GFFN Guide | Ligue 1 Season Preview – Marseille | OneFootball

Key man

Time flies, but at Olympique de Marseille it moves even faster. A little over a year ago Leonardo Balerdi was the subject of a hunger strike from a fan demanding the club sell the centre-back. Now, he has been named captain of the team (especially with Valentin Rongier out for the foreseeable future) and he has since signed a new long-term deal with the club.

Marseille are in a constant state of flux with players exiting the gates of La Commanderie almost as soon as they are signed, but this summer has been dramatic even for Les Phocéens. The club is in the midst of a substantial clearout as they reshape the squad for the new manager Roberto De Zerbi. This has led to Samuel Gigot and Chancel Mbemba being asked to find new clubs leaving Balerdi as one of the only senior figures left in the backline.

At 25 he’s seen as someone young and flexible enough to be capable of executing De Zerbi’s brand of football that places a heavy emphasis on building out from the back. In the preseason friendlies, Balerdi has acted as the first port of call for Rubén Blanco’s passes and he has become one of the key elements helping to progress the ball forward as well as baiting the opposition press.

Signing to watch

Marseille are once again returning to Inter Milan for an Argentine creative midfielder. However, Valentín Carboni will hope his time in the south of France fairs far better than his compatriot and former teammate Joaquín Correa. Carboni has the exact profile that Marseille are looking for with their new project under De Zerbi, and there is hope that he will be the player to act as the creative force that can knit the midfield with the forward line.

In an interview with Get French Football News, former Marseille star and England international Chris Waddle explained that De Zerbi has “got to have his player… who can do something different.” Marseille may have found that player in Carboni. However, it should be noted that the Copa América winner will have to adjust quickly to the pressure cooker environment in Marseille as he will be in direct competition for the role with Amine Harit. A player who looks perfectly situated to flourish under a manager like De Zerbi.

Squad analysis

Marseille remain a work in progress and the squad will likely undergo multiple facelifts before transfer deadline day. The defence, however, looks the most settled aspect of the team. De Zerbi has gone with a back four, the departure of Jonathan Clauss means that there are only two recognised right-backs in the first team, Michael Amir Murillo and Pol Lirola, who will likely both be understudies to Bamo Meïté who has been converted from his more familiar role as a centre-back.

This makes sense as De Zerbi has picked a 4-2-3-1 in every friendly (that changes into a 3-2-4-1 when in possession) and Meïté’s role is to sit beside Balerdi and Lilian Brassier when Marseille are attacking, while his capable one-on-one defending makes him suitable for playing wide when the team don’t have the ball. Quentin Merlin on the left of the four has been provided a freer role and asked to roam around the midfield either taking up advanced positions or allowing one of the midfield duo to push forward.

The attack was a significant issue last season and partly why the club failed to secure European football. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had been the one saving grace and the player that the club appeared most desperate to keep for another season. However, he has since left for Saudi Arabia and revealed a gaping hole in the forward line. There is quality in the team with Luis Henrique, Amine Harit, and Mason Greenwood, but they will all have to step up if Marseille hope to return to their place among Europe’s elite.

The Manager

Last season was turbulent even for Marseille. Four managers took charge of games in a campaign that was marked by serious infighting – with disgruntled fans annoyed at the team’s direction and a behind-the-scenes civil war between club executives settled only by the intervention of the owner backing president Pablo Longoria. Marseille won only five games away from home across all competitions as they recorded an eighth-place finish (their worst league position since 2015/16). And yet, there is hope.

There is a positive feeling about the club and much of that has to do with the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi. The ex-Brighton manager was widely earmarked for a role at one of Europe’s elite but instead, he has decided to try and awaken the sleeping giant in the south of France. His presence is nothing short of a coup, especially with Marseille’s squad in the state that it is in. De Zerbi promises change, and while this has been heard before, there is the sense that a long-term project is beginning to be built.

Marseille dream of toppling Paris Saint-Germain, and while that appears unlikely considering the state of construction the team are in, De Zerbi has brought romance back to France’s second city, and even from the club friendlies his fingerprint can already be seen on the squad – a miracle already at work considering how lacking in identity the team appeared to be last season.

Verdict

The problem facing Marseille is an age-old one. There is positivity now before the season has begun, but the club have a tendency toward impatience and spectacular self-destruction. The squad is a work in progress despite the calibre of coach at the helm, and there will likely have to be some leniency afforded as a host of new players attempt to settle into a demanding environment. Whether that leniency will be allowed is another question altogether.

Line-up (4-2-3-1): Rulli; Merlin, Brassier, Balerdi, Meïté, Koné, Højbjerg, Luis Henrique, Carboni, Greenwood, Wahi.

This article was taken from the GFFN Ligue 1 Season Guide, which can be downloaded HERE.

GFFN | Nick Hartland