Quick Fixes for Unai Emery as the New Coach of Paris Saint-Germain

On Monday afternoon, Paris Saint-Germain confirmed that Laurent Blanc had left the club, and we knew it wouldn’t be long until his successor was revealed.

Just over 24 hours later, Unai Emery's appointment was made official, and a new era at the Parc des Princes has now begun.

The former Sevilla coach accomplished wonderful things in Spain, but the pressure has just been turned up to 11, and expectations will be huge, both on and off the pitch.

“It is with great pride that I agreed to become the Paris-Saint Germain coach,” Unai Emery told the official website. “The club has become one of the biggest in Europe over the past few seasons, and I am both happy and honoured to be able to help realise its great ambitions.”

Winning three straight Europa League crowns is tremendous, but Emery's lack of domestic success has to be noted. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has picked the Spaniard for his success in Europe, and you have to believe he will be given all the tools needed to try and bring similar success to the French capital.

However, he may have to go one better than the Europa League. Laurent Blanc reached four consecutive Champions League quarter-finals, and Emery’s job will be to at least reach the last four—and that will be the minimum required.

It’s not going to be easy or instantaneous, but there are some small changes he can make if he wants to get the fans, players and everyone else on side quickly.

"Unai Emery will begin his duties today. He will also play an active role in the club’s player recruitment that will launch a new ambitious cycle for Paris Saint-Germain, five years after the arrival of Qatar Sports Investments," read the club's statement.

It said a lot without giving too much away. Unlike at Sevilla, where sporting director Monchi holds tight control over player recruitment, it seems that Emery will take more of a hands-on approach in Paris.

Some PSG fans are hoping for a new sporting director in the capital, especially after Monaco’s Luis Campos quit the club soon after Emery was appointed.

With his feet in the door, Emery must move quickly to address a couple of issues in the squad. Some require signings, while some require clarity and thought.

Giving more playing time to Marquinhos could be a way for the new coach to show the squad that he is the boss and that any thoughts of player power must be banished.

The club will always feel pressure to play David Luiz because he cost them £50 million, but that is no longer the coach’s burden. Emery could quite easily install the younger Brazilian as a starter, and it would be received positively on the terraces.

However, it could cause a problem on the pitch and within the team. He needs to show strength, and handing Marquinhos a start could test his relationship with Thiago Silva. If he wins that early war and shows that he is the man in charge, then the players would respect the Spanish boss.

“I am eager to meet up with my new players as well as the people who work tirelessly every day to help the club grow,” Emery continued. “I know that an immense fervour exists around Paris Saint-Germain and I will be giving my best to ensure its millions of fans have a great deal to cheer about.”

How the Spaniard sets up the team is going to be of great interest, but more importantly, their attitude on the pitch will be what sets the tone this season.

All too often PSG would open the scoring against a Ligue 1 side and then take their foot off the gas. The gulf in class would keep them ahead, but it wasn’t a great spectacle. Only a few times would they put a team to the sword.

It’s a difficult thing to do for 90 minutes. Energy levels always drop, and you need to attack in waves, but the attitude, drive and manner in which they play will say a lot about not just how they cope in the league, but how they succeed in the Champions League.

Under Blanc, PSG were actually much better on the counter; playing at pace and attacking teams with speed. This starts from the pressure they apply from the midfield areas.

They can get caught cruising in second gear: passing the ball aimlessly around the midfield, knowing that the opposition isn't good enough to press, can become a boring game of cat and mouse.

However, when they try this in the Champions League, they get caught in the lower gear and struggle to find a way out of that cycle.

Emery’s first decision has to be to play in a way that sees the team press and chase, regardless of the opponent. Winning the ball quickly and driving forward will help the transition between domestic and European football and will improve the style and attractiveness of the team on the pitch.

“I am very happy to welcome Unai Emery as the new coach of Paris Saint-Germain,” announced Nasser Al-Khelaifi. “Unai will bring to the club all his experience, his passion and his strong management skills and human qualities. He has a proven talent to get the most out of a team. I am convinced that our fans will love the spectacular style of football our team will play with Unai.”

Before he is able to put his own stamp on the players at the club, it is clear from Al-Khelaifi’s glowing praise that he believes Emery is the man to get the best out of the pieces he already has in place.

Two men spring to mind: Lucas Moura—as discussed in this column—and Edinson Cavani. In his fifth season with the club, it is time for the Brazilian winger to fulfil his potential and look like the €42 million player he is supposed to.

FRANCK FIFE/Getty Images

The PSG fans are still on Lucas’ side, and if he can add consistency and a cutting edge to his game, all the attributes are still there for him to become a top-class player—the type of player PSG are usually linked with spending over €80 million on.

Cavani is the other one. He may have scored 19 league goals last season, but he still left a lot to be desired. It will be up to Emery to help the Uruguayan rediscover that deadly form that made him such a devastating player for Napoli.

The Spaniard managed that with Kevin Gameiro at Sevilla—a player that failed to impress at the Parc des Princes. If he can transform El Matador into a 30-goal forward, the new coach will be an instant hero in the French capital.