Manchester United legend, Rio Ferdinand, has criticized Paris Saint-Germain following their 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. Ferdinand expressed his belief that PSG’s players displayed laziness and a lack of concentration during the match at St. James’ Park.
Newcastle secured their first Champions League victory in 20 years with a commanding performance against the French Ligue 1 champions. Goals from Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Sean Longstaff, and Fabian Schar contributed to the Premier League side’s resounding win, while PSG’s star player Kylian Mbappe struggled to make an impact.
Ferdinand voiced his concerns, saying, “It started right from the opening whistle, with Anthony Gordon setting the tone and the entire team pressing high. That set the tone for the entire game.”
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He continued, “What were PSG doing? In the very first minute, they had a good position, but they played it back to the goalkeeper, giving Newcastle an opportunity to energize the crowd. At one point, they gave the ball away three times in just 20 seconds. It was a really poor start to each half, and they ended up paying the price.”
Ferdinand went on to describe PSG’s performance as “slack, lazy, and lacking in concentration and focus.” He contrasted this with Newcastle’s approach, which he described as being “truly focused, concentrated, dynamic, and aggressive.”
He also emphasized the importance of getting tactics right on the big stage, especially in an intense atmosphere like that of St. James’ Park. Ferdinand criticized PSG’s tactical approach, particularly their use of a 4-2-4 formation and a lightweight midfield, which included a 17-year-old player, Warren Zaire-Emery. He concluded that PSG’s approach left them vulnerable and that they paid the price for their tactical choices.