It was enough for PSG to lose at Rennes for a culprit to emerge: Neymar Jr. How and why?
Something has been happening in France in recent weeks. Something important, albeit predictable. PSG are top of Ligue 1. For now. Lens are coming from behind and can overtake PSG at the drop of a hat, especially as neither Mbappé, the World Cup runner-up, nor Messi, their champion, have found their rhythm since the end of the World Cup. Least of all: Neymar Jr.
Lens have just three points to make up and even Marseille can hope for the title with only five points to recover.
There really is every reason in the world for the Parisians to go into session, analyse and perhaps see what everyone else sees, except the management stricken with wilful blindness: the Brazilian has reverted to his pre-Mondial months self: lethargic, crossing the turf as if asleep, not recovering any balls, losing the ball easily and launching into some glittering phases that go nowhere. He doesn’t help the team.
And then naturally all fingers of blame are pointed at him: he used PSG to prepare for the World Cup, now he doesn’t care anymore, he never cared – he doesn’t care about the club, he plays computer and console games all night or worse, he has a messy nightlife, he’s not serious, he doesn’t train, he’s toxic in the locker room, his influence is negative, he’s a wasted talent, he corrupts young people to carelessness and debauchery.
Towards the bench
Neymar Jr is no longer a kid. He’s a 30-year-old who should have left something behind in his career and, apart from a couple of seasons when he was trailed by Messi and Suarez at Barcelona, has left nothing but disappointment that he hasn’t done more.
In France he got truckloads of money and played a little when and how he felt like it. And then there’s the month of Carnival in Rio, when, traditionally, Ney gets injured and can’t play, barely finding the strength to bellybutton a samba. Nothing to feel sorry for.
Neymar Jr. is a typical example of mocking one’s own strengths. Nowdays he is remarkable only at the barber’s shop.
In the same time, his numbers in this season are still great, but it all happened before the World Cup, when Ney was motivated by the illusion that Brazil could become with him at the helm world champions for the sixth time.
Now, unmotivated, Neymar Jr. is adrift and perhaps the best thing that could happen to him and the team would be to occasionally take a seat on the bench. Maybe it’s not too late, now in his 12th hour, through some miracle, for him to come to his senses and start playing good football.
