Ensemble PSG Podcast

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's not easy being a Paris Saint-Germain supporter.

Sure, you have a star-studded squad and endless amounts of cash to sign more players, but between injuries, coaching drama, and unrealistic expectations, the club is constantly making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

On this episode of PSG Talking, I'm joined by Guillaume Delaporte to discuss PSG's 3-1 win over AS Saint-Étienne, Mauricio Pochettino's future at the club, injuries, and the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.

Up first, we break down the win over Saint-Étienne at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard. The offense looked better, but the defense was beaten once again by a diagonal pass into the box to wide-open attackers. Sergio Ramos did start and despite the goal given up by PSG, we were impressed overall with his performance.

During the match against ASSE, Neymar Jr. went down with another ankle injury and had to be carried off the pitch. The extent of his injury hasn't been released by the club yet, but we question whether he should have been on the pitch in the 88th minute with PSG in full command of the match.

Speaking of injuries, we also discuss Marco Verratti's injury history and whether PSG needs to sign a midfielder in January if they can't rely on their world-class maestro.

Next, we discuss Mauricio Pochettino and whether PSG will sack him for Zinedine Zidane. With so many superstar players in Paris, it would make sense to bring in a high-profile manager who has the resume to command the respect of the dressing room.

Finally, we wrap up the show by talking about the Champions League and who we want to see PSG play in the Round of 16.

As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you download your podcasts. We’re also on Discord! Come join PSG fans from around the world and have your opinion heard.

We're in the thick of the international break and if you're like me, you're counting down the days until Paris Saint-Germain is back in action. Luckily, we have something to help you get through the next few days.

On this episode of PSG Talking, I'm joined by Guillaume Delaporte and Ty Taylor to discuss the fallout of Kylian Mbappé's interviews with RMC Sport and L'Equipe. There's also the interview Mbappé's mother gave to Le Parisien that seemed to contradict some of what the PSG star said.

Up first, we dive into the comments from Mbappé, which are nicely summarized by Sporting News. We learned that the player did ask to leave PSG and that the only club he has eyes for is Real Madrid. Guillaume and Ty give their thoughts on the situation and hypothesize how Mbappé's comments might have been received by Nasser Al-Khelaifi, PSG's president, and Leonardo, PSG's sporting director.

The Mbappé contract saga has been lingering for at least a year, if not longer, and his comments cleared up a lot of confusion supporters have regarding timing and what has really been offered to him. He also confirmed he said some not-so-nice things about Neymar Jr., which we also discuss. Looking ahead though, the footballing world is still unsure of what Mbappé will do, and his mother only complicated things late last week.

In an interview with Le Parisien, Fayza Lamari told the publication (via ESPN) that "we are talking right now with PSG and all is well. I spoke last night with Leonardo. Will we reach a solution? One thing is clear. [Mbappé] is going to give everything until the end to win the UEFA Champions League."

As we discuss on the show, Mbappé's decision will likely come down to PSG's performance this season and also Real Madrid's. If the France international clicks with Neymar and Lionel Messi and PSG win the Champions League, he may extend for another two years. If the super team implodes and Real Madrid looks like the better project, Mbappé will likely bolt on a free transfer next summer.

We conclude the Mbappé segment by putting a percentage on whether he will sign an extension with PSG and whether the supporters will boo him at the Parc des Princes.

Getting away from the Mbappé drama for a second, there was some monumental news in the world of football. Newcastle United FC has new owners! Much like PSG with Qatar Sports Investments, Newcastle will be majority-owned by an investment fund (Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, or PIF). How will this change the landscape of football and should PSG be worried about competition from Newcastle in the transfer market?

As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you download your podcasts. We’re also on Discord! Come join PSG fans from around the world and have your opinion heard.

If you thought things were bad at Paris Saint-Germain following the loss to Stade Rennais last weekend, well, Kylian Mbappé dropped a bomb on his way out the door for international duty.

On this episode of PSG Talking, I'm joined by James Teague to discuss Mbappé's interview with RMC Sport and L'Equipe in which he confirms he did ask to leave PSG and so much more.

