Paris FC had a long-term plan … until they panicked about relegation

If anyone can empathise with Stéphane Gilli, it is probably Antoine Kombouaré, the man who now replaces him as Paris FC manager. Gilli had felt like a lame duck since the Arnault family took over the club midway through last season, but earning promotion to Ligue 1 at the first time of asking bought him a stay of execution. It didn’t last long. With fears of relegation growing, Kombouaré – a former lame duck turned firefighter – has taken his place.

Just like Gilli, Kombouaré too failed to fulfil the lofty ambitions of new owners; his face didn’t fit. QSI were merciless when they dispatched Kombouaré within just months of their purchase of Paris Saint-Germain in 2011; they were top of the league when he was replaced by Carlo Ancelotti. The self-proclaimed “bling bling” era had begun at PSG and, despite its flaws, there was at least a direction – which is more than can be said for Paris FC now.

When announcing his appointment, Paris FC praised Kombouaré’s “journey and solid experience in Ligue 1,” saying they would be “precious assets to achieve the results we are targeting”. His appointment is a clear indication of the results that they seek to “achieve” between now and the end of the season: survival. His reputation is now that of a firefighter, having performed that role on two occasions at Nantes in recent seasons, and his arrival at Paris FC shows the club’s owners sense danger, despite the six-point gap with the relegation playoff spot.

This was always billed as a season of consolidation, even if the club’s newfound wealth, spending in the summer and relationship with Red Bull were grounds for greater ambition. Paris FC were in the top half of the table in mid-October, but they have dropped to 15th after winning just one of their last 11 games.

The players were informed of Gilli’s departure in the dressing room after their unremarkable 1-1 draw against Toulouse on Saturday. Kombouaré arrived the next day. It had clearly been in the works. The new recruits in the squad have let Gilli down. While Ilan Kebbal has taken to Ligue 1 like a duck to water, the same cannot be said for others in the squad. What has done for Gilli is the under-performance of Ligue 1 stalwarts such as Moses Simon, Hamari Traoré and Pierre Lees-Melou, all brought in to ensure a comfortable midtable finish. Otávio and Willem Geubbels, a 24-year-old signed as part of the long-term vision, have also struggled.

The remedy in January was more short-termism. The club signed striker Ciro Immobile (now 36 and yet to score after four appearances) and brought in Marshall Munetsi, Diego Coppola and Luca Koleosho on loan. If there is a long-term vision at Paris FC, it is on hold. Short-termism, although understandable within the context, is perhaps to the detriment of the global vision. The project will be based on developing players and exploiting the rich talent pool in the Île-de-France region.

For that, Red Bull’s insight and support will be valuable but, for now, their involvement is limited. They will have been informed of the managerial change, but it doesn’t feel as if Jürgen Klopp would have instigated the recruitment of Kombouaré. The club’s German sporting director, Marco Neppe, was a Red Bull pick and he in many ways embodies the Austrian fizzy drinks brand’s presence at the club. But Kombouaré, picked from the “managerial roundabout”, does not scream Red Bull.

There are some signs of promise. Neppe has been seen doing the rounds of youth matches across France this season and the club signed the highly promising midfielder Rudy Matondo in January. He will be followed by the equally promising Patrick Zabi in the summer. It mirrors the PSG strategy, but one that QSI took over a decade to land on. Paris FC at least realise they are sitting on a goldmine, hence Red Bull’s eagerness to get involved through a minority share that will jump to 15% at the end of next season.

But when this vision can truly be implemented remains the question. When Ancelotti arrived at PSG, the wheels were put in motion, but with Kombouaré, there is a feeling of a future deferred, that the short-term needs are now working to the detriment of the long-term ambitions – a club in suspension. For now, the decision makers have prioritised putting out the fires in the hope that – in time – the club will rise from the ashes.

Talking points

Lens occupied top spot in Ligue 1 for just one week. Having squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to PSG in the Champions League midweek, Monaco scored three goals in 10 minutes to come from behind and win in Lens. Pierre Sage said his side “acted like idiots” as they spectacularly collapsed from a commanding position. Their goalkeeper, Robin Risser, has been excellent all season, but he saved his worst performance for a game in which he was observed by France goalkeeping coach Franck Raviot before a potential call-up to the national team. He let Folarin Balogun’s near-post shot – and perhaps his chance of going to the World Cup – slip through his fingers as the cracks in the Lens defence began to show.

First-choice defenders Samson Baidoo and Jonathan Gradit were absent and the inexperience of their replacements showed, with a mix-up between Ismaëlo Ganiou and Nidal Celik allowing Ansu Fati to bear down on the Lens goal unchallenged and score the winner. PSG were not going to squander the chance to punish that slip-up. At home to bottom side Metz, they won at a canter. Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola and Gonçalo Ramos scored in their 3-0 win. Monaco handed PSG the upper hand in the title race a few days before they meet for the second leg of their Champions League tie.

The longest winning run in Europe’s top five leagues was brought to an abrupt end by Gary O’Neil’s excellent Strasbourg side. Lyon had won their last 13 games in all competitions before their visit to the Meinau, but they were completely outplayed for the entire 90 minutes as they lost 3-1. If not for Dominik Greif’s heroics in goal, it could have been a lot more. This is a crunch period for Lyon, who face Marseille next week. This is also a pivotal moment for Strasbourg, who are right at the start of the O’Neil reign. In their last five games, they have faced four of the current top five, taking seven points from games against Lille, PSG, Marseille and Lyon. It does not get any easier. Next up, second-placed Lens.