Ultimate Guide to PSG’s 2016/17 Season

On Friday night, Paris Saint-Germain make the journey to Corsica to open the defence of their Ligue 1 title against SC Bastia.

It’s not the toughest of fixtures, but the Stade Armand Cesari is never the easiest place to go, especially for a game against the new-look islanders.

Another league title, PSG’s fifth consecutive crown, will be expected. However, the club will truly be judged by how they perform in the UEFA Champions League.

In trying to improve their fortunes in the competition, president Nasser Al-Khelaifi went big in the summer, changing things up, and the club has a different feel about it.

Change isn’t always good, but already the signs are positive.

Obvious price they pay in a 1 team league”Big changes will happen’ – PSG president Al-Khelaifi refuses to back Blanc https://t.co/0l24tcBYVF

— tim caple (@timcaple) June 3, 2016

Unai Emery has replaced Laurent Blanc as the new head coach. He joins from Spanish side Sevilla, and his resume includes three consecutive UEFA Europa League crowns.

PSG are hoping that he can take that success and transfer it over to the Champions League, with the coach and the club making the jump up to the next level.

In order to help him do that, PSG have also installed a director of football. Emery had great joy working with the masterful Monchi at Sevilla, and now he will have to work with Dutch footballing legend Patrick Kluivert.

Bringing in the former Barcelona, Ajax and Newcastle United striker into such a key position is a bold move for the Parisians. He has no real experience at this level and no ties to the club.

The appointment doesn’t make a lot of sense, but the club clearly feel it is the right move. As he would anywhere, Kluivert will be judged on results.

Emery has brought his own managerial team into the club, hoping to replicate the results he has enjoyed in Spain. That includes his trusted assistant coach, Juan Carlos Carcedo, who has worked with the Spaniard at Almeria, Valencia and Sevilla.

“Unai always wants to work. He’s a football fanatic, and when you love this sport, it can take up all your time!” Carcedo told PSG’s website. “We try to get the players to keep progressing, we try to achieve a balance in the team and we look to be solid in defence—all so that we can win, of course.”

To bring that balance, it looks like we will see a new formation at the Parc des Princes. Laurent Blanc favoured the 4-3-3, and with the players he used it was sometimes restrictive and predictable at times, especially against the bigger European sides.

PSG going 4-2-3-1, Lucas Moura, Pastore & Di Maria as the three behind the striker. Now that is deadly!

— Joel (@KanteStop) August 6, …

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