The former coach of the France team, Raymond Domenech, expressed his reservations regarding the game proposed by Roberto De Zerbi at Olympique de Marseille. After OM's 1-3 victory in Lens, Domenech questioned the Italian coach's ability to impose his style of play against opponents who are well organized defensively.
According to him, OM's performances against teams like Brest and Montpellier, who played openly, are not representative of the solidity of De Zerbi's project.
De Zerbi's game at OM: flaws against well-defended teams
Raymond Domenech clarified that OM's good results against Brest and Montpellier were mainly due to opponents who “open boulevards” and allowed the Phocaeans to show off offensively. “When the opponent like Montpellier or Lyon opens the game, Marseille gets carried away. But when they meet more compact teams, like Auxerre, it's another problem.”said the former coach, emphasizing that the defense of well-structured opponents revealed flaws in De Zerbi's game.
Domenech's criticism of OM's lack of tactical mastery
According to Domenech, OM struggles to be truly convincing against tight defensive blocks. “If the opponent closes the game, De Zerbi does not seem capable of providing a real solution”explained the ex-coach, adding that he had not seen signs of tactical mastery from the Marseille team, even during the victories against Brest and Montpellier. Domenech also spoke of a possible equalizer for Lens, emphasizing that without a decisive foul, the match could have ended in a 2-2. “I didn't see that De Zerbi was capable of demonstrating anything, his game there is nothing and they are caught on the counterattack. If the opponent opens like Lyon did. They are excited for two matches against Brest and Montpelier, Brest was on the street, if that is enough. They don't win on mastery of the game. Against Lens, if there is no foul it makes 2-2. »
I didn't see that De Zerbi was capable of demonstrating anything — Domenech
This criticism is part of a broader trend of skepticism on Domenech's part towards foreign coaches, particularly when they work at Marseille, a club where expectations are always very high. For the ex-coach, OM still seems to be struggling to impose its game against well-structured opponents, despite moments of brilliance against teams which adopt a more open strategy.
In summary, Raymond Domenech remains perplexed about the impact of De Zerbi's style of play at OM. Criticism is growing around the team's ineffectiveness against strong defenses, and the lack of tactical response against organized teams remains a key issue for the Italian coach in Marseille.
