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.
Read the full article at PSG Talk Extra Time on Substack.
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.
Read the full article at PSG Talk Extra Time on Substack.
