Paris is perhaps the most productive city for player development in the world. But could you beat one of the richest, most global clubs in football using only players from the City of Lights? Martin Vert has been set that challenge.
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There is real excitement around Saint-Ouen. The PSG fans outnumber ours, as they do everyone else in every part of the city, but for the first time in a long time, Red Star shirts are commonplace on the street. Red Star flags hang out of the windows around the district, proud and defiant of the more numerous PSG ones. When I walk past the school just down the road from the Stade Bauer, I count three kids in the playground in our green and white.
“Tatteviiiiiinnnnnnnn!!!!” One of them shouts, as I walk past, running over to the fence with his shirt over his head, to celebrate a goal against a PSG shirted boy with Neymar on the back. It feels good. I’m also tempted to get the scouts to take a look at him.
For all the excitement, I know how lucky we were to get past Strasbourg, how big the gulf I am trying to bridge is. But when you support a team as small as us, it’s the occasion that you remember, not the scoreline. It doesn’t matter if we win, lose, or (and this is most likely) get completely thumped. It’ll be a special night.
Before our Parisian rivals, we are back to the bread and butter of Ligue 2. US Dunkerque have struggled all season long, just like they struggled last season. They are three points from safety, they struggle to score goals, and they have lost nine of their last ten games, and even that was against a team two divisions below them in the cup. I can’t prove that my players are trying to protect themselves for the cup tie, but there are a few late injury complaints so we have to make some changes.
It’s difficult not to conclude that the players’ minds are on the PSG game, but we get the job done. Cadiou’s early penalty has me thinking we’re in for an easy day, but just before half time Desire Segbe gets onto a through ball and fires home from the edge of the area. I change things up at half time and go two up top, but it’s Cadiou again who gets the goal, almost a carbon copy of Segbe’s. Their heads go down and we see the game out.
Nestor Combin. That’s the name I drill into the players’ heads in the couple of days before the PSG game. He scored the last time we played against our billionaire-owned city rivals, although it was all the way back in 1975, when Qatar only just had a league of its own and had no intention of bankrolling a Parisian Galactique of stars. We drew that game 1-1, a result I would be amazed and thrilled with here. They trundle up the Boulevard Peripherique to the Stade Bauer – we’re allowed to use it in the cup – and the atmosphere is electric. Whatever the result, I’m proud of the boys to get this far, and whatever the result, we’ll use it as motivation for this project. The floodlights are on, the tv cameras are here, and we’re ready.
I really am proud of the boys. We give it our all, but we can’t compete with that kind of side. PSG aren’t messing around either, fielding a full strength XI to make sure there are no upsets. Neymar curls a cross in early on for Kimpembe to give them an early goal, and the Brazilian cuts back for the greatest player of all time to double their lead on half an hour. We’re indebted to Fofana again, who stops them putting up an embarrassing scoreline, but Neymat gets one for himself deep in the second half. But there’s no shame in this result. Richer, stronger teams than us have lost a lot more heavily to PSG. I don’t care how long it takes, we’ll just have to beat them. Beat them if it’s the last thing we do.
We’re right back into league action, and it’s our old friends Chateauroux making the visit to the Stade Pierre-Brisson. They are in the chasing pack, probably with too much to do to make the promotion places, but not far off. Our midweek exertions have left the playing squad exhausted, so we make a whole raft of changes. Thierno Balde makes his first appearance for the club, although he’s signed a contract with Strasbourg so I’m less concerned about keeping him happy now.
We are second best throughout, but somehow manage to grind out a result. They look dangerous from set pieces and slice through our defence with ease, and once again it’s Yahia Fofana who overperforms to keep us level. A rare attack just after the break gives Michael Barreto a chance to hit a free kick, and he curls a beauty into the top corner. And then Chateauroux come at us again, and Fofana keeps them out through the second half too. If we achieve the unthinkable come the end of the season, it will all be down to him.
It’s all rivals this month, as our next trip takes us across the city to the 13th Arrondisement, where Paris FC are waiting for us. Their ground is pretty impressive, compared to our building site, but it’s all fakery. While we are trying to prove that football can be different, Paris have sought out Bahraini investment to propel them up the leagues. They are effectively copying PSG. They are PSG-lite. Which means we have to beat them. It’s all change again as we get our strongest lineup fit and ready.
Well it’s a hard fought match, but we are in control throughout. The first half passes without much incident, both sides testing the others’ goalkeepers and both goalkeepers doing what was asked of them. The second half is different. I go for our more attacking system, and it slowly wears them down. On 70 minutes El Hriti hits a long ball down the line that Tattevin brings down well, turns, and slips in Mbala for 1-0. In injury time, as our hosts push forward, Fortune gets loose down the left, cuts back onto his right foot, and delivers the cross for Mbala’s second. Job done.
We’ll keep the same starting XI for the visit of Reims in our final game of February. They sit third, but there is a gap developing that gives me hope for our promotion chances. They were much better than us in the last game, but we were able to hold on for a draw. A win here and I think we’ll be back in Ligue 1 for the first time in nearly five decades. Lose, and it’ll be a nervy end to the season with them right on our tails. It’s a massive game, and the lads know it. Time to step up.
I’m happy with a point. Reims start the better, and score early on with a goal that, I’m 110% certain, would have been disallowed if there was VAR at this level. Kaj Sierhuis is about 5 yards offside, so unsurprisingly gets a free header to nod past Fofana. But nothing is given, and it stands. It spurs us on though, and we start to dominate. Barreto makes a number of promising runs down the right until, just before half time, he beats his man to the byline and crosses. Tattevin steals in at the near post and turns it home. We largely keep them contained in the second half and have chances to win it, but it’s not to be. But a point is a point, and it’s two fewer for Reims to catch us with.
And that’s a wrap on February. We are nine points clear of Reims, and two points behind Troyes. It’s looking increasingly likely that, astoundingly, we’ll make it back-to-back promotions. Which, given our transfer limitations, would be a spectacular achievement. Would it be too much to ask for another league win?
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