Hervin Ongenda: Progress Report on PSG Forward on Loan at Bastia

Ever since Hervin Ongenda made his full debut for Paris Saint-Germain in the 2013 Coupe de France victory over amateur side Arras, there has been an excitement and expectation around the future of the young attacker.

This summer he joined fellow Ligue 1 side SC Bastia on loan for the season and it was expected to be the opportunity he needed to develop his game further before making an impact back in the French capital.

At just 19 years old, Ongenda was loaned to the Corsican side due to the appointment of former PSG coach Claude Makelele, and the former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder was tasked with keeping a close eye on the forward, helping him settle and develop.

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PSG youngster Hervin Ongenda joined Bastia on a loan deal. pic.twitter.com/uRpmRRSp3u

— TNC Ligue 1 (@TNC_Ligue1) September 2, 2014"

The plan hasn’t quite gone as expected. Ongenda has only played 697 minutes in Ligue 1 and Makelele was sacked by the club at the start of November as they had only won two out of 12 games and were second-bottom in the league table.

Ongenda had only made three starts under Makelele, and even when he was given an opportunity, in a poor team, he struggled to make any relevant impact. After his first start in week 6, he was relegated to the bench. Back in the lineup against Monaco and Nice, he didn’t last the full game and was back on the bench for Makelele’s last game in charge against Guingamp.

He would come on for the last 36 minutes but couldn’t stop his side sliding to a 1-0 defeat; Makelele would be relieved of his duties the following week.

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What a mistake moving to Bastia has been for Ongenda in hindsight. Lost precious time this term, a Ligue 2 loan might have been better idea.

— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) January 8, 2015"

Under new boss, Ghislain Printant, Ongenda was given a chance to impress and win a regular place in the side. The winger started against Lyon and Stade de Reims, Bastia failed to win both and he has only started once game since.

Bastia’s fortunes have turned around since Makelele left the club. Printant’s understanding of the club, the organisation and how football in Corsica works has helped him get the best out of the players at his disposal.

If you take away the penalty defeat against US Quevilly in the Coupe de France, Bastia has not been beaten over 90 or 120 minutes since the 6th of December. That means that it only took Printant one month to see a reaction amongst his team and the results speak for themselves.

Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

However, for Ongenda, the resurgence hasn’t had much of an effect on him. Established stars like Ryad Boudebouz have rediscovered their form, January signing Giovanni Sio has hit the ground running and young Francois Kamano has been a revelation.

The stark truth is that the season has somewhat passed Ongenda by. In the recent game against Lens, the game finished 1-1, playing on the right wing, he was replaced in the 89th minute, nearly playing the full match. However, it was his best performance to date.

Ongenda created chances for a couple of shots on goal, he had success taking on his man, and looked bright throughout. Unfortunately, it was something we have seen little of this season.

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L'Equipe have also suggested that Hervin Ongenda could cut his frustrating loan spell at Bastia short & return to PSG this month.

— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) January 13, 2015"

There was talk in January around PSG recalling the winger from his loan spell and either keeping him in Paris or looking for another club in France. Under Makelele, you can understand PSG’s thinking, the club was struggling badly and was far from the ideal environment for developing youth.

It was decided that Ongenda would stay for the rest of the season, but the fact that others like Kamano have blossomed under Printant while Ongenda looks to be standing still, shows that Bastia’s form wasn’t the only factor that was holding him back.

At this stage of his development, it is hard to see the winger ever having a future in the French capital. No matter what happens this season, another loan spell will be on the cards. Ongenda still has time to make the grade in Ligue 1, but right now, it is difficult to see him ever becoming a regular fixture at PSG.