Paris are getting a lot of things right. Under Rosenior, they have become one of the more difficult sides to play against in Ligue 1, ranking among the best for expected goals conceded. They play with intensity, recover possession quickly and move the ball well. Six wins, two draws and two defeats make for an impressive record, particularly alongside an unbeaten home run. With the derby against PSG coming up next month, Rosenior’s side head into the international break in the Champions League places. Not bad for a club still finding its feet at this level. Paris FC are beginning to look like something more than the other team in the capital. France is taking notice.
At the top of Ligue 1, after ten rounds, sit PSG, as expected. In third place, just three points behind, are Paris FC. Few would have predicted that. This is only their second season back in the top flight, yet they have found their feet remarkably quickly. Much of the credit belongs to Liam Rosenior, a young coach looking to rebuild his reputation after a difficult spell at Chelsea. But there is also a clear sense of direction at boardroom level. From the outset, the club have chosen to build around young players rather than chase quick profits in the transfer market.
Koleosho and his team-mates had already given them plenty to work with last season. An eleventh-place finish and 44 points was an excellent return for a newly promoted side, particularly one with several players beginning to attract attention. Koleosho, the Italian winger who joined midway through the campaign, was among them, alongside Kebbal, Mbow and Adama Camara. Paris were keen to keep hold of all four over the summer, while bringing in a few carefully chosen additions to give the squad more experience. Lassine Sinayoko and Pablo Pagis were the most notable arrivals. The club’s ambitions are clear, with investment in infrastructure and management matched by a sporting project that is beginning to take shape.
Rosenior has played his part, too. He arrived with his reputation bruised by his time at Stamford Bridge, but Ligue 1 was familiar territory. At Strasbourg, he had taken the club back into European competition after a lengthy absence. The Alsatian side are now fighting at the other end of the table, trying to avoid relegation. Rosenior’s departure midway through that campaign had come about because of an opportunity he could hardly turn down: the chance to get Chelsea back on track. It did not work out as hoped. His decision to start again at Paris FC looks a sensible one. Here is a club with room to grow, and a league he knows well. For now, he has the chance to make them a genuine outsider in the French game.
Paris are getting a lot of things right. Under Rosenior, they have become one of the more difficult sides to play against in Ligue 1, ranking among the best for expected goals conceded. They play with intensity, recover possession quickly and move the ball well. Six wins, two draws and two defeats make for an impressive record, particularly alongside an unbeaten home run. With the derby against PSG coming up next month, Rosenior’s side head into the international break in the Champions League places. Paris FC are beginning to look like something more than the other team in the capital. France is taking notice.