PSG have a problem with Galtier and Galtier has a problem with PSG
Are PSG's problems down to a lack of involvement by their best players in most of the Paris Saint-Germain matches? Down to injuries? Down to the mere lack of depth and talent? Whatever the case may be, one thing is clear: Christophe Galtier must go because he's definitely not the man to solve it all.
Galtier, who arrived at PSG as recently as last summer, is trying to solve a problem that might not even have a solution. And if it has one, then the Frenchman is surely not the man with the ability to solve the riddle and find it.
Ask OM, who are already licking their chops thinking about winning the Ligue 1 while watching PSG crumble.
PSG continue to struggle in 2023, with the latest bump in the road being their Sunday's defeat against Lorient (1-3) at the Parc des Princes. It's already been nine defeats under the management of Galtier, including six in Ligue 1 and three at home in the Parc des Princes. There are growing concerns about whether "new" coach Christophe Galtier can steer the team away from an ultimate collapse.
According to Le Parisien, PSG's star players are either underperforming or injured, leaving the team without reliable substitutes.
Kylian Mbappe and Nuno Mendes are often sidelined due to injury and missed multiple games entirely or particularly. The latter, in fact, suffered a setback against Lorient while the former was close to missing the match with problems in the warm-up.
Lionel Messi has made only brief appearances on the pitch, failing to make a significant impact as he only seems to pay attention to the game in little spans and when he feels like it.
Meanwhile, Sergio Ramos has played good football only when opposing teams have decided to sit deep instead of attacking PSG, painting the veteran's face in all other occasions and showing his age and why he should be let go next summer.
Marquinhos and Marco Verratti have also been performing poorly, and it was revealed on Monday that the latter came back to the club after the World Cup break weighing four more kilograms than he did before the winter. Just imagine.
According to the newspaper, the PSG bench is also lacking in quality and depth, which is obvious to highlight and something that should have been fixed in August when it was clear the team would reach this point eventually.
Without a solid plan in principle and no reinforcements capable of lifting the team's performance arriving in January's transfer window, this capitulation was pretty much inevitable.
All of this has limited Galtier's ability to make changes and inspire his players to perform better, though it's not entirely excusable on the coach's side to be underperforming such as PSG have done this season.
However, this feels more like a club-based problem rather than one to blame entirely on Galtier, considering past managers such as Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel also struggled with their squads at Paris Saint-Germain while trying to assert their authority over the team and inspire good runs of results.
Despite the challenges, Galtier is doing his best to motivate the team, but his efforts have been largely unsuccessful. PSG's title hopes hang in the balance with OM only five points behind Paris in the Ligue 1 standings.
With the coach having lost the locker room, it's now just up to the players to decide whether they want to step up and fight for the championship adding an accolade to their resumes, or if they'd rather continue their lackluster performances and ditch their year-long work.