John Aldridge: Paris Saint-Germain have started a new era – but they have a big test coming

Luis Enrique’s brilliant PSG team should have too much for Chelsea in tonight’s Fifa Club World Cup final, with their march through this summer’s tournament in America continuing the momentum they built at the back end of last season.

We can trace their surge back to the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Liverpool in March when Harvey Elliott bagged a late winner in Paris to complete one of the biggest smash-and-grab raids you will ever see on a football field.

PSG were sensational that night and while I was critical of the performances of some Liverpool players, and especially the anonymous Mo Salah, the reality was the French champions were the better team.

When the PSG players then came out after that home defeat and said they would beat Liverpool at Anfield, I was not alone in thinking they would be eating those words when they stepped into an arena that very few visiting teams emerge from with a win.

To their credit, PSG delivered on their boasts and while they could have been blown away if Liverpool took their early chances in that second leg, it was hard to argue that they deserved to go through over the two legs.

There was a little bit of arrogance in the comments from the PSG players before their big test at Anfield, but the best teams need that if they are to succeed and what has happened since that win against Liverpool confirms they are a top side.

They stormed through the Champions League, thrashing Inter Milan in the final, and now they have backed it up with some great performances in the Club World Cup.

I’m sure the PSG players would rather be on a beach than playing a tournament in ridiculous heat in America right now, but they sent out another massive statement as they hammered Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-final the other night.

Not many teams destroy them as PSG did and even if they are not the finished article under new manager Xabi Alonso, it was an eye-catching result.

I’m sure they will blow Chelsea away tonight to win another big trophy and will be the team to beat in next season’s Champions League.

But they will only be classed among the great teams in European football history if they continue to play like this and collect the big trophies for the next few years.

That’s why I say we are not at a point where we can declare this is an era of dominance for PSG, as they will face big challenges in the Champions League from teams that will have improved from last season.

Let’s not forget that Liverpool only lost against PSG on penalties a few months ago and if that lottery went the other way, we wouldn’t be talking about Enrique and his players in these glowing terms.

Since then, Liverpool have spent big this summer and will be stronger for it next season – and the same goes for Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

We are just at the start of the summer spending season and all of those teams will be splashing the cash in the coming weeks, so they will be a tougher proposition when the Champions League group stages start in September.

What we can now say about this PSG team is that they are introducing a brand of football that is moving the game forward from the point where nearly every side tried to play using a blueprint written by Pep Guardiola.

Passing football is great when you have the players to execute the plan, but we have seen so many teams in recent years being asked to pass it out from the back when the personnel they have are not up to it.

I’ve seen teams in the lower leagues of English football trying to play like prime Barcelona and it’s madness for any coach to promote that approach, as the risk outweighs the potential reward by such a wide margin.

What we are seeing with PSG is a team put together by a top coach and making the best use of the talents in their team.

Ousmane Dembele is a class act and while he may be the star man, they are a team rather than a collection of individuals doing their own thing.

The PSG side featuring Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe up front were great to watch, for sure, but they were not a team that was going to win anything, as the balance was all wrong and they were weak defensively.

Superstar players come with a lot of baggage and can cause unrest in a dressing room if their egos get out of control.

I can’t imagine a manager trying to keep Messi, Neymar and Mbappe happy, as they would all want to be the star players, but PSG now are a team putting in the effort levels required to complement their talents.

With Enrique overseeing it expertly from the sidelines, they are the team to beat in European football right now and great to watch as well, but they have a different challenge to deal with from this point forward.

Going into that Liverpool game last March, PSG were a team knocking on the door of the big time and looking to get in.

Now they are the side that everyone wants to beat, and that will bring a different challenge when they start the defence of their Champions League trophy.

Club World Cup in need of a makeover

I SAID I would wait until the end of the Club World Cup to pass judgment on the tournament – and now is the moment to conclude it has been a flop. Poor crowds for an event played at a time of the year when people are not used to watching club football have left the impression that Fifa’s latest money-spinning plan has backfired.

Paris Saint-Germain’s presence in tonight’s final against Chelsea has given the tournament some credibility, as they are the best team in the game right now and have confirmed it over the last month.

Manchester City losing to a Saudi team was a funny moment to enjoy, but other sports have dominated the agenda this summer and this tournament has not hit the mark. Yet despite my pessimism on this year’s tournament, I would say watch this space on what comes next in the Club World Cup.

Fifa have four years until the next edition of this competition to solve the obvious problems that undermined it this time. We won’t erase the issue of playing it in a summer period when top clubs don’t want any part of it, but they will be more aware of what to expect in four years and can prepare for it.

The other big factor that must be addressed is the teams involved.

If you want a Club World Cup that all football fans take seriously, you need the best teams in it.

I’m sure Fifa will modify the qualification method to get the best teams in the world competing against each other next time. So, in an era when money is all that matters in football, this tournament is here to stay.