Opinion – Luis Enrique rotates, we rank: the odd PSG obsession | OneFootball

Two matches on the bench were enough to reignite the debate around Désiré Doué (21). Yet Le Parisien pointed out this week that, after starting the first five games, the Frenchman was still the most-used forward at Paris Saint-Germain. Ferran Torres is on fire, Doué is playing less: did that really mean we had to so quickly conclude that a new pecking order had been established?

Two matches, and the ranking is already settled

Football loves hierarchies. A number one, a number two, a starter, his backup and, if possible, a winner before the debate is even over. It’s practical, easy to follow and perfect for filling two hours of podcast time. Except this PSG side under Luis Enrique (56) seems to take real pleasure in making the picture more complicated.

Désiré Doué started the first five matches of the season. Then he was on the bench against Bratislava and Brest. In the meantime, Ferran Torres (26) scored six times in his new colors. The Spaniard obviously deserves all the praise for his start. He scores, moves a lot, offers different solutions and immediately took the chances he was given.

But there is still quite a large gap between “Torres deserves to play” and “Torres has now moved ahead of Doué”. That gap may simply be called a football season.

Luis Enrique never promised eleven guaranteed starters

A few days before the competition between the two became a minor running storyline, Luis Enrique was already explaining that the Paris squad would require more rotation this season.

It’s hard to be much clearer than that. That does not mean no hierarchy exists. That would be the opposite extreme. Performances matter, form matters, and a player who excels for several weeks naturally ends up gaining ground. A spell on the bench can also send a message. Doué was less decisive after his excellent start to the season, and Torres certainly was not signed to spend his time collecting training bibs.

Still, under Luis Enrique, gaining ground does not necessarily mean claiming ownership with a notarized deed. Since arriving in Paris, the Spaniard has used profiles, form, opponents and different moments of the season. Sunday’s starting XI is not always Monday’s official ranking.

Competition does not need a loser

Maybe it is our old reflex that still lingers. We want to know who has “taken” whose place. As if two excellent attacking players could only thrive if one permanently pushes the other aside.

The most amusing part is that even before Le Classique, Le Parisien suggested this Saturday a Paris lineup with both Doué and Torres together in Marseille. That would, of course, be only one possible XI, and the lineup still remains to be confirmed. But the image sums up the situation quite well: while we are busy setting up a duel, Luis Enrique may very well decide there isn’t one.

This competition is actually excellent news for Paris. Torres forces Doué to maintain his level. Doué gives his coach something different from Torres. And no one needs to be declared dethroned for the other to perform well.

Tomorrow, Doué could start at the Vélodrome. Torres could too. Then one of the two may be back on the bench a few days later, and the great court of hierarchy will probably reopen its doors. Luis Enrique, for his part, seems less interested in our rankings than in his options. In trying so hard to lock in PSG’s starting XI, we may simply miss what makes it so rich: it was built precisely so it never would be.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.