The choice of a coach is not limited to the names entered on the scoresheet.
By deciding to start a meeting with this or that player, Mauricio Pochettino projects himself on an animation, a game plan. And it is also for this reason that coaches are often obsessed with the quantity of players at their disposal.
In the left lane, the Argentine has three men on hand, separated into two categories: Layvin Kurzawa and Mitchel Bakker, first, and Abdou Diallo, then.
Kurzawa and Diallo are competing for a starting place, Saturday in Brest, in the Coupe de France, but especially Wednesday against Barça.
In the absence of Juan Bernat, who has been treating a bruised cruciate ligament since September, the holder under Pochettino is called Kurzawa.
The French international has been established 9 times in 14 official outings, including during the shocks in Barcelona (4-1), against Marseille (2-1 and 2-0) or against Monaco (0-2).
Bakker replaced him four times and Diallo once, in Dijon (4-0).
“Layvin brings together all the qualities of a modern side, summarizes Tripy Makonda, specialist in the position and consultant for France Bleu Paris.
He quickly throws himself forward to bring more offensively, as we saw in Barcelona where he was present on Mbappé's equalizing goal.
In this match, he was also able to defend and block Ousmane Dembélé 70% of the time.
He suffered dribbling but that's normal for a player in this position.
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"It all depends on the strategy"
The other left-back in training is Bakker, who arrived from Ajax Amsterdam in 2019. But the Dutchman lost points under Pochettino.
In Dijon, the Argentine preferred Abdou Diallo to test another tactical scheme.
“It's a more defensive profile, summarizes Makonda, ex-side of PSG (2008-2011).
He is central in training and when he plays on the left, he will insist more on defensive seating and ball exits, finding good passing angles that advance the game. Like Layvin, he knows how to be calm with the ball. .
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So why one rather than the other?
The explanation is delivered by Pochettino, who evoked after a success against Nice (2-1), the same subject for the right side of his defense.
“It all depends on the strategy,” he explained.
We try to find the best defensive balance while keeping offensive options.
He was talking about Thilo Kehrer, with a more defensive profile than Alessandro Florenzi.
That evening, the German, however, signed an (almost) decisive pass for Julian Draxler.
What strategy against Barça?
Between Kurzawa and Diallo, the choice is similar.
"It is determined according to the opponent, the players opposite, the state of form, how the coach wants to see his block evolve," continues Tripy Makonda.
Against Barça?
He can decide to stay on the same dynamic with a game carried forward or say to himself I concrete a little more to consolidate the score.
In any case, competition is healthy from the moment the coach explains the game plan. "
Under Thomas Tuchel, Abdou Diallo for example occupied this position of left side at Manchester United (3-1), where PSG had agreed to leave part of the control of the game to the English to better defend and bring out the balloons.
At Camp Nou, Pochettino managed to set up a very high block capable of exploiting the spaces in Barca's defense.
A successful mission by Kurzawa.
The identity of the opponent in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, if PSG validates his ticket on Wednesday evening, will largely play on the future choices of Pochettino.