Since the arrival of Roberto De Zerbi at Olympique de Marseille, the team has lacked consistency in its performances. Nicolas Filhol, journalist for FCMarseille, recently expressed his disappointment on the DFM set, emphasizing that OM is still struggling to translate De Zerbi's promises into concrete results.
Nicolas Filhol admits to being a “fan” of De Zerbi, whom he followed closely during his time at Sassuolo, particularly following the arrival of Maxime Lopez. However, the initial optimism comes up against a less convincing reality. The journalist underlines that while OM showed moments of quality, consistency is lacking. “We saw some great sequences of play, 20 to 30 minutes long, but nothing lasting”he regrets.
This irregularity is particularly notable during home matches. At the Vélodrome, the Marseillais seem capable of producing attractive football, but these phases of play often remain isolated. “The problem with De Zerbi’s OM is that we only see half-hours here and there, and no continuity, especially at the Vélodrome”analyzes Filhol. A criticism shared by many observers who believe that the team still struggles to reproduce its best sequences over the entire duration of a match.
Beautiful things, but not often enough!
The journalsite looks back on certain matches where OM showed great promise. During the meeting against Brestfor example, De Zerbi's playing system was very clear, with a fixation in the axis to better shift the play to the sides. However, he adds that “the success was enormous, but this type of sequence cannot mask a lack of regularity”. The victory against Reims also illustrates this phenomenon, where the first half was particularly attractive with fast play and good offensive organization, but without concrete results on the pitch.
Another moment that stood out was the first 30 minutes of the match against Nantes. Here again, OM showed its ability to produce varied football, with interesting tactical shifts between Lirola and Merlin. This fluid and unstructured game allowed for numerous offensive solutions, but “Half an hour of good football is not enough to build a strong team”underlines Filhol.
De Zerbi's challenge: creating continuity
The main challenge of Roberto DeZerbi It now remains to transform these bursts of genius into regular performances. The first experiences of his playing system are encouraging, but they have not yet translated into the consistency necessary to compete with the best teams in Ligue 1. De Zerbi must now work on the continuity and homogeneity of his team, particularly at Vélodrome, where OM is struggling to string together good performances.
The pressure is now on the shoulders of the Italian coach, who must ensure that his team displays consistency throughout the duration of the matches. Starting by clearing out a typical team particularly in defense.
Conclusion: An OM in search of stability
In summary, although De Zerbi's OM offers attractive sequences of play and an attractive offensive style, the irregularity of its performances still prevents this team from becoming a well-oiled machine. De Zerbi's work will have to focus on consistency and continuity, in order to allow OM to establish itself sustainably in Ligue 1. The future will tell if OM 2024/2025 will be able to silence the critics by offering a game as solid as it is attractive over time.
