Arrived at OM on the first day of the summer transfer window, Isaak Touré fails for the moment to find a place in the rotation of Igor Tudor among central defenders. And yet, with Eric Bailly’s repeated injuries, Samuel Gigot’s suspensions and hesitant start, or even Leo Balerdi’s average performance, there was plenty to do. But we forget that the colossus trained in Le Havre (2m06) is only 19 years old, and that he was not even an indisputable holder last season in Ligue 2, as the scout reminds the Phocaean Kevin Nieto : “We mainly discovered him during the second half of the season in Le Havre, and we saw his potential. By his size of course, but also for his cognitive qualities, in the sense that he knows how to position his body in the space in relation to the ball and the opponents. He also moves intelligently, and for such a size, it’s quite rare. I was not surprised that a club like OM positioned themselves very quickly, before that costs a lot more”. Seeing him integrate step by step the very high level is therefore not surprising, except that many Marseille supporters saw the story differently. Hence some disappointment…
The French U19 international was not ready at all at L1 level, let alone at the top of the table
The magnifying mirror of OM is no longer to be described, and Isaac Toure was able to measure the effect, even if he did not need that with his huge size. It took a correct performance at the very beginning of the preparation matches to make him a competitor for a starting place in the center in the eyes of the fans, when the reality was quite different. The reality is that the French U19 international was not ready at all at L1 level, let alone at the top of the table. We noticed this during the following friendly matches, but especially during his rare appearances in L1 (5 for 63 minutes of play). Two firsts passed fairly unnoticed during the victories against Lille and Angers, then 25 minutes in Strasbourg (2-2). OM led 2-0 and headed for a quiet victory when Isaak entered at 65′ in place of Kolasinac. Immediate penalty with two goals from the Alsatians, including one following a big oversight on his part on Mothiba. A blunder that hurts.
Loans to Angers, Metz or St-Etienne this winter are under study
The first six months of Touré are therefore to be forgotten, with the result of a sixth place in the hierarchy of the centrals in the eyes of a Igor Tudor who said about him: “He is very young, he comes from Ligue 2 and he needs time to adapt. During the friendlies, he played well, beyond what was expected. It is therefore normal that behind there is a small drop to fit”. An adaptation which could however be done far from Marseille, as suggested recently paul longoria : “We have to think about the players who are less used in the squad. These are investments for the club, and without European competition, we will play once a week. The places in the team will go reduce. On individual cases like Touré and Suarez, we have invested a lot and we have to have the right thinking.”. The Olympian president will therefore have to find a way to expose and advance Isaak, and loans to Angers, Metz or St-Etienne are under consideration. The whole thing being to have the certainty that these clubs will play him, because despite his very young age, Touré knows that we quickly forget in Marseille. Much faster than elsewhere…
