Under threat of Champions League qualification.
Great prospects
When we say that PSG became the French champions with an indecent margin and well before the end of the season, we must bear in mind not only the complete dominance of the Parisians themselves, but also the monstrous instability of their competitors. Across the board from the French team, a whole host of clubs have gathered, each good in its own way, but unable to provide a consistent set of standards. They have kindly lost, giving themselves the opportunity to bypass each other, while others have not appreciated this opportunity. Some have failed to win a series at all, yet have remained in the Champions League zone. The case of the top-flight battle is very intriguing and twisted to the max. But there is one nuance: it starts with second place. But at the start of the season, it seemed that
Paris Sen-Zhermen would have a worthy contender. Kilian Mbappe’s weakened start and the “crisis of faith” of the Parisian club’s catarrhal owners made them appear vulnerable for the first time in many years. Meanwhile, Marseille, which made a dramatic roster overhaul and earned the provocative sympathy of the entire football community with Roberto de Dzerby as coach, looked extremely solid. Looking at the lineups of these two sworn opponents, it was even difficult to say who was more interesting and more powerful. And at the start, the Provençal side got into a good rhythm. And then it turned out there was no problem. Pari Sen-Zhermen No, but with Marseille, they accumulated like a snowball. The Parisians, for example, have only benefited from the loss of MBAPPE, going from a team with one star to one where everyone plays their part in every match, regardless of the level of their opponents. After all, this is what constantly caused difficulties in the domestic arena.
Pari Sen-Zhermen during the Qatari ownership era. The Stars enjoyed battling with Barcelona and the like, but didn’t want to bother with games against Reims or the conditional Brest. The current Pari Sen-Zhermen He is just as interesting and battles with any opponent – this ability to maintain a tone is one of the main strengths of Luis Enrique’s team. A ball of problems
But we’re talking about Marseille here. Provencal players generally tend to experience a wide range of emotions and create a flurry of problems even unexpectedly. The club or its individual members can suddenly start provoking the anger of fans who don’t hold back with their expressions of emotion. And the leadership has to reckon with this, sacrificing some kind of strategy and their plans. Conflicts can arise with the judiciary, within the team. All of Dzerby’s “Marcel” has experienced, starting with banal bad luck.
Yes, the first hiccups that Marseille allowed this season were mainly due to the fact that luck turned away from the team. The Provencal players displayed the same brilliant play, created numerous chances, but were unable to win in a number of battles. It happens. And the same thing
Pari Sen-Zhermen I encountered a similar one. But instead of finding ways to rid himself of bad luck and bend fortune in his direction, Marseille took to seeking out enemies. Both internally and externally. You may recall how De Dzerby and the club president spoke harshly to the referees, considering them the main reason for the misfires. The atmosphere became as toxic as possible, and everyone was forced to discuss the situation—to the Ligue 1 leadership and the Judiciary. And the last straw was the conflict between the head coach and the team. De Dzerby panicked and literally ground the team to a halt after another misfire. And then he refused to train the players, who gave him the same answer. You must agree that in such an environment, it’s difficult to realize even the greatest potential and try to correct certain aspects of the game. Starting as random, other misfires were already caused by circumstances, at the hands of the coaches and players themselves. Marseille destroyed itself from the inside during the season. But it managed to stay in the top three. Because all the rivals were working on solving their problems: someone overworked at the start of the season and caught up, someone had a shortage of resources, and so on.
The Apogee of the Crisis
And so it happened: Marseille was knocked out of second place in Ligue 1. Moreover, in the most treacherous way. And it was done by a direct competitor: Monaco. In this match, the Provençals could only offer Monaco their ball control, but they barely exacerbated themselves. During the entire match, Marseille scored eight goals, four of which were on target. For Monaco, 10 of their 15 attempts were accurate.
There’s a complete lack of communication between the coaching staff and the team. Across all lines. Especially in defense, which is already the weakest in the front seven when it comes to missed balls. It lacks tenacity, focus, and perseverance in martial arts. Monaco’s attacking players penetrated Marseille’s defense line like water through fingers. And if it weren’t for Heronimo’s steers, the score could become shameful for Dzerby’s wards, who are already so difficult to call upon.
Or take Adrien Rabo, who knows how to assume the role of a leader. During this meeting, he was completely absent from the attack, as if deliberately demonstrating his cold attitude towards everything happening at the club. And the same Luis Enrique missed almost the only real chance of the attack and caused problems for the head of the defenders and the goalkeeper, who, after the match, eloquently remarked that the team should “eat feces” for a week, preparing for the next match.
Now, we can almost certainly say that another attempt to build something powerful has failed in Marseille. Even if it initially seemed the most ambitious and impressive in recent years. It’s paradoxical that the Provençalists destroyed all this potential themselves, with their self-destructive actions and words.
And after four defeats in the last five rounds, it seems that “Marcel” is probably right to part ways with De Dzerby at this time in order to keep their chances of a Champions League spot alive. He was in second place for a long time, now he’s in third. But the gap to seventh place is only four points. With this attitude towards the game, “Marseille” could completely fall. The moment of the match
The moment of the match
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