At the Parc des Princes,

Paris wants to be a party and when you look at the table from above, from an accounting point of view, no problem, PSG is there. Six league games, six victories, a goal difference of +12 and five points ahead of his new Marseille runner-up. But Sunday's victory against Lyon, once passed under the microscope, tells us whether or not we like it a story a bit less glamorous. That of a team without real clear game ideas, without creativity or personality, which is doing once again thanks to its individualities - and Sunday evening, too, a little thanks to the VAR - but whose game project we still totally escapes.

Since his appointment in January, Mauricio Pochettino has continued to take out the umbrella, explaining everywhere that his arrival during the season last year did not allow to judge his philosophy of play. The argument is approaching its expiration date and it is clear that we still do not see the tail of an idea in what tries to offer "Poché" to its players. However, on Sunday, on the lawn of the Park, PSG had only three new recruits (Messi, Nuno Mendes and Donnarruma). The others have been around each other for a while now and it is therefore not forbidden to hope to glimpse the beginnings of a somewhat coherent game project. Aside from a couple of thrills in the first half, when Messi, Mbappé and Neymar managed to combine in small spaces, Paris seemed to be sailing with a wet finger.

Pochettino welcomes the start after Bruges

However, this was not the opinion of Pochettino at a press conference after the meeting, who seemed to be delighted with the progress posted by his team after the Bruges broth on Wednesday.

Which is not very complicated, you will grant us.

“We did a good performance.

I am satisfied.

We saw some very good things with an evolution compared to what we saw in Bruges.

There has been a progression.

We had a good match against a good team from Lyon, ”he explained laconically.

Seen from the stands, however, this Parisian victory against Lyon seemed particularly sluggish to us. Without this penalty very generously granted by the referee Clément Turpin (and barely checked by the researchers of the VAR) and this goal from Mauro Icardi snatched in extra time, it would be difficult to learn much about the real strength of this team. . Except for Pochettino, therefore, for whom “There was, I find, a pretty good balance, between attack and defense. We had missed a little bit of success in the first half. We had chances to score. We found some interesting moments. With sequences of pressing, of play. It's a performance, with a collective balance, quite assertive. "

However, we can not blame him for having made strong choices, such as aligning his square of Ace Messi-Neymar-Mbappé-Di Maria at kickoff, praying that one of them aux deign to do him the honor of withdrawing from time to time when the ball is lost, or of preferring Ganluigi Donnarruma to Keylor Navas in goal. But despite all the respect we have for Thilo Kehrer (and the good start to the season he has achieved so far), what a fly stung the Argentinian coach to prefer him an Ashraf Hakimi who has been turning fire from god since the start of the season? While it is true that PSG have a very busy schedule until the international break, it was not forbidden to consider Wednesday's match in Metz to blow the Moroccan away rather than during a shock against the 'OL at the Park.His absence on Sunday was also cruelly felt.

Uninspired coaching

During the match, too, the former Tottenham manager did not seem really inspired.

When the two midfielders Herrera and Gueye stuck out a tongue three kilometers long after having sanded the ground up, down and across to compensate for the non-return of the cracks of the attack, it did not budge the little finger while Wijnaldum, Paredes, Danilo or Rafinha waited quietly on the bench.

As for the exit of Leo Messi for Ashraf Hakimi fifteen minutes from the end, we are still trying to understand.

Finally, and that's good for Pochettino, his only winning choice may be the one that will save him from criticism for a while longer.

Entering the game ten minutes from the end, Mauro Icardi reminded us that despite a physical condition closer to that of a pétanque player, he is nonetheless a clinical finisher near the penalty area.

On arrival, if PSG still comes out with the three points of victory, for the lessons it will be necessary to wait.

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