2023-06-23 22:48:21
Marcelino arrives sur le banc de Marseille. Edu Del Fresno / Zuma / Panoramic
After the arrival of their new coach, OM are preparing for another very eventful summer under the leadership of the Spaniard.
The coaches follow one another but the summers remain the same on the side of the Marseille city. Proof – if one more was needed – that OM do not always learn from their mistakes. Blunders which in the end are not that much, since the Olympian club has finished on the podium in the last two seasons. The end of the 2022-2023 financial year still leaves a bitter taste with a third place behind RC Lens and an often pleasant and efficient game. Spanish coach Marcelino will be the main actor in the third installment of a Marseille saga which lasts but whose chapters are short as with Jorge Sampaoli and Igor Tudor more recently.
The Marseille players will not be out of place with the arrival of the one from Sevilla FC and Athletic Club among others, given his rigor and discipline, like the impression left by his predecessor a year earlier. If the players find it difficult to appreciate the man at the beginning, the changes made over the long term are finally assimilated by men who adhere to the discourse and the methods. Proof that dogs do not make cats since the same thing happened with Igor Tudor in his early days. This may serve as experience for the Marseillais who will have to keep a low profile if they do not want to come into conflict with their new coach as was the case with the Croatian for Matteo Guendouzi, Dimitri Payet or Gerson who did not didn’t last long.
The man who studies the plates of his players to the nearest calorie and checks their fat and muscle mass, will propose a tactical renewal to which we will still have to adapt. After Tudor’s 3-4-2-1, it’s finally time for Marcelino’s more “classic” 4-4-2. A game not necessarily focused on the attack but in this system where the wingers have a central place, Pablo Longoria’s wish will certainly be granted. “We need attacking play and fast transitions. Pepper in the gamedeclared the Marseille president on June 5.
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Work on all lines
No more pistons and three-man defense in theory, the 2019 King’s Cup winner with Valencia is described as an ‘old-fashioned’ technician who will return to a four-man defense. In fact, there is the problem of certain players and in particular Jonathan Clauss who only used to play as a piston at OM, as at Lens during his last experience. Or even in the France team. Will he be able to evolve a notch lower as a right side? Nothing is less sure.
Nuno Tavares’ return from loan to Arsenal (which could send him to Galatasaray) forces the leaders to look to the left side where only Sead Kolasinac is a contender. In addition, the name of Romain Saïss is circulating to reinforce a central defense which could be orphaned by Leonardo Balerdi, not sure to wear the colors of the club again.
Marcelino lifts the Spanish Super Cup won in 2021 with Athletic Club de Bilbao against FC Barcelona. HANDOUT/AI/Reuters/Panoramic
One of the major problems will be that of the midfield. With Matteo Guendouzi on the way out and possibly Valentin Rongier, who represents a great opportunity for added value (arrived for 13 million euros in 2019), alongside Azzedine Ounahi (the Moroccan is recovering from a toe injury ) Jordan Veretout appears to be the only one available for a position where Pape Gueye is unsure of returning from his loan spell at Sevilla. The Andalusian club being satisfied with its performance since last winter, the last winner of the Europa League wants to keep it and exercise its option to buy. At the moment, the Olympian tracks in this direction lead to Geoffrey Kondogbia whom the new coach got to know well during his time at Valencia.
The attack, the smallest site?
In front, Marcelino could take up the torch from Tudor who had ended up associating Vitinha with Alexis Sanchez. The role of Dimitri Payet will further fuel doubts, he who, at 36, was only tenured nine times last season. Still, the return of Amine Harit also raises many questions, especially about his form and his ability to play on one side. Side player Cengiz Ünder is, but a departure from the Turk is also an option. Finally, the non-return of Milik to OM forces the club to think of one, or even two linings in point if Sanchez and Vitinha play together.
Read alsoLigue 1: Rongier thanks Tudor, “who defended his ideas”
In short, the summer will be hot, tense and the Marseille club still risks being talked about in a city that lives for football as much as its new chief tactician. “ Marcelino is a guy who does not sleep. He lives football H24 ex-Olympian Cédric Bakambu (who knew him at Villarreal) whispered to RMC Sport. Like what the two parties are made for each other.
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