In what has become somewhat of a rare appearance over the last two seasons, Javier Pastore is back at the Ooredoo Training Center. Paris Saint-Germain’s No. 10 appears to have shaken off his latest injury and will most certainly be a welcome addition to the PSG attack for Unai Emery. The front three for PSG has lacked imagination far too often this season and the return of the Argentina international, who is one of the best playmakers in the world, should help correct that.
Pastore has already made himself a prominent feature in Emery’s plans at the start of the season. He was put in his preferred role attacking midfielder role as PSG shifted to a 4-2-3-1 formation and played a major role in the fast-paced attacking style the Basque manager was trying to implement before losing his place due to injury just three games into the season.
However, a lot has changed since then. The humbling loss at the hands of AS Monaco immediately after, in addition to a few poor performances, forced the manager to make some changes to his tactics.
The reigning French champions have now settled into their more familiar 4-3-3 possession-based formation with Thiago Motta, Blaise Matuidi, and Marco Verratti in midfield (with Adrien Rabiot regularly in the mix as well). Up front, Lucas Moura, Edinson Cavani, and Angel Di Maria have featured regularly in attack but no matter the starting lineup, the 4-3-3 hasn’t churned out mouthwatering performances on a consistent basis despite getting the results they need (currently on an eight-game unbeaten run). There have been signs the attack seems to be turning the corner, though. The master class showing against Stade Rennes is arguably the best the team has looks so far this season.
Thiago Silva speaking to PSG TV after the Rennes game said:
…It’s normal that it takes a little time to adjust to a new playing style, but I think we are there now and we can feel it on the pitch. Our intensity was great, we were very aggressive. The championship is still very open and we are right there…All the players are giving 100%, and everyone is motivated.
O Monstro‘s comments about the team finally feeling a lot more comfortable in the current playing style, as well as every player now giving 100 percent, certainly suggest it would be unwise for Emery to immediately switch back the the 4-2-3-1 in favor of Pastore and risk hurting the team’s dynamic. However, handing El Flaco a spot instead of Lucas alongside Cavani and Di Maria in attack could just be the best way to fit the 27-year-old into the starting lineup without making many alterations to his tactics.
The attack has been the major source of frustration this season for supporters. Between the over-reliance on Cavani for goals, poor performances from Di Maria, and Lucas’ inconsistency (despite his improvement on a personal level), it’s difficult to know which team will show up on any given night.
Di Maria has greatly improved in recent games though thanks to Emery’s decision to swap flanks with Lucas, moving the 28-year-old to the right of the attack. This has come at the detriment of Lucas, who is limited to an extent on the left. The clear increase in the team’s performance with Di Maria in a role he’s more familiar with means getting the best out of the former Manchester United man is more of a priority. This makes Lucas a liability and the logical choice to make way for Pastore, who is much more comfortable while featuring from the left side of the attack.
In Lucas’ defense, his ability to provide the occasional goal threat and high work-rate, which is crucial to Emery’s philosophy, makes him important to the side to an extent. Pastore is no slouch himself though, and while he may not be categorized as more prolific judging by recent seasons, the huge creative boost and overall unpredictability he brings to the side cannot be overstated. Perhaps in the near future, Pastore’s availability could yet mean a return to the 4-2-3-1 formation to accommodate Lucas. It would be wise however to not tamper with the current dynamic of the team just yet.
All this comes down to Pastore’s level of fitness though. It will not be the first time Flaco has returned from injury and failed to feature before going missing again for an extended period of time. If fit, he could ignite the attack and give PSG the creativity it’s lacked for most of the season.
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Photograph by PATRICK KOVARIK/AFP/Getty Images