Never Good Enough

Written by Paul Jeung.

It is quite the dilemma. To make things worse, it might be the first time as a player at Paris Saint-Germain that Lee Kang-in is NOT getting the playing time he most likely deserves. In his first two seasons, I thought Kang-in got a decent amount of playing time and ample opportunity to prove himself, even on the biggest stages. There were times when he delivered, and there were times when he honestly did not. The main thing that was holding him back, in my honest opinion, was his deferring and depending on the talent around him. There was a stark difference between his play style at Mallorca and even on the Korean National Team, when he was asked to carry the offense with much more responsibility. During his first two seasons at PSG, he showed flashes but rarely exuded the “I’m going to make something happen” mentality we are used to seeing, opting for a “safer” style to appease Luis Enrique and stay on the pitch.

Eventually, elite teams like PSG will upgrade their rosters. That is exactly what happened in Kang-in’s second season at PSG. The great Desire Doue emerged, then they signed Kvicha Kvaratskhelia in the winter. Playing time started to flip in the 2nd half of the season, and Kang-in’s once promising career at PSG seemed to be headed towards an end by the Club World Cup. I was actually at one of these matches, the one against Atletico Madrid, to be specific. PSG earned a late penalty at the end of the match. They were already coasting, up 3-0. Vitinha, the usual penalty taker, went over and talked to Kang-in and let him take the penalty. I took that as a parting gift from Vitinha to Kang-in, to score a goal since he was rumored to be unhappy with his playing time, and he would be leaving, most likely after the Club World Cup. Expectedly, Kang-in buried his PK. Unexpectedly, Kang-in did NOT leave PSG that summer.

This came down to 2 main factors. One is Luis Enrique. PSG paid 22 million Euros for Kang-in. His pay wage is at the bottom half of the payroll. Kang-in can play multiple positions on the pitch, and Enrique obviously respects what he brings to the table. More importantly, at what it cost PSG to bring him to PSG, his wage makes him invaluable as a backup and spot starter. However, perhaps a more surprising second factor is Kang-in himself. He seems to be enjoying his time in Paris. He seems to be enjoying practicing and playing with his teammates. He is also racking up trophy after trophy along the way, so what is there not to like?

The problem now, in his 3rd season, is the fact that Kang-in is bringing his “I’m going to make something happen” style of play at PSG, and even PSG fans who aren’t necessarily Kang-in fans are starting to take notice. Ironically, his actual G/A stats have not been astonishing; however, for those who watch the matches, his impact on the pitch is clear. Even with his shortcomings, Kang-in seems to be overcoming them through his overall impact on the pitch. His detractors will say he’s not fleet of foot, he’s not the best off the ball, or his pressing could be better. But his believers will tell you that nobody in the attack can link up with his teammates better, nobody can pass into the final third better, and nobody can cross on corners and set pieces better.

So, we are definitely at an impasse. Something needs to happen, whether that means Kang-in gets shipped in the summer or he is offered more playing time and, more importantly, playing time in the big matches. Kang-in wants to start in the Champions League and play with PSG’s strongest 11. He doesn’t want to start in a meaningless league match against Metz with PSG’s B squad. He’s shown moments, he’s showing glimpses, he’s shown impact, and all in very minimal playing time.

Kang-in deserves a chance; he deserves a chance to at least give it a real go in a real, meaningful match for PSG. Whether he succeeds or fails, he, in my opinion, has 100% deserved a chance to succeed or fail on the biggest stage. Luis Enrique, for whatever reason, has been hesitant to offer him that in his 3rd season at PSG, when he is playing the best ball he has ever played there. Kang-in truly deserves that chance, and whether that’s at PSG or at a different big club, Kang-in will get that chance, and in the end, that’s all his supporters and fans want to see.