Paris St. Germain
Last Season: Ligue 1 – 2nd; Top Scorer – Kylian Mbappe (42)
PSG finished second in France last season. That in itself is a source of alarmism in modern football. The Parisian club have only failed to win the league three times in the past decade, and every time it’s felt seismic. Yet, every time, it has never quite followed a change of manager. For all their off-the-pitch mishaps, and there are a few, PSG are sometimes understanding. And it’s not hard to see the plan under Mauricio Pochettino, especially in Europe, the aim, where they produced elite performances against Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
Yet, we’ve been here before. The story arc knows how to play itself out. Any time PSG look to be on the verge of cohesion and looking like a team, with smart additions, a giant signing comes with fanfare and the hidden drawbacks. It happened under Unai Emery in 2017, when what looked to be a potentially great team was seemingly bolstered by the world-record signing of Neymar. Suddenly, a good team became a great PR project (duh!!) and the effects left them top-heavy and short in other areas.
Something similar has happened in 2021. The arrival of Achraf Hakimi furnished the right-back slot, Georginio Wijnaldum is a quality addition to a limited midfield, and Gigi Donnarumma – despite the quality of Keylor Navas – is arguably the best goalkeeper in Europe. The arrival of Sergio Ramos was questionable, but the experience at the back, and in the latter stages of European football, might be key. But it’s the arrival of Lionel Messi (still sounds weird) that absolutely takes them from PSG, a budding team, to Paris, a star-studded PR project.
Yet, amidst the obvious drawbacks. The indication of how modern football has taken another turn for the worse. The sportswashing and the PR revamp. Amidst the issues of an attack that might not press like Poch might want; it’s still quite hard not to get a little excited about such a tantalising front three, and line-up. Whatever happens, it’s unlikely to be quiet in Paris this season.
The Manager
Pochettino looks to have landed on his feet following his departure from Tottenham in 2019, and there was even speculation of him returning to North London back in May. The Argentine manager has developed a reputation for teams that press relentlessly and his intolerance for egos and insubordination, so how he handles this star-studded PSG side will be quite a watch.
One Thing to do: Don’t play Uptown Funk as your goal music. That move – especially in the Champions League games last season – sounded even weirder amidst empty stands. Stop it, please.
Time-turner (Ten years ago): PSG started the 2011/12, their first under the Qatari ownership, by spending big on Javier Pastore, under Antoine Koumbouare. What a time that was.
Real Madrid
Last Season: La Liga – 2nd; Top Scorer – Karim Benzema (30)
Perhaps the biggest surprise surrounding Real Madrid this season is that they’re the bookies favourites to win La Liga. Real are entering a new campaign, without some influential names. First off, Zinedine Zidane called it as manager, for the second time. Citing problems at board level with the club, the French gaffer decided to make his second exit from the Spanish capital in three years. But such is the eventfulness surrounding Real that you’d be forgiven if it takes you a second to remember that Zidane left. Skipper and club legend Sergio Ramos then followed suit, deciding to leave the club after 16 years, and by the time Ramos had found a new home in PSG, his former centre-back partner Raphael Varane also jumped ship, having all but signed for Manchester United.
Real Madrid are in a something of a transitional period. This looks like a crucial phase in their modern era, where they have to rebuild the club and do away with some mainstays. So, it was surprising when they opted to rehire former manager Carlo Ancelotti. To an extent, the arrival of Ancelotti is an indication of Real’s limitations on the financial front; they can’t go all out and snatch some big club’s coveted prize, so, despite a need to transform the club, they have to stick with what’s familiar, even though familiarity in this case might breed triteness.
The Manager
It’s quite the oddity that Ancelotti’s sacking by Real in 2015 generated some discontent as his reappointment in 2021 was the source of some surprise. The Italian hasn’t quite had the best time as manager since leading Real to La Decima in 2014; sackings at the Bernabeu have been followed by dismissals at the hands of Bayern Munich and Napoli, before an 18-month spell with Everton, where his side flattered to deceive. Ancelotti feels like some glue holding together a creaking vessel at Real, a sign of desperation to hold on to what’s left, however fatal it could potentially turn out to be.
One Thing to do: Ease out the old guard. Sergio Ramos may have left, but some of Real’s veterans still remain. However, while they can’t quite afford to bin them off, it’s surely time to ease them out. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are on the wrong side of 30, as are Marcelo and Karim Benzema. Last season’s attempts to integrate Martin Odegaard into the midfield didn’t quite work out, but it should be done. The reliance on players on the wane is also a problem; Benzema was top scorer with 30 goals, next on list were Marco Asensio and Casemiro... with seven.
