7 Most Frustrating Things About Being a PSG Fan Right Now
On the outside it must be difficult to fathom that Paris Saint-Germain fans would have any reason to be frustrated following their team.
However, with success and fame come raised expectations and the belief that nothing should be able to stop them achieving their goals.
Barcelona are in crisis because they can't play any of their new signings, just months after winning the Champions League with Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar—sometimes positions of strength bring their own problems.
Winning the domestic treble and their third consecutive league title should have the PSG fans on cloud nine, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be elements of their team they would like to see improve.
Here are the seven most frustrating things about being a PSG fan right now.
Not All Fans Are Nouveau Riche
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Before Paris Saint-Germain were taken over by Qatari Sports Investment, they always had a dedicated support. This does not just come down to the Auteuil and Boulogne stands where the hardcore support once dominated—and are now mostly on PSG's blacklist—but the thousands of fans that followed in the 1990s when Rai, George Weah took the pitch to more recently when Jay Jay Okocha and Ronaldinho got the Rouges et Bleu fans off their seats.
However, now, due to the extra money, and the new reputation as a nouveau riche club, those fans that have been around for years are dumped into the same category.
Founded in 1970, PSG are a young club, but there are a huge number of fans who have been involved way before the QSI-era.
It is too easy to lump these long-standing fans into the category of hooligans too. The club know now that they will always sell out the Parc des Princes and no longer need those fans on the blacklist, but in a recent Women's Champions League fixture against Glasgow City, they too showed that they can travel to games and add to the atmosphere without causing added trouble.
If Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic Was 5 Years Younger
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"Time to Say Goodbye" sang Sara Brightman, and next summer PSG fans will wave au revoir to Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. His contract is up at the end of the season and the 34-year-old is set to continue his football adventure away from the French capital.
It will be difficult to replace a striker that has scored over 15 goals in all three of his seasons with the club, including an incredible 30 strikes in his debut campaign.
The reality is he isn't getting any younger—but looking at the impact he had when he arrived, and there must be pangs of regret that PSG were not able to sign a younger version of the talisman. Player and club are a match made in heaven and it will be a sad moment on the Parc des Princes terraces when he says his goodbyes.
Credit Where Credit Is Due
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Since the arrival of QSI, PSG's target has been success in the Champions League. At the start of every season the aim is to go one stage better than previously—which makes absolute sense, but it is not the right way to judge progress of the club at this stage of its development.
Due to the resources afforded to the club they are never quite given the credit for winning trophies, mostly because the belief is that they should be winning everything in sight.
People have short memories. Last season's title was only the fifth in the club's history, meaning they don't have a long history of success in the European Cup—something that needs to be built gradually.
Credit where credit is due. Progress in the Champions League is based on more than just how far you go, it needs to start with domestic success. Praise has to be given for those achievements first.
Adrien Rabiot
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Potential is one of the most commonly used words in football. Either players have it, they are living up to it, or they may never reach the levels once expected.
French midfielder Adrien Rabiot often lands in all three categories.
After making his debut at 16 years old against Bordeaux, it looked like he was destined for greatness. Then a contract dispute between his agent—his mother Veronique—and the club put his future in doubt, per Robin Bairner of Goal.com, he didn't feature until Week 14 last season.
It looked like things were improving, until he missed the team bus on the way to the Coupe de France final and was banished from the squad.
A solid pre-season gave everyone hope, but then two yellow cards against Lille on the opening day showed he was far from the finished product.
He may still make a huge impact in the game. At only 20, he has time on his side, but he is one that frustrates as much as he delights.
Pay the PSG Premium
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Continuing the musical theme, you have to think that Notorious B.I.G's "Mo Money, Mo Problems" is a regular addition to PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi's Spotify playlist.
Everyone in the world understands they have more money than any other French club, and they can compete with the biggest around Europe when it comes to transfer fees and wages.
What that means is that PSG will usually have to pay a premium for any player they are interested in. The easiest example of David Luiz. Although adored by the PdP faithful and impressing since joining the club, they did have to pay £50 million to acquire his services.
Financial Fair Play restrictions have been reduced this season, but they still remain an ongoing concern. At some point, when players age, or move on, replacements will be required and having to pay over the odds for the world's elite will hamper any rebuilding plans.
The Potential Greatness of Javier Pastore
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When he signed from Serie A side Palermo for a then-record transfer fee, Javier Pastore had the world at his feet. A positive first season was followed up by two campaigns that can only be described as average.
During the majority of their title win last term, Pastore was at his best, unstoppable, but there are still questions to be asked of the Argentine playmaker. In the league, at times he was unplayable. Late in the season he created all three goals as PSG destroyed Metz at the Parc des Princes.
Those performances are superb to watch, yet, for a player of his ability and influence, they shouldn't be the highlights of his season. They are important, but he needs to show he can do it against Europe’s best.
When he is on-song, he is a world-beater, but it is very frustrating how he picks and chooses his moments. Consistency could take his game to another level.
Edinson Cavani Missing the Target on the Grand Occasions
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You will be hard pushed to find any PSG fan that has a problem with the work rate and effort that Edinson Cavani shows on the pitch. Asked to play out of position on a number of occasions, he always puts the team’s wishes ahead of his own and he protects the defence when played out on the wing.
However, the biggest issue with the Uruguayan striker is his ability to find the back of the net in the big, high-pressure games. Despite his 18 goals in Ligue 1 last season, they need him to find form on the vital European nights and to show a more clinical edge to his game.
It has been hard for El Matador to shine in Ibrahimovic's shadow, but some of his performances with the Swedish striker out, left a lot to be desired. He can cut a very frustrated figure in front of goal and there are still doubts that he is the man to take over from Zlatan next season.
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