Up first, James and I give our initial reaction to the interview and our take on the revelation that Mbappé asked to leave for Real Madrid at the end of July. Why did he wait until there was a month left in the transfer window and why did he choose now to do an interview? Should PSG have sold Mbappé last summer when there was no progress on his contract extension?

The conversation continues with us discussing whether Mbappé is using the media to change the narrative around his contract situation. Having already been jeered at the Parc des Princes this season by PSG fans, Mbappé appears desperate to come across as he tried everything to help his hometown club even as he lines up a move to Madrid.

Regarding the interview with L'Equipe, Mbappé continued to burn bridges at PSG. He admitted to calling Neymar Jr. a "tramp" for not passing him the ball. He also expressed concern over comments made by club president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who said that he wouldn't let Mbappé leave on a free transfer. Overall, he painted the picture that PSG is a prison and showed other potential transfer targets that if they sign a long-term contract with the capital club, they better be prepared to see out the entire deal.

In typical Mbappé fashion, he left the door open ever so slightly for potentially remaining at PSG—even though we all know that's a lie but again, Mbappé doesn't want to tarnish his image. "If I was told that [Lionel] Messi was going to play at PSG, I wouldn't have believed it," Mbappé told L'Equipe. "So you never know what's going to happen."

So, what does this all mean? We conclude the show by debating whether or not Mbappé could be sent to Real Madrid in January when the transfer window opens, or if PSG would send him to the reserves since he can't control his emotions when a teammate doesn't pass him the ball when he feels they should.

One thing we know for sure is, PSG didn't sanction these interviews. Mbappé went rogue and created drama at a time when it really isn't needed. Just last week, PSG defeated Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League, and instead of talking about that or what Mauricio Pochettino needs to do to maximize the squad's potential, we're talking about Mbappé drama.

As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you download your podcasts. We’re also on Discord! Come join PSG fans from around the world and have your opinion heard.

When Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, admitted that he didn't know how he was going to stop Paris Saint-Germain's front three of Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, and Neymar Jr., many dismissed the comment, but as it turns out, he was right.

On this episode of PSG Talking, I'm joined by James Ridge from the PSG Unrestricted podcast to discuss PSG's 2-0 win over Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League. If you're a PSG supporter, you know it's difficult to find insightful commentary, in English, about PSG, so make sure to give them a follow and subscribe to their podcast.

We begin this episode with James sharing his overall thoughts on the win that wasn't as convincing as the scoreline might indicate. PSG was put under pressure by City for most of the night, but as James states, it was a real statement of intent for what is to come throughout the rest of the season.

Next, we highlight the midfield trio of Idrissa Gueye, Ander Herrera, and Marco Verratti. They were instrumental in the performance and without their defensive determination, City could have gone on to win this match. Gueye stood out especially with a goal in the eighth minute, but later in the first half, he was on the receiving end of a reckless challenge from Kevin De Bruyne. The City star only received a yellow card for the tackle but we discuss whether he should have been sent off immediately.

Moving on from the midfield, we address the performance of PSG's three superstars: Mbappé, Messi, and Neymar. While Messi did score his first goal since arriving from FC Barcelona, the performance from MNM didn't live up to expectations. What changes does Mauricio Pochettino need to make to unlock their potential?

Later in the show, we praise PSG's defense, which stood strong against City's waves of attacks, and debate whether or not Gianluigi Donnarumma has won the starting goalkeeper role over Keylor Navas.

We wrap up the show by having a laugh at our La Liga friends who had a difficult week in the Champions League and I ask James about how he became a PSG fan and if he's seeing more PSG kits in England.

As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you download your podcasts. We’re also on Discord! Come join PSG fans from around the world and have your opinion heard.

Paris Saint-Germain finally has its most complete squad of the Qatar Sports Investments era, but supporters will have to wait to see how all of the pieces come together because it's international break time! Luckily, we have just the thing to pass the time.

On this episode of PSG Talking, I'm joined by Ty Taylor, Matt Gooding, and later in the show, Carl-Oscar Källström joins all the way from the Swedish wilderness. The panel of esteemed PSG experts shares their thoughts on the Kylian Mbappé transfer saga, the arrival of Nuno Mendes, missing out on Eduardo Camavinga, and potential formations Mauricio Pochettino could deploy this season.