Time-turner (Ten years ago): Real Madrid entered their second season under Jose Mourinho chasing a first Champions League title in ten years, and having to battle arguably the greatest team of all time in La Liga. They succeeded with the latter, but failure in the former was just about the beginning of the end for Jose and Real.
Roma
Last Season: Serie A – 7th; Top Scorer - Borja Mayoral (17)
The show must go on. That’s probably the language that surrounds Jose Mourinho. Despite dismissals, someone else almost feels obliged to take a punt. The Portuguese manager, for all his missteps of late and in previous jobs, still holds sway. There are still relics of the pulling power of football’s supervillain. For all the level-headedness and increase in data-driven analyses, football still remains hopelessly addicted to, and obsessed, with Mourinho.
Roma are the latest side to fall for the allure of the man; almost like a footballing equivalence of ‘it doesn’t look like it works, but we thinkit will work for us’. And in truth, the temptation of potential success with Mourinho can sometimes outweigh the prospect of collapse. If Jose gets it right with you, the wheels go in motion and success follows. But will Jose get it right?
The Manager
Say what you will about the Portuguese, Mourinho remains box office. Whether by those adamant he still has it and has been unfairly treated by the clubs he went to, or those who believe he’s past it and an infection on clubs he joins, keen interest, at least, still follows Jose wherever he goes. In other circumstances, with the top teams in Serie A uncertain, there could be a sneaky villain that football’s villain could score one again. The recent past doesn’t quite agree with that, but sentiment over him remains. Like Emperor Palpatine, Jose is always lurking, and chaos is never far away.
One Thing to do: Get a forward. Last season was the first in which Edin Dzeko truly showed signs of being on the wane, having got just 13 goals. The Bosnian might well be on his way out, anyway, with champions Inter interested. And while Borja Mayoral topped the scoring charts last term, he’s not quite the ideal Mourinho striker. A point man up front is required.
Time-turner (Ten years ago): In 2011/12, Roma opted for the ‘BarceRoma’ project, by bringing in Luis Enrique to be manager. It didn’t quite work out. Ten years on, they’ve embarked on another bold project, for different reasons.
Tottenham
Last Season: Premier League – 7th; Top Scorer – Harry Kane (33)
Perhaps in the future, there might be a book on Tottenham’s managerial search in the summer of 2021, and their journey to Nuno Espirito Santo. Brendan Rodgers. Mauricio Pochettino. Erik Ten Hag. Julian Nagelsmann. Paulo Fonseca. Gennaro Gattuso. All those names were linked with the Spurs job after the exit of Jose Mourinho, but as the club bounced from one name to the other, they exposed themselves as having no blueprint or true vision on the playing front.
But, as the new season draws near, the Nuno case has taken the back seat. That’s because the main issue now is whether or not Harry Kane leaves. As 2020/21 came to a close, Kane spoke of having a gentleman’s agreement with the club to leave. As 2021/22 neared, Kane didn’t show up for training with the rest of the team. Manchester City remain interested, and Kane seems keen to leave, which reflects his dissatisfaction with the club, who’ve blown away a lot of goodwill and strength they garnered under Pochettino.
It’s the bizarre position this North London club are in. Spurs are having to carry out a rebuild they ill-judgedly put off; with a talisman that’s seeking greener pastures; are in European competition they didn’t really want to be in; and have a manager who wasn’t even their fifth choice. Good luck.
The Manager
A year ago, Nuno Espirito Santo joining a club of this stature would have generated far less surprise, and it probably would have this year if it was another club. But while the Portuguese’s efforts with Wolves were undeniable, last season saw his side play some of the most attritional football you could imagine. This is more of a problem when you consider that was one of the reasons why many called for the departure of Mourinho last season. Not only does Nuno have a talisman to convince, he has a fanbase to appease. Start by continue to celebrate goals with your coaching staff, Nuno... it remains a nice touch.
One Thing to do: Write off the season? Maybe not. But Spurs should accept they’re in a rebuilding phase, where big players are more likely to leave than come in. Daniel Levy took a gamble with Mourinho and tried to fast-track success. It didn’t work. Now, Spurs have to play the patient game.
Time-turner (Ten years ago): Harry Redknapp. Niko Kranjcar. Benoit Assou-Ekotto. The supposed England job that didn’t quite work out. What a time 2011/12 was.
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