Neymar Jr. has an explanation for why his attacking trio of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe at Paris Saint Germain failed to live up to expectations.
When PSG brought in Lionel Messi on a free transfer in 2021, everyone thought that the world would witness another great attacking trio. Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr. had already formed a deadly partnership, even reaching the UCL final in 2020.
Everyone had flashbacks to the time of the famous MSN trio at Barcelona, where Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, and Neymar ruled football. Similarly, the new MNM trio was believed to be its successor. But alas! It failed, with no significant trophies won and the trio broke. Messi left for Miami, while Mbappe is looking for a way out.
Neymar discusses failed trio of himself, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe
The MNM trio has been continuously bashed for its apparent lack of success and cohesion. The team failed to win the UCL, crashing out of the competition in the Round of 16 stages the last two years.
And now Neymar was asked about why the trio did not work out as was expected. In an interview with Youtuber Casimiro Miguel, as reported by the Mirror, the Brazilian winger revealed why they failed to reach the high expectations of everyone. He borderline said that they were simply unlucky like others before them.
Neymar explains why MNM didn't work 😔 pic.twitter.com/O55cFaQnz6
— GOAL (@goal) July 20, 2023
“Real Madrid’s galacticos didn’t win the Champions League. We had a strong team. Messi, Mbappe, and I are the best in the world, we know that, but unfortunately, it didn’t happen. We wanted to win everything, but football is sometimes not fair. It’s not like the recipe for a cake.”
While Neymar was believed to be kicked out of the club, he is now instead close to staying. He also spoke about his continuance at the club.
“Until now nobody has told me, I’m quiet. Even though there isn’t much love between the fans and the players, I will be there. With love or without love, but with Neymar.”
How did the MNM trio perform at PSG?
While the fans and media may tell you that the trio failed, in reality, it is different. In fact, the three of them were pretty good during their time together.
In fact, this season, the trio were one of the highest scoring trio in Europe with 80 goals between them for PSG. Messi scored 21 times, Neymar 18 times and Mbappe with a whopping 41 goals. Furthermore, they had 47 assists between them, with Messi contributing to 21, Neymar 17, and Mbappe 10.
Oftentimes, it was the individual brilliance of these players that led PSG to victory. The French team’s main problem was not scoring goals but in their defense and midfield.
So, while they were great on paper, the trio, like many others before did not work out as expected. It will forever be one of soccer’s most interesting ‘What If?’ questions.
