PSG's engine needs a complete overhaul for the Champions League race

His team had given him little opportunity during the first part of the season. Still, last Sunday, in Rennes, Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier had to raise his voice in the wake of another defeat - second in fifteen days.

Although the Parisians are still three points ahead of second-placed Lens, the coach issued a wake-up call.

"There must be awareness. We can find a thousand excuses, but the World Cup is over. Even if we were scattered for eight weeks, we must find cohesion and rhythm."

'He is the biggest failure in the history of football'

The club had long anticipated that the unusual calendar of the season, altered by the World Cup, would upset the team's progress. And although nobody is happy with the performances, there is no state of alarm - at least not yet.

However, the message is unambiguous: we must get back to work. Since the post-World Cup resumption, the champions of France are unrecognizable and no longer look like a team. Physically, emotionally, and tactically, Paris is a mess.

The mini-tour in the Persian Gulf between Tuesday and Friday, embellished with a friendly match against the Riyadh All-Star XI on Thursday, could not have come at a worse time. There is a month left before the knockout duel against Bayern Munich comes. The time is ticking for Galtier to get it right.

One of the significant problems for the team is Neymar's ineffectiveness. French daily L'Equipe rated his performance at Rennes 3/10. And Galtier said that the Brazilian has to improve.

"The players, including Neymar, are not at 100% physically. We are struggling. Ney needs to be able to accelerate to make a difference. We are not worried, but we must rectify certain things collectively."