Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel reviewed the first half of the 2019-20 season exclusively for PSG TV:
Coach, we’re halfway through the season, how do you judge these first six months?
I would say good. Very good. But maybe I’m the worst person to ask this because I'm always living the moment and always thinking what’s coming next. So it's quite hard for me to summarise a half a year. But right now it feels very good. I have the feeling that we are leaning towards the positive again, that we have been going to the right direction for many weeks now and we did an amazing campaign in the Champions League. We are first in the league, the team is competitive and we have some personalities in the squad, some experience. We have a good group. This is fun. It's fun to work with them.
The season started in China, with the Trophée des Champions… how did you feel on the eve of the campaign?
We did a lot of travelling in China, and we had a lot of things to do. We played against Rennes, whom we lost to in the Cup final. So to lose again in a knockout game against them, we knew it could be difficult. Leonardo had just arrived and, as a coach, you also don't want to lose your first official match and with a trophy to win. So yeah, there was a bit of pressure there. And it was the usual pressure that you get when you want to start well, because a good start sets the mood in the dressing room and the atmosphere from the moment you start. And it was quite a difficult match. We were down 1-0 and we managed to turn things around and this was an important start, a hard start, but important.
Despite a good first half of the season, the club has lost three games in Ligue 1. How do you explain that?
I'm not so good in accepting that it can happen even if I really mean it when we say it's difficult to win all the matches and to never lose a game. But still, it's the challenge here. And we try and we prepare all the time, at least not to lose if we're not able to win. From the three defeats, I have to say that the one in Rennes stands out a bit. It was a close match and a tough match to play again. They scored twice from only two it was also unlucky for us. It was not our best match. That can happen. The one against Reims at home did hurt a lot because it also put an end to our home record and the one away to Dijon too, because we had a good team on the pitch, we were up one nil and they scored two nearly identical goals. These two hurt more than the one in Rennes I have to say.
We also have to talk about the match everyone looks forward to, against Marseille...
We saw some incredible goals because they gave us the space gave us the space in the middle to turn and to use our speed in the last line. We didn't know for sure, but we could imagine that they would have a brave approach to the game. But if they wanted to play high up the pitch, they would be taking risks. We played very well in the first half. And then we totally stopped playing in the second half, which was a bit bizarre and confusing. If you play the other way round, if you play a close match 0-0 at half time and you win in 4-0, you feel so happy afterwards. If you have 4-0 at half-time and you play a little bit like a close second half, in the end it feels a bit strange. So but it was Le Classique in France, it was another big match and a big win for the supporters and for us. We are very happy with it.
What type of coach are you?
I want to make things happen easily between the players, to make things easier, to help them find each other on the pitch. The team is like an orchestra, which has to create a certain chemistry. That's why I was so happy in the last few games, because I could feel that something was being created between them. It wasn't just a question of quality, talent, but also the way they play, the way they help each other in the small spaces. And it's those little details, worked on in training and applied in matches that make a big difference. We have to agree on playing principles, on our style of play. But we also have to accept that Neymar is Neymar, that Marco (Verratti) will remain Marco and that Marquinhos will be Marquinhos with all his power. The goal is to put them together, like a puzzle that completes itself perfectly, so that they can help and appreciate each other. It is in this dynamic that I believe.