Up first though, it's all about Mbappé for the first half of the show. With Real Madrid rumored to have offered €200 million for the 22-year-old who will be out of contract at the end of the season, we're left to wonder if this was all a waste of time and a PR exercise from Los Blancos. We also debate whether PSG can convince Mbappé to sign an extension or if they'll regret not accepting an offer for their most prized asset.

We also spend a few minutes discussing PSG's new left-back, Mendes, from Sporting CP. While we admittedly know very little about him as a player, the highlights on YouTube have us very excited. One player who didn't arrive in Paris was Eduardo Camavinga from Stade Rennais. The 18-year-old midfielder made the move to Real Madrid and we discuss why PSG didn't push harder for one of the most promising youngsters in world football.

We wrap up the show by discussing the optimal formation for PSG this season with everyone agreeing that three-at-the-back is the way to go. We also answer a few questions sent in via the PSG Talk Discord server, including why Real Madrid fans are so awful.

As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you download your podcasts. We’re also on Discord! Come join PSG fans from around the world and have your opinion heard.

The eyes of the footballing world are upon Paris Saint-Germain. With time running out in the summer transfer window, what will they do with Kylian Mbappé?

On this episode of PSG Talking, I'm joined by Carl-Oscar Källström and Mel Brennan to discuss Real Madrid's bid to sign Mbappé with a year left on his contract, how PSG should replace Mbappé, and the UEFA Champions League draw.

Up first, it's the topic everyone is talking about. According to reports, Madrid has offered PSG €180 million for Mbappé, which at the time of publication, has not been accepted and is unlikely to be enough to get the deal done.

We discuss Real Madrid's transfer tactics, the figure we believe PSG would accept, and our prediction on what the club will ultimately do with their prized asset.

Of course, if PSG sells Mbappé, it's a very real possibility that Les Parisiens could reinvest that money immediately and on Friday, one notable name emerged as a potential candidate. According to ESPN, Erling Haaland could be on the move to the French capital if Borussia Dortmund receives an offer of around €200 million...the same amount PSG is hoping to sell Mbappé for.

Another angle to the Mbappé saga is the fans, especially the most passional Ultras who make their voices heard at the Parc des Princes. They've already whistled at Mbappé once this season and we discuss what the atmosphere could be like if the 22-year-old remains in Paris for one more season.

We wrap up the show with some Champions League chatter. Once again, PSG finds themselves in the "Group of Death" with Manchester City, RB Leipzig, and Club Brugge. Does the schedule play in PSG's favor and which big clubs could fail to reach the knockout stage?

As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you download your podcasts. We’re also on Discord! Come join PSG fans from around the world and have your opinion heard.

After the fanfare of Lionel Messi arriving at Paris Saint-Germain, the club must now re-focus and decide what it wants to do with Kylian Mbappé and how to fix a very leaky defense.

On this episode of PSG Talking, I'm joined by Raphael Chader from the Passion Saint-Germain podcast to discuss PSG's 4-2 win over Stade Brestois 29, the Mbappé contract saga, Lionel Messi's upcoming debut, and what to expect as the summer transfer window comes to a close.

We begin with the win over Brest in which PSG scored four very different goals, each one more spectacular than the next. However, Brest did score two and made the game much closer than the final scoreline shows. How can PSG fix the defense and does it all start with signing a new left-back and replacing Keylor Navas in the starting lineup?

Next, we discuss Mbappé who scored a header against Brest but has not signed a contract extension with PSG. All signs point to him either leaving in a spectacular transfer in the next week or on a free transfer next summer. Is he handling the situation poorly from a communication point of view and are we seeing a different side of the 22-year-old in that he wants to be the sole star of a big club instead of playing alongside Neymar Jr. and Messi?

We also talk about the competitiveness of Ligue 1, what that city of Paris has been like since Messi's arrival, and what additional moves the club might make before the end of the transfer window.

As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you download your podcasts. We’re also on Discord! Come join PSG fans from around the world and have your opinion heard.

Here at PSG Talk, we try to keep up with the latest social media trends, but when Twitter Spaces was announced, we were skeptical, to say the least. Who would have thought the Clubhouse rip-off would result in some amazing podcast content?

