be setting the team up that way. Unsurprisingly, his past with Barcelona and La Roja has seen him often use a 4-3-3 setup which many fans will recall from the dominant days under Laurent Blanc until the breakup of the midfield trio of Thiago Motta, Blaise Matuidi, and Marco Verratti. The Italian remains at Parc des Princes, and a potential return to such a system could greatly benefit the metronomic Azzurri star, among others.
Take a stance on Kylian Mbappé
Luis Enrique did a good job in navigating the tricky topic of Kylian Mbappé’s future when he was unveiled last week. However, the 2015 UEFA Champions League winner will have to take a firm stance at some point very soon regarding the French superstar. Having a straightforward project with Mbappé front and center with potentially more responsibility than ever could be key to getting the 24-year-old to buy into what Luis Enrique is about to attempt. Equally, if the former AS Monaco man’s mind is made up, then there is little point in preparing for the new campaign with a player who does not intend to stick around for much longer—even one as talented as Mbappé.
Identify compatible players
It will not be an overnight task, but Luis Enrique will need to start working out which players he does and does not want to work with pretty much from the off. The ex-AS Roma and Celta Vigo man will need to be picky, given the numeric depth of the current PSG ranks, and Campos has been preparing to bring back the “loft” for players who could be on the move this summer. Luis Enrique might be entitled to a few surprise picks if he feels that he can work with a particular player who has been deemed transferable, but it is unlikely to be the case with the majority of players who have previously been transfer listed. Expect to see some familiar faces in this group as the Ligue 1 giants continue to try to push out players who have long since ceased to feature in the club’s plans for the future.
Settle on a preferred XI
Although this will not be an immediate aim, Luis Enrique will start to form an idea of his core players and how they fit into a potential starting XI from day one. He will need to see his team in action and experiment with different setups, which can only be done once friendly games get underway, but the process of concocting a first-choice team and the squad around those players will begin early. With no Trophee des Champions before the Ligue 1 season gets underway, Luis Enrique will instead hope to have a strong idea of how his PSG side will launch themselves comes the end of the Japan tour.
Evaluate captaincy
The final task for this preseason is the question of captaincy which Marquinhos has struggled with in the post-Thiago Silva era. Much has been made of Mbappé potentially taking over the armband, but that will not happen if a move could materialize this summer. The France international skipper’s recent comments in France Football have not been appreciated by numerous teammates, but questions over Mbappé’s eligibility does not necessarily make Marquinhos the right choice to remain captain. Instead, Luis Enrique needs to assess the leadership credentials put forward within his squad over the next few weeks and take a decision from there. With influential figures such as Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos gone, an unexpected new leader could emerge for a new-look PSG.