Stéphane doesn't want Doué fixed in one role, let him explore | OneFootball

This Wednesday, L’Équipe focused in particular on Désiré Doué, the 20-year-old Paris Saint-Germain and France midfielder/forward, ahead of tonight’s clash against Liverpool (first leg of the Champions League quarter-final). In particular, the discussion centered on his versatility, with the idea that he could possibly one day be “pinned down” to one position. Julien Stéphan, the coach who knew him at Rennes and now works at Queens Park Rangers, gave a fairly clear answer.

Stéphan: “He must keep exploring and feeding off many things,”

Some players are “specialists” in one position, while others have more freedom. You have to know how to adapt to the players and to the team’s needs, in a game that is becoming less and less rigid. Doué fits this modern style of football perfectly, as promoted by Paris coach Luis Enrique in a philosophy full of fluidity. All the better, because it gives the manager many options and allows the player to rack up as much playing time as possible.

With all his technical, athletic, and tactical qualities, Doué is already carving out a place for himself among the best. What remains is to find the best position for him depending on the rest of the team and the opponent. With possible changes during the match, without necessarily making a substitution. It is a valuable weapon. One could even add that it happens during a single move. So why try to pin this sublime player down somewhere? He should be allowed to express his creativity, as long as it remains within the collective idea and there is enough intelligence around him for everyone to coordinate. That can be more complicated with the national team, with a group that sees each other less often. But it still always seems a shame to try to put Doué in “a box.”

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