On this episode of PSG Talking, I'm joined by Paris Saint-Germain supporters on Twitter who decided to come into a "Space" I hosted to discuss Kylian Mbappé's contract situation. I wanted to know what other fans thought about the possibility of the 22-year-old superstar leaving the French capital for Real Madrid and how PSG could recover if he did.

The conversation features mostly PSG fans, however, one Real Madrid supporter did join the broadcast to explain the point of view from the other side and why Mbappé may want to leave PSG despite playing alongside Neymar Jr. and Lionel Messi.

Keep in mind that because Twitter only allows you to download the audio of the Spaces broadcast, I have no visual representation of who is talking (Ty from PSG Talk did join the show). If you recognize your voice on the show, give me a shout on Twitter and I'll link to your Twitter profile. Also, Spaces is for mobile devices only, so the audio isn't up to the quality you usually get on this podcast but it's certainly good enough.

As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you download your podcasts. We’re also on Discord! Come join PSG fans from around the world and have your opinion heard.

For Paris Saint-Germain supporters, it doesn't get much better than last week, but you wouldn't know that if you consume mainstream football media.

On the latest episode of PSG Talking, I'm joined by Mikko Kapanen of PSG Fan Club Helsinki to discuss the media's coverage of Paris Saint-Germain, especially since the arrival of Lionel Messi. I also get Kapenen's thoughts on PSG's 4-2 victory over RC Strasbourg Alsace and the presentation of PSG's five summer transfers.

Up first, we break down PSG's latest match against Strasbourg at the Parc des Princes. Mauricio Pochettino's squad went up 3-0 in under 30 minutes, but the visitors scored two quick goals to open the second half. Is this a case of PSG's top players being unavailable, or, does the manager need to change formation to ensure the defense doesn't leak goals?

One of the main talking points in the match against Strasbourg was when some PSG supporters whistled and jeered Kylian Mbappé when his name was announced as a starter. Obviously, his contract situation isn't endearing him to the fans, especially the Ultras, but with a goal and an assist, he did silence his critics for the time being.

Before kickoff, PSG introduced Georginio Wijnaldum, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, and Lionel Messi to the fans. Kapanen and I share our thoughts on the reception they received and the live broadcast of the event.

In the second part of the podcast, we examine the media's coverage of PSG. Why is it that every flaw of PSG is highlighted while the issues of other clubs are ignored? The traditional landscape of football is changing and in many ways, PSG is the catalyst for that, much to the chagrin of journalists who long for the days of how things used to be. Can PSG silence its critics in the media with a UEFA Champions League victory, or, will they always apply an asterisk to any accomplishment by a team led by Neymar Jr., Mbappé, and Messi?

As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you download your podcasts. We're also on Discord! Come join PSG fans from around the world and have your opinion heard.

Someone pinch me. If you go to Paris Saint-Germain's website right now and you go to the first-team squad page, there's a photo of Lionel Messi. Surreal.

On the latest episode of PSG Talking, it's all about Messi-to-PSG, and to help break down the historic transfer, I'm joined by Paris-based journalist, Jonathan Johnson, who covers Paris Saint-Germain and all things football for CBS Sports. You can also hear him on the ¡Qué Golazo! podcast.

I open the show by asking JJ for his thoughts on a player of Messi's caliber coming to the club he has supported since before the Qatari era. He explains how this is a deal that PSG's hierarchy has dreamed about since the beginning but was always difficult to imagine them ever pulling it off.

Next, Johnson discusses the financial aspect of bringing Messi to the French capital. Were there other clubs that could have realistically signed the former FC Barcelona captain and did Messi only choose PSG because they could meet his wage demands?

Of course, anywhere Messi goes he attracts an audience. Now that he's in Ligue 1, I ask Johnson about how the French league can capitalize on its newfound global fame. Could there be a new TV deal in the works to bring Ligue 1 to countries that may not have access currently?

Later in the show, Johnson discusses which PSG player will benefit the most from Messi's arrival and which formation Mauricio Pochettino should deploy this season.

The interview concludes with a conversation about when fans might see Messi on the pitch in a competitive match and whether or not PSG will make any additional signings before the close of the summer transfer window.

As always, thank you for listening, and be sure to subscribe and rate the show wherever you download your podcasts.