Considered by Luis Enrique as “the most destabilizing player in the world”, Ousmane Dembélé would be, according to Julien Stéphan, “Ballon d’Or today” if he added to his already very rich panoply “a better finish”. It’s a recurring subject for him, and the guy is aware of it: “In each training session, I try to work on that”, he assured on TF1 microphone Monday evening, at the end of a match against Belgium (2-0) that he lit up with his class in his ability to eliminate, with, cherry on the cake, a very nice goal scored after a series of feints (editor’s note: he was also involved in Kolo Muani’s goal).
Where in the recent past his shot would probably have flown wide, this time it left Casteels no chance. “On the dribbles, I dribble one, two, I lack freshness on the shot and my body rises a little, it is often for this reason that I do not frame”, analyzed Ousmane Dembélé.
Luis Enrique doesn’t let go
This season, Dembélé found the back of the net from the first day of Ligue 1, against Le Havre, he even has one goal and three assists in three games played, while he had to wait until the 13th day of the championship to unlock his counter in 2023-2024. The Parisian context may have encouraged this evolution towards more efficiency in front of goal.
“Coach Luis Enrique keeps telling me this. This season, we’re doing a lot of finishing exercises and he’s always telling me to get it on target, to take my chances but above all to get it on target. Even if the shot is blocked, a teammate can touch it and score.” The Parisian coach has been forced to make his attackers, particularly his wingers Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé, even more responsible since the departure of Kylian Mbappé, who alone scored 44 goals last season. Gonçalo Ramos’ injury has also disrupted the capital club’s plans.
“Be a little more personal”
Aware that he would have to take over in finishing this season, Ousmane Dembélé is working hard at Campus PSG to improve what remains perfectible in the final move. This also supposes a change of mindset in his relationship to the game and to his teammates. “People tell me that I am too generous and that I am always looking to pass,” he confided to TF1. “I am constantly told that I have to try my luck, whether it is (Luis Enrique) at PSG or my teammates. I decided to try my luck. This season, I will try to try my luck even more and be a little more personal.” Since the start of the season, it has worked rather well for him, and he remains no less focused on his qualities that already made him an exceptional player. Now all that remains is to find consistency. He will then be able to (perhaps) prove Julien Stéphan right.
- RMC Sport
