Ever heard of Mamadou Sakho?
In fact, hardly anybody had when Paris St Germain coach Paul Le Guen not only included the 17-year-old defender in his starting line-up for the first time for a Ligue 1 match at Valenciennes late last month but also made him his captain.
Tired of his expensive side’s sluggish form, Le Guen, who as coach shaped Olympique Lyon into the measure off all things in France, started a French revolution that day.
The soft-spoken but determined Le Guen, a former PSG player, decided to rely on a bunch of kids named Sakho, Loris Arnaud, Younousse Sankhare and Granddi Ngoyi and leave his best-paid men such as Pauleta and Marcelo Gallardo on the bench
Some thought it was a one-off and a wake-up call for the big names in the team but the former Rangers manager, whose youngsters drew 0-0 at Valenciennes after a somewhat clumsy but energetic display, did it again a week later, this time against six-times champions Olympique Lyon.
His fresh faces, aged between 17 and 20 and all schooled at the club, lost 3-2 after another far from perfect but definitely spirited performance.
Would the usual suspects with salaries some would call obscene have done better? It is not clear after they narrowly escaped relegation last season.
What’s certain is Le Guen did not act on a sudden impulse but has a long-term strategy. After years of frustrating seasons for the fans and mockery from observers, the capital side are now betting on their academy.
Le Guen knows PSG are sitting on a gold mine. Top names such as
Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram, Patrick Vieira, Claude Makelele and William Gallas all grew up in the large Paris suburbs.
Let’s not forget Nicolas Anelka, sold by PSG to Arsenal for less than a million euros in 1997 and bought back by the Paris club from Real Madrid for more than 30 millions in 2000.
PSG are famous for not only wasting money but also for leaving a young Ronaldinho on the bench when Luis Fernandez was in charge.
At least Le Guen is trying to change that image and let youth have its chance.
Bertrand Boucey, sports correspondent in Paris.
PHOTO: Paris Saint Germain coach Paul Le Guen before the French Ligue 1 match against Sochaux, Aug. 4 REUTERS/Regis Duvignau
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3 comments so far
Analyse extrêmement intéressante, monsieur
Extremely interesting analysis, sir
Demeure une question d’importance: la stratégie de Le Guen s’inscrit-elle vraiment dans le long terme, a-t-il les moyens, les garanties pour porter son groupe de jeunes talents à maturité et miser de fait sur l’avenir ?
An unanswered question still lying: is Le Guen’s strategy a real long-term one, does he have enough guarantees to drive his young talents to maturity, banking on them to offer Paris ze bright future it desserves ?
La réflexion amorcée avec force battage médiatique par Le Guen n’est pas un cas isolé. Ce matin, dans L’Equipe, Laurent Roussey, entraîneur des Verts, ne dit pas autre chose en résumant la situation dans le Forez: “Une politique a été définie: identité du club, objectif - la huitième place - et se créer un avenir à moyen terme en misant sur les jeunes.”
Le Guen is not the only (ligue 1) coach to think about such a young players-based strategy. In an interview published today in ze french sports daily L’Equipe, Laurent Roussey, coach of ze legendary AS St. Etienne, explains in detail a very similar plan (provided Le Guen has a long-term strategy as well): “We have a well-defined strategy”, Roussey said. “Ze club’ identity, an objective - finishing ze present season as ze eight-ranked team - and ze idea of building up a middle-term future based on young players.”
Dans le contexte actuel du “tout pour le résultat”, ces jeunes entraîneurs auront-ils le temps nécessaire pour mener à bien leur projet?
It’s far from certain that the present context of “win even ugly, but win” will provide those young coaches with enough time to achieve their goal.
Anyway, there’s no future, even in paradise football
- Posted by henri-pierre andréGood luck to Le Guen anyway. Sounds like at least they have a strategy, unlike other clubs.
- Posted by LondonOur American spirit is with you. Ellie (8 year old) and Cece (5)…now in America but grew up playing soccer with a dad from your town in France.
- Posted by Thierry Guyader