- Oct 19, 2004
- 39,837
- 50,713
Can't see a thread, thought there should be one.
The team interesting me this year is Bielsa's Marseille. He seems to have worked his magic on them quicker than his protege has with us.
Watched the game against Reims tonight and they were incredibly impressive. Pressing, passing and movement was very good. They are using an almost identical system to us, with (a player I've flagged up a couple os including when he was with Lille) the clever, tricky and industrious Payet (a player I've flagged up a couple of times including when he was with Lille) in the ACM (Eriksen) role, the young Thauvin (flagged up by @Barry Mead this summer) in the Lamela ARM role (and very, very similar to Lamela in many ways (leftie who likes to cut in, young and exuberant, a bit erratic, but clearly talented) the evergreen Andre Ayew in the Chadli ALM role and Gignac who doing the Adebayor job (and for the first time in their respective careers, doing it better right now).
The have a couple of dynamic busy ****'s in the CM2 in Romao and Imbula who do a bit of everything, Imbula particularly gets about the pitch well.
The defenders all look decent enough, but the RB Djedje caught my eye in this game. Bit erratic, but quick and loves bombing on and getting involved, no doubt encouraged by Bielsa, set up two goals IIRC, also tenacious.
There is a real nice balance to this Marseille side. They all graft from top to bottom, they are a quick team, and in Payet and Thavin they have some craft, Ayew gives them directness and Gignac a focal point, again all graft as well as play.
Once upon a time, Marseille were a bit like the ManU of France, so there's a lot of animosity toward them from every other team, who still like to take their scalp. The emergence of first Lyon a few years back, and now the likes of PSG and Monaco (who are sinking as quickly as they rose due to Divorce and FFP) has reduced Marseille's dislikability a little but I'm sure them doing well would still piss a few off, but personally I'd like to see them pip PSG to the title this year, if they continue to play this way. Very watchable.
The team interesting me this year is Bielsa's Marseille. He seems to have worked his magic on them quicker than his protege has with us.
Watched the game against Reims tonight and they were incredibly impressive. Pressing, passing and movement was very good. They are using an almost identical system to us, with (a player I've flagged up a couple os including when he was with Lille) the clever, tricky and industrious Payet (a player I've flagged up a couple of times including when he was with Lille) in the ACM (Eriksen) role, the young Thauvin (flagged up by @Barry Mead this summer) in the Lamela ARM role (and very, very similar to Lamela in many ways (leftie who likes to cut in, young and exuberant, a bit erratic, but clearly talented) the evergreen Andre Ayew in the Chadli ALM role and Gignac who doing the Adebayor job (and for the first time in their respective careers, doing it better right now).
The have a couple of dynamic busy ****'s in the CM2 in Romao and Imbula who do a bit of everything, Imbula particularly gets about the pitch well.
The defenders all look decent enough, but the RB Djedje caught my eye in this game. Bit erratic, but quick and loves bombing on and getting involved, no doubt encouraged by Bielsa, set up two goals IIRC, also tenacious.
There is a real nice balance to this Marseille side. They all graft from top to bottom, they are a quick team, and in Payet and Thavin they have some craft, Ayew gives them directness and Gignac a focal point, again all graft as well as play.
Once upon a time, Marseille were a bit like the ManU of France, so there's a lot of animosity toward them from every other team, who still like to take their scalp. The emergence of first Lyon a few years back, and now the likes of PSG and Monaco (who are sinking as quickly as they rose due to Divorce and FFP) has reduced Marseille's dislikability a little but I'm sure them doing well would still piss a few off, but personally I'd like to see them pip PSG to the title this year, if they continue to play this way. Very watchable.