Guingamp Expose Paris Saint-Germain’s Flaws Again and Should Cost Emery His Job

Paris Saint-Germain’s 2-1 defeat to Guingamp has plunged the French champions into crisis, and manager Unai Emery could very well pay the price. 

After having rotated heavily for the Coupe de la Ligue win over Lille, Emery’s lineup for the return to league action was more familiar. 

Edinson Cavani led the forward line, Angel di Maria was back on the right flank and Thiago Silva returned in defence. Even the distinctly out-of-form Alphonse Areola apparently merited selection again for the trip to Guingamp. 

The hosts preserved their top-flight status by a mere five points last season but, having appointed ex-PSG boss Antoine Kombouare in the summer, the Red and Blacks from Brittany have evolved into an impressive side. 

With Emery seemingly taking all the wrong lessons from the midweek victory, Lucas Moura was left on the bench with Blaise Matuidi returning to his wide attacking role. 

Matuidi is a brilliant player because of the way his limitless energy allows him to dominate central midfield and break forward in support of attacking moves. Playing him on the wing deprives him of the opportunity to what it is that makes him special.

Emery also restored the Silva-Marquinhos defensive axis that has proven itself deeply flawed this season and was rewarded with another display of indecision and incompetence. 

Paris always dominate possession and, by the immutable laws of logic, they are then most at risk of conceding on the counter-attack. 

With that in mind, playing two cautious back-foot defenders together is asking for trouble. Neither Marquinhos nor Silva will pressure the ball-carrier, providing an easily exploited weakness.

Guingamp followed the now-familiar strategy previously employed by Montpellier and Nice to great effect. Conceding the flanks and packing the middle, Guingamp conceded to Paris an abundance of stale, impotent possession. 

Choosing their moments, they swarmed on vulnerable ball-carriers to cultivate counter-attacking moves. The opening goal, scored by Yanis Salibur after 66 minutes, came from precisely this tactic. 

It should have come as no surprise to Paris. The majority of the goals they’ve …

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