Paris Saint-Germain had been dreaming of a start to the season, topping the table in both the First Division and the Champions League, but new controversies surround the star trio at the top.
Recently, many supporters reprimanded Kylian Mbappe, after one of the statistics recorded a winning streak on Twitter. Many went so far as to claim the star is sued, claiming that the team is better off without him.
Statistics show that Mbappe has not given a single pass to Messi or Neymar so far this season. Messi and Neymar provided eight and five key passes respectively for their teammates.
Key passes is a statistic that has become popular in football lately, and describes the passes that lead to a teammate getting a shot opportunity.
Robin Hogan comments on Ligue 1 at Dirksport, and has good knowledge of the French league. He believes the statistics are not as inauspicious as many proponents say:
– First of all, there are some natural factors for that and. Mbappe is the front-runner in Paris Saint-Germain’s attacking trio, with the main responsibility for threatening the baseline and reaching the ends, Haugen tells Nettavizen.
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– Too selfish
Despite the fact that Haugen believes there is a natural explanation for why Mbappe’s numbers are lower than those of Messi and Neymar, he does not hide that the Frenchman’s personality is also part of the explanation.
– I’ve seen him several times this year. He is selfish to the extreme. There are several times he should have played, says Haugen, where he chose to go by himself, and adds:
– But at the same time, if you are going to score as many goals as he does, you have to have the quality of the striker there. You have to have the confidence to believe that you can always score.
The opinion of the fans that Mbappe is destroying the team and that Paris Saint-Germain would be better without him, Hugin will not stand behind.
– No, you can’t say that. Yes, you could say that it offers some gameplay challenges, because he is not very good at combo game, but he has some extreme skills that no one else in the world has.
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He took on more responsibility last year
Mbappe’s statistics this year are in stark contrast to last season. In the 21/22 season, the star achieved the most assists in Ligue 1, with 17 in 35 matches.
Haugen highlights both the new coach and new playing style as possible causes, but makes it clear that Neymar and Messi’s excellent performances this season have a lot to say.
Neymar was injured last year, and Messi was not even close to the level he is showing now. Mbappe took on more responsibility in several parts of the game, because he had to. This year, the team has done much better, and has been put in the scoring positions to a greater extent rather than having to be the one to make it.
Lionel Messi in particular has taken on a lot of creative responsibilities this year, topping the stats in Ligue 1 both in terms of assists, key passes and opportunities created.
This year Messi is a clear playmaker, so it’s no surprise that he has the most assists among those in the front three. He withdrew more on the field, directing attacks to a greater extent. In this part of the game, no one in Europe is better than Messi, says Haugen.
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An argument with the Football Association
Several months ago, there was a rift between Mbappe and the French Football Federation, and the feud resurfaced on Monday. Several media outlets referred to a press release sent by Mbappe’s advisors to Agence France-Presse. It was reported there that the Paris Saint-Germain forward would refuse to take part in a photo session planned with his national team teammates on Tuesday.
The background must be that Mbappe was not happy that the French Football Federation had not made amendments to the collective agreement between the players regarding image rights.
The current agreement dates back to 2010. It obliges players to participate in marketing activities under the auspices of the French national team sponsors. For this, players will be rewarded with €25,000 for each international match they play.
However, Mbappe and his advisers argued that this solution is unfair, while the images of some players are used more than others. They will also have the opportunity to influence the sponsors that the attacking star will line up for.
And the French Federation announced, on Monday evening, its withdrawal from the conflict. A statement said the current agreement would be “reviewed”.
“After critical discussions with the management of the French team, the president, coach and marketing director, the French Football Federation undertakes, as soon as possible, to review the agreement that defines the image rights of the withdrawn players (in a national squad),” read a statement.
“The FFF is pleased to set out the basic principles of a new agreement, which will secure our interests while also taking into account the legitimate concerns and opinions expressed unanimously by the players.” , Union wrote as well.
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