The Frenchman says Mauricio Pochettino’s side need to improve as a defensive unit in order to win trophies on both domestic and European fronts
Thierry Henry has sent a warning to Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain, insisting “balance is most important” as they bid to become the top team in world football.
PSG added Messi to their ranks last week following his surprise exit from Barcelona, with the Argentine committing to a two-year deal at Parc des Princes after seeing his 21-year career at Camp Nou come to a premature end.
Messi has joined Gianluigi Donnarumma, Georginio Wijnaldum and Sergio Ramos in signing for the French club on a free transfer, while Achraf Hakimi has also been brought in from Inter, but Henry is adamant that big-money additions won’t guarantee the club success in 2021-22.
What’s been said?
Henry, who played alongside Messi at Barca between 2007 and 2010, expressed doubts over PSG’s defensive credentials following their 4-2 victory over Strasbourg on Saturday.
“Balance is the most important. At one point, we always talk about great players, attacking, going forward, but we need a balance,” the former Blaugrana and France forward told Dimanche Soir Foot.
“We are talking about the team in which I played at Barca, but people forget to point out that we weren’t conceding a lot of goals.
“In general, teams that don’t concede a lot of goals are not far from the title, or even from the Champions League.
“When you have superhuman players, it gets a little easier but when I see how Paris is evolving at the moment, they concede too many goals for my taste to be able to go a little further. It is true that there was a lack of players but the balance is the most important.”
Is Messi the key to PSG’s Champions League hopes?
PSG will be confident of wrestling the Ligue 1 title back from Lille after the arrival of Messi, but their main goal for the season is to win the Champions League for the first time in their history.
The Argentina international opened up on his Champions League ambitions after being unveiled at Parc des Princes, telling reporters: “For me on a personal level, I would love to win another Champions League, like I’ve said in previous years, and I think I’ve come to the ideal place that’s ready for that.”
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