PSG's start to the season - quelle merde(reau)

I’ve been on holiday to France on a regular basis over the last eight years, but never have I had such an eye-opening trip as the one from which I have just returned. This is because my in-laws have retired and moved to the country, so Mrs PSGT and I spent the first seven days of our vacation with them in the middle of nowhere. Here are some differences I noticed between Paris and la campagne: -          In the country it’s acceptable, nay expected, that you stare at strangers. I was gawped at so often that I felt like I was in a zoo. -          Wife-beater vests are mandatory for country men of all ages and states of physical fitness. -         ...

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Heroes: Ludovic Guily

Paris Saint-Germain start the season with a home match against Lorient on Saturday night. Despite being overwhelming favourites for the match, and indeed the Ligue 1 title, PSG will have to work hard to avoid a repeat of last season’s opener, which saw Christian Gourcuff’s side triumph 1-0 in Brittany. The wily Gourcuff has strengthened his squad well over the summer, with the arrival of Alain Traore – a lone beacon of light in Auxerre’s relegation season last year – and a familiar face in the form of ex-PSG winger Ludovic Guily. Guily left the Parc-des-Princes last summer to re-join Monaco, but he was released after a season in Ligue 2 and the 36-year-old is ready for a final crack at the big time. "This is a club that suits me...

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Mour Mour Mour! PSG beat Manchester United to Lucas Moura signature & other stories

As we reported (with some glee) last week, Carlo Ancelotti had said that PSG's business this transfer window was finished. But that cheeky little Italian scamp was pulling the wool over our eyes, as today the club have announced they've reached an agreement to sign Sao Paolo's Lucas Moura. The Brazilian winger, who is currently at the Olympics with the Selecao, had been the subject of one of the summer's slowest and most boring transfer stories, with Manchester United seeming to be perpetually on the brink of signing him from Sao Paulo. Inter Milan were also heavily interested, but it appears that PSG stole a march on their rivals by offering more money impressing the player with their exciting project. Now it has been confirmed he will be joining us in the January transfer window, once...

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Stupid PSG picture of the week: Al-Khelaifi - big (hair) in the 90s

In general I’m a big fan of the 1990s, the decade that gave us Brit Pop, The X-Files and, er, Tony Blair. But let’s face it, we all look better now than we did then. Back in those heady, pre-millennium, days, I sported the centre-parting-with-curtains haircut which was all the rage at my school, and often accompanied this with the baggy old jumper, jeans, and parka combo as modelled by my fashion icon of the time, Liam Gallagher. Like me, Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khalaifi probably wishes all pictorial evidence of this time period had been destroyed. But, as these photos taken in 1998 and published on the Le10Sport website show, back then he already carried a candle for PSG. Not sure the haircut, or indeed the t-shirt, do the...

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What shall we do with the grumpy Nene?

*Just for your information, I find the headline works best if you sing it to the tune of What Shall we do with the Drunken Sailor. At least, that's what I've been doing all afternoon. On Saturday night Barcelona picked up what is surely the biggest title they've won in recent seasons, the Trophee de Paris. They claimed the prestigious, sought-after prize 4-1 on penalties after a thrilling hard-fought 2-2 draw with Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes. The visitors had taken a 2-0 lead through Rafinha and Leo Messi (pen), but PSG hit back through Zlatan Ibrahimovic (pen) and Zoumana Camara to take the tie to spot-kicks, where the man from Catalonia prevailed. Having achieved such success so early, new Barca boss Tito Vilaneuva has set himself a high bar for the forthcoming season. One...

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Window shopping over as PSG prepare to tackle the mighty Barcelona

Like most football fans I struggle to get excited about pre-season friendlies, described brilliantly by Nick Hornby in Fever Pitch as methadone football - giving us addicts a taste without the kick of the real thing. But playing Barcelona is always pretty exciting, so I'll probably be tuning in tomorrow night when Messi, Iniesta, and co arrive at the Parc-des-Princes for Paris Saint-Germain's last warm-up match of the summer. It's a shame Pep Guardiola is no longer in charge of the Spanish side, as it would have been interesting to see him and Ibra get re-acquainted. This is what happened last time they met. Maybe. With just a week to go until the start of the new Ligue 1 season, we might get a few clues as to what sort of team Carletto will pick for the big kick-off against Lorient. Amidst...

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