2024-04-13 07:17:08
The most seasoned Parisian supporters and observers will easily be able to confirm that Luis Enrique is a surprising man. A character as divisive as he is sure of his strengths, the Iberian technician, now 53 years old, leaves no one indifferent. Adored by some, heavily criticized by others, the former FC Barcelona coach will have, in any case, put his paw on the Parisian collective in a few months spent on the bench. Arriving in the French capital last summer to succeed Christophe Galtier, the former coach of La Roja wasted no time in imposing his precepts. “We want to be unpredictable for the opponent and predictable for our players”thus hammered the former Spanish international (62 selections, 12 goals), also ensuring that he wanted “21 or 22 starters, not 11, 12 or 13”.
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Luis Enrique focuses on the collective
Determined to mobilize all of his troops, the native of Gijón distinguished himself with a turnover that was as unpredictable for the opponent as it was confusing for his players. In the 43 matches he has managed this season in all competitions, he has used 39 different starting lineups, changing, on average, 4.5 starters from one match to the next, i.e. 50% more than Christophe Galtier last season (2.96). An assumed method, particularly in the face of the media, and which can also be explained by the background of the person concerned. With this in mind, let us remember that Luis Enrique, an attacker by training, evolved in the role of winger, relay, sentry, sometimes even full-back during his career. Convinced by the benefits of this interchangeability between players, the manager who worked for Celta de Vigo stands out, despite everything, for a well-established philosophy.
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A game of possession, based on control and carried by a hybrid 4-3-3 where the animation remains similar despite interchangeable players. A mantra symbolized weekend after weekend and once again experienced, last Wednesday, against FC Barcelona (2-3). At the kick-off, the Spanish technician, deprived of Achraf Hakimi, did not hesitate to establish Marquinhos as right back, also trusting Marco Asensio in a role of false number 9. According to the latest information from The team, the tenure of the former Madrilenian, for the first time this season in this competition, did not fail to surprise part of the locker room, who were also taken aback by the fact of seeing Warren Zaire-Emery starting on the bench. Choices that are all the more surprising when they are not worked on during the week preceding…
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Sometimes confusing changes…
After the match at Anoeta, where he had been positioned right axial for the first time, the left-hander Lucas Hernandez had, for his part, confided to relatives that he had discovered it at the last moment and was going to have to work on his right foot to the future. With this in mind, the French daily specifies that “some players do not privately hide their discomfort at being aligned in positions that are not theirs, when they do not admit to being a little lost by being lugged around without continuity”. “I respect and understand Luis Enrique, versatility is good but it is also risky. Players like to evolve where they have their bearings”, added, for his part, Lucien Favre, former technician of OGC Nice and Borussia Dortmund. Disconcerting, Luis Enrique nevertheless retains the confidence of his men.
During the round of 16 second leg of the Champions League against Real Sociedad (2-1, March 5), the new architect of the Rouge et Bleu notably proved that his ingenuity could also pay off. By replacing, to everyone’s surprise, Ousmane Dembélé in the heart of the game, the Ile-de-France technician allowed his team to win the midfield battle. A sector where the reigning French champions were brittle during the first leg (2-0, February 14). Unpredictable, the former FC Barcelona player could also reserve some new surprises during the quarter-final return, scheduled for next Tuesday in Montjuïc. Hoping that these tactical moves allow, this time, PSG to reach the last four of the competition…
Pub. 04/13/2024 09:17 Updated 04/13/2024 09:48
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