The World Cup in Qatar is already tomorrow. As the competition starts on November 20, PSG still have two games to play before the break, starting with Sunday’s game at Moustoir (1 p.m., Prime Video) against Lorient, surprising 4th in Ligue 1. Christophe Galtier spoke before this deadline, this Saturday, at a press conference.
Can you detail your requests regarding Neymar and can the absence of Lionel Messi change your expectations regarding him?
CHRISTOPHER GALTIER. What I ask of him is to be good, efficient, to have a great offensive animation and a great technical relationship with Leo (Messi) and Kylian (Mbappé). He has this ability, this desire too, to be very mobile, to work for the team. He likes to come very low to claim the ball, to lend a hand, he is the player who makes the connection between the offensive sector and the defense. He is not a third midfielder, but having followed a few matches of the selection, he is positioned there, in the middle. He performs well in a three-man environment often in selection. I make sure that he can be in his preferential zone so that he can express himself. He has this ability and the desire, I repeat, to be very active on the pitch. “Ney” is not a positional player and wanting to put him only in one position would be to deprive him of his qualities.
Do you feel that some players need to breathe and are already planning on the World Cup?
We played a lot, all three days. Tomorrow will be the 23rd match, I also count those of the selection. We are in a very unique season with a very busy schedule. People shouldn’t hide it, neither should we. This generates fatigue. Normally the last match of the group stage of the C1 is played on December 8 or 9… Chaining series like this is very energy-intensive, there is what we observe, what we analyze with the states physical and mental fitness and how the players feel. We are all faced with this calendar. There is no excuse, that’s how it is. Obviously we’re a little out of breath, obviously every player likely to take part in the World Cup has this fear in mind, I want to say, and even more so when the Champions League is over, they must have that in mind. . I discuss with my staff, I share a lot with my players, we have to hear them. There should be nothing left unsaid. They must trust us on what we offer them too. The best way to prepare for a good World Cup is to play, but obviously I listen and make decisions also based on what my players can tell me about their form and the level of fatigue (…) You always have to convince the players to play, it’s the best preparation and if you relax, you can get hurt. I had exchanges with old people who slowed down before the World Cup: either they were injured in preparation, or they had a bad World Cup. You have to stay focused to play. Of course, if a player tells me “I’m not going to play”, well, he’s not playing. If a player tells me “I don’t want to play, I’m scared” and I see through the exchange that there is a big deduction, well, he doesn’t play and that benefits another player.
Have any selectors asked you to blow up certain elements?
No None.
How do you explain Renato Sanches’ average start to the season?
There are three settings regarding Renato. There is the lack of preparation because he has been waiting for his transfer for a long time, which has generated some muscle problems. Then there is the integration into the group as well as the football integration into the team. This explains why we have not yet seen the great Renato that I knew in Lille. For Fabian Ruiz, it also took time to integrate. Charles too. I take the case of Hugo Ekitike who could not do the preparation, who is a young player and discovers the high level with high standards and incredible expectations. Renato is in this process and I have no doubt that he brings us what is expected of him. He works well.
How can the team improve on defensive set pieces?
We work, we harp, we shout a few times. It’s a difficult phase of the game, there is the profile of the other teams and we don’t have many players of 1.90m or more, which can lead to an athletic deficit, but this can be overcome by concentration. and the requirement that we put. To have seen them again, we took goals on the second or third balls. We are very little beaten on the first. This can be due to concentration, an absence… It is also the risk of defending in the zone. We talk about it, we work. I talked about it a lot before the Champions League match. Everyone must be aware of their role and must make the necessary commitment. The most important thing is to work well and that the players adhere to the solutions that we can propose.
How is Lionel Messi?
I think Leo (package for travel to Lorient) will be operational for the next match, just like “Kimp'” (Presnel Kimpembe, package also) who continues his process of re-athletics and will be available for Auxerre.
What inspires you about what coach Régis Le Bris does in Lorient?
It’s both very simple, but it’s very fine. It plays in a 4-4-2 system which reminds me a lot of what Christian Gourcuff was doing in Lorient. Regis should take that as a compliment. We see that there is a lot of work and the team takes great pleasure in playing together. I expect a very rhythmic match tomorrow, against a team that is lively, alert, technical, who like to have the ball and who have a very elaborate game. There are a lot of movements, a lot of changes of areas between each other, they are very strong in the transitions. This is a team that will want to put a lot of pressure.
