There are still 10 games left for Olympique de Marseille this season. Maybe 13 if OM goes to the end of this Europa Conference League. And it is clear that in order to carry out this adventure and the podium objective in Ligue 1, Jorge Sampaoli formed a team of 18 players. An ideal configuration, if you know that many coaches rely on “one and a half teams” to play in the European Championship and cup. in the cages, Steve Mandanda and Paul Lopez share the matches. Valentin Ronnier and Pol Lirola compete for the right-back position. William Saliba† Duje Caleta-Car and Sead Kolasinac occupy the other places in the defense, with a Luan Peres to help them where necessary. Boubacar Kamara play sentry. Standing in line for him Gerson to the left, Cengiz Under to the right, Dimitri Payeto and Matteo Guendouzi in the axle, rear Arek Milik† In case of, Amine Harit can fit left in axis, but especially right. This is also the case of Cedric Bakambu who can let his sense of depth speak. Sheikh Bamba Dienghe can really play up front and weigh the opponent’s defense while Pope Gueye can enter this team in the center of the torchbearer to hold the ball. In order to interest all this beautiful world, it is necessary to take the risk of moving away from those who fall behind in the hierarchy. It’s cruel, but it’s what makes the difference between today, when one player replaces the other almost unnoticed, and the fall when four of them were fighting for a place on the left and no one was satisfied.
“Sampaoli wants to work with a smaller group”
To get to this group of 18, there was no natural selection. Leonardo Balerdi ended his season with his shoulder surgery, Alvaro is about to end his contract, Luis Henrique and Konrad de la Fuente are becoming increasingly isolated. on the set of Marseille bendwhich you can find on video, Florent Germain looks very Sampaoli mode in: “Last season he sent three players on holiday before the end (Germain, Khaoui and Cuisance, editor’s note) because he wanted to work with a smaller group. In Alvaro’s case, a message was also sent to the group. group is a wish on his part, not to be bothered by moods or players who carry a certain spleen. We must be with him completely before this end of the season “† Eric Di Meco, for his part, agrees, especially since it is no longer the time to blow the Kamara, Guendouzi or Saliba, which are running at full throttle: “The players play, especially at the end of the season, preferably every three days. In addition, they are physically okay. The physical trainer has worked in this direction. Less turning, then you get more people in their power.”† However, the lone holder against Milan who trained with the club in 1993 notes: “It’s good to have guys that start almost on schedule, but a month ago, when we make this list, we’re not putting Amine Harit in it. So maybe there will be a second Amine Harit towards the end of the season, who will have worked well in training and will benefit from an absence due to injury or suspension” Or maybe this group is going all out because they don’t want to let go, even internally.
