Under the whistles of a Parisian enclosure copiously filled with Marseille supporters, Roberto De Zerbi plunges into the tunnel of the Jean-Bouin stadium, his head bowed and his face marked. A few meters away, his players are stunned, stunned by a completely failed end to the match concluded by a penalty from Ilan Kebbal (90th + 4), synonymous with an equalizer (2-2).
Victorious against the leader Lensois (3-1) last Saturday, the Phocéens have just experienced a catastrophic week, symbolized by a collective fiasco in Belgium in the European Cup followed by a new poor performance, this time on a national scale.
The results could have been slightly nuanced if Rulli’s partners, suffering these days, had had the good idea not to concede two goals in ten minutes, last night, during the 20th day of Ligue 1. Symbol of a decidedly very tumultuous season, the draw conceded on the pitch of Paris FC (2-2) will have illustrated the double facet of an OM decidedly too much on alternating current: interesting, solid and impactful for 80 minutes – penalty converted by Greenwood (18th), break goal from Aubameyang (54th) -, far too mentally feverish and incapable of keeping a score at the end of the match.
Since the start of the exercise, the Blue and Whites have conceded a goal in the last ten minutes on nine occasions. Direct consequences: a Champions Trophy left to PSG, elimination in the Champions League and 8 points lost en route in L1.
Yesterday, OM let slip a success that had its arms outstretched, against an Ile-de-France team in difficulty but which was able to take advantage of a few Olympian defensive errors. In the Marseille ranks, the appearance of the meeting makes this draw look like a defeat, while Lens and PSG seem set to compete for the first two places in the championship.
De Zerbi: “I am always ready to go to war”
Stunned by current events, the Italian technician is struggling to instill the grinta that we knew from yesteryear. Worse, he fails to explain his family’s low periods. “I experience it badly, very badly. It’s difficult to explain. The last ten minutes, the light went out, he pointed out, very affected. To win, you have to be hungry, play until the end with desire. What we are putting in at the moment is insufficient. »
Despite rumors of departure denied by the person concerned, the ex-Brighton coach is still on a long-term contract in Provence. “I take responsibility because I am the coach but I am always ready to go to war. I started at the bottom, I come from shit, I’m used to that. It annoys me because I know we can do better. (…) I don’t necessarily tell you everything I think, because the press conference is not the place. I can say it in the locker room. »
For how long? The reception of Rennes in the Coupe de France on Tuesday (9 p.m.) now sounds like a decisive match and an elimination would be disastrous, leading to the exasperation of groups of supporters who have until now been fairly calm.
Weah: “We are always behind the coach”
“When you win 2-0 and end up 2-2, it’s hard… You can’t put your head down. The fans have the right to be angry. And we, as professionals, must continue to push. We are always behind the coach, Timothy Weah reacted backwards. We must take our responsibilities, we must not put everything on the coach, it is us who are on the pitch. When you play OM, you have to be mentally strong. We must maintain confidence in the coach, the president and Medhi (Benatia, Director of Football). »
Present at Jean-Bouin on Saturday, the blue and white board was especially able to observe a formation that was far too weak mentally. And the next few days promise to be hectic behind the scenes. After an exciting first five months, OM’s exercise is taking a much less encouraging turn, and the consequences – sporting and financial – could be dramatic for an entire club.
