Hello!
Is the specification of the target charging pressure therefore a compromise for this trade-off?
Yes. Furthermore, you can't arbitrarily increase the 'aggressiveness' of the charger because that would result in an unstable control loop.
How does the recently read quote 'A diesel engine always runs with an excess of air' fit into this context?
come in ?
A diesel engine always runs with an excess of air

.
The only exception would be older turbo-diesel engines without a mass airflow sensor. In those cases, when there's a sudden increase in load, the engine might briefly use all the available air until the turbocharger kicks in, which can result in a puff of black smoke.
Otherwise, a diesel engine typically operates with an excess of air of approximately 20% even when running at full load.
It would be nice if you could 'boost' the TDI shortly before overtaking (e.g., using the paddle shifters) by increasing the turbocharger pressure in partial load conditions.
'There's only one problem: where are you going to get the power for that? Without more diesel fuel, there won't be enough exhaust gas produced to adequately drive the turbocharger for your pressure increase.'
CU Gremlin.