At the Stade Vélodrome,
65 minutes and then nothing. Olympique de Marseille completely shut down in the second half to the point of conceding a draw against Brighton (2-2) for their second Europa League match on Thursday evening, after leading 2-0 at the Vélodrome stadium.
The Olympians had the right ingredients for new coach Gennaro Gattuso’s first home match, with play and desire. To the point of scoring two goals in two minutes thanks to Chancel Mbemba (19th) and Jordan Veretout (20th), and igniting a little more the Vélodrome, still there for this European match. With even a new attendance record, despite the recent tumults behind the scenes, and the poor performances on the field.
“Once again we get caught up at the end”
The 65,465 spectators were even able to see the first precepts established by “Rino” Gattuso, and above all the desire he gives to his players. Already a first change with Marcelino. “He is a very happy and positive person, he knows how to convey emotions very well. On a daily basis he is at full tilt, those who are not concentrated during training become so very quickly. He manages to put everyone at 200%, and that everyone is concerned,” explained Valentin Rongier afterwards, in the mixed zone.
The Marseillais were there, but only for forty-five minutes, and as too often they seem to forget that a match lasts twice as long. It was first Patrick Gross who came to remind them after returning to the locker room (56th), before seeing João Pedro punish them in the very last moments of the match (88th), from the penalty spot. “Pfff, it’s very frustrating, because we have the feeling of having mastered this match. Once again we were caught at the end and we only took one point tonight. There are often moments like this in football and sport, where we have the impression that despite all the efforts we make, it doesn’t work. But it will come, I am convinced,” Valentin Rongier sailed between spite and hope.
“We should have run 90 minutes”
And there is reason since it is already the 4th time that the Marseillais have been equalized after having led since the start of the season. First against Panathinaikos [en score cumulé] in the Champions League play-off, then against Metz and Brest in Ligue 1. But at that time Marcelino was the coach. And if their OM always seemed to be moving further towards their goals, this time we felt that the Marseillais were too tight physically. An opinion shared by Gennaro Gattuso: “We should have run 90 minutes, we should have continued to do what we had done well for sixty-five minutes, before the changes. »
The more matches go by, the more the summer preparation seems to have been botched by the former OM coach. And even if Gennaro Gattuso reiterated that he “does not want to enter into controversy”, the physical work carried out with the Spaniard is not sufficient for this new OM. Because Gattuso does not ask the same thing as Marcelino:
“I believe that to play the way I want, we only have 60 or 65 minutes in our legs. We need to improve that. And if we can be a little better physically, with the qualities we have, we can do a good job. The only thing I want to say about fitness is that my players have to do different races. It’s a different type of race.”
For Valentin Rongier, back at his level on Thursday evening, “it is possible that by being better physically, we can maintain the results”. And that’s good because after the Ligue 1 match against Le Havre on Sunday (1 p.m.), the Marseillais will be able to take advantage of a 15-day international break to prepare physically for what Gattuso is asking. Or find another excuse to explain what remains, despite all the positive signals, a waste for a club like OM in such an atmosphere.