At the beginning, when PSG did not play very well but won, Thomas Tuchel was the only one to be enthusiastic.
Today, the coach no longer masks the weariness of his team in the face of the very particular context that PSG has had to face since the start of 2020, with its ups and its very heavy constraints.
"We lack preparation, many players too," admitted the German manager in a long tirade, after the success against Istanbul Basaksehir.
[…] It's not easy because last season was demanding for us.
We had confinement then suddenly
(he snaps his fingers)
, we played two finals and then Final 8 in Portugal.
And on the day of the Champions League final, Ligue 1 started.
And we continue, we continue, we continue… […] Of course we can play better but maybe not at the moment.
We are able to win matches, we are very well in Ligue 1, now we have won in the Champions League.
We can do better but it's difficult at the moment yes.
But I will protect my players because I know the efforts they make every day, every week, what it is to always play in the shoes of a favorite, in games behind closed doors… You have to accept that it is a phase.
"
23 medical alerts in less than two months
The figures confirm the impressions of the Parisian coach.
PSG have already recorded 23 medical alerts in less than two months and the rate of injuries seems to be accelerating.
The latest concerns Neymar's adductors, which will keep him away until the truce in 10 days.
PSG has made a sad specialty of muscle glitches in recent seasons, sparking internal debates on physical preparation deemed insufficient and poorly targeted by some.
This time, the timing and mental exhaustion serve as extenuating circumstances.
The preparation ranges are simply non-existent.
Kylian Mbappé explained on Tuesday that he was wrung out as if he was tackling “the 60th game of the season.
"
“When the mind and the physique are going well, injuries very rarely happen, underlines Denis Troch, mental trainer and former Ligue 1 coach. It's when the physical and the mental are no longer aligned that it becomes complicated.
Today, fatigue is mainly nervous, because physically the players like to alternate meetings and recovery.
There is a lot of fatigue and concentration problems due to a lack of mental freshness.
External interference leads to doubts.
We do not go through such a period without a hitch.
"
The new confinement that starts and the 13 to 16 games that await the players between now and the truce according to their international program do not encourage an overwhelming optimist.
No more than the weariness lying around in the locker room.
However, Denis Troch considers that a gloomy autumn can prepare a spring of a completely different ilk: “We cannot always remain at the highest level.
It is good to have strong times and weak times.
You must not find a pretext or an alibi and not want to fight against elements that cannot be changed (the calendar, etc.), otherwise you will forget to work.
Focusing on what we achieve in difficult times can become an extraordinary foundation for the future.
It is during these periods that
antibodies
are created
.
We will remember what we did in difficulty.
This can give extraordinary power.
"
PSG Express
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A little positive thinking that will not hurt Parisians who, at least, advance in this adversity (7 wins in 8 games).
