Frank Leboeuf talked about the performance of the two players in the game. There is a time and a place for it. Kombouare has seen it all in football, as a player and as a coach. He was shocked by what he saw. "Oh so you defend now, do you?" he asked during the French Super Cup between the two teams 10 days ago. It made the Brazilian forward smile because he had just sprinted 30 yards to get back into a defensive position as Paris Saint-Germain had lost the ball. It was new to a lot of people watching. The guide includes LaLiga, MLS, FA Cup, and more.
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The new manager of Paris Saint-Germain smirked when he heard his counterpart say something. If there is a new, more focused, committed and determined Neymar, it's because of him.
In July and May of this year, Luis Campos and Galtier arrived in Paris, and they made sure that the player knew he was no longer needed. The No. 10 and his team were aware that Paris Saint-Germain were willing to let him go.
The former Barcelona star needed a wake-up call. Last summer, when he returned to training overweight, he came back four days early. Since the beginning of July, he has been working hard to be ready for the start of the season. We saw some signs of his renewed focus in some of the preseason games, but nothing that could have prepared us for what we saw in the Super Cup and the opening weekend of the season.
It's been one of the best years of his life. He has been unstoppable, from goals (3) to assists (3), as well as things like chances created (9) and fouls against him It's fair to say that these weren't the toughest opponents to open the campaign, and that this narrative needs to be proven over the coming weeks, but it does feel as though he is happy again.
Since arriving in Paris five years ago, happiness has been absent for a number of reasons, both on and off the pitch. He turned 30 in February of last year and had a party that was less extravagant and more mature than previous ones. The clock is running and the player wants to enjoy the rest of his career. He looks like he wants to have fun again and win with his club and country.
He has a point to prove. He signed a new contract only a year ago, so he missed out on being offered to big European clubs, as well as the U.S. He may have been upset by the fact that he was being pushed out. When Nasser al Khelaifi talked about the end of the bling bling era, everyone assumed he was having a go at the player.
He's happy to run, defend, fight for possession, think about others, and be a team player. To have fun with his football. He won't have the speed on the ball of his early 20s, but the talent is still there.
The arrival of Galtier has been important. Lionel Messi wasn't a fan of Mauricio Pochettino. The two of them get along well. The manager said the right things in order to keep him. Galtier knows that if he doesn't do what the manager tells him, he'll be dropped, but he also knows that if he doesn't do what the manager tells him, he's going to be dropped. Status and "playing favorites" are no longer used.
The best thing that could happen to him at club level is a shift at Paris Saint-Germain in which he plays centrally for Brazil. That was recognised by Galtier, who said that the player was shining. Staying fit and focusing on the invisible work off the ball are some of the things that will help keep this form going. It would be a shame to let it go to waste since he has put himself in a good position.
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