After OM’s draw at home against Angers this Friday at the opening of the 7th day of Ligue 1 (1-1), Roberto De Zerbi accepts criticism of Marseille’s game, but recalls that the state of mind is the same within his group.
The weeks pass and the results deteriorate for OM. After an excellent start to the season, the Phocéens remain on two poor performances in a row in Ligue 1. Beaten by Strasbourg last weekend (0-1), Roberto De Zerbi’s players were held in check on Friday at home by Angers (1-1), bottom of the championship, and are going through their first slow period since the arrival of the Italian technician this summer.
>> Relive OM-Angers (1-1)
The meeting could have turned sour with the expulsion of Neal Maupay, but OM were unable to seek victory against a team which has not yet triumphed this season. A worrying performance which led to a bronca from the Vélodrome, a few weeks after a draw against Reims on the same pitch. After another disappointment, the Marseille coach recalled that his team was “angry” but remained “under construction”.
An always “serious” group that must work
“There is this defeat in Strasbourg, this draw this evening, even though we have had a good start to the season. I have complete confidence in my players, confided Roberto De Zerbi at a press conference. These are difficult times . Moments in this match could have turned out differently. It doesn’t happen in a snap, changes are difficult to make.
Euphoric after their victory in the last seconds on the OL pitch – which had led to a lot of upset – the Marseillais stuck out their tongues a little more and completely missed out on their match. “Sorry” for the supporters, the OM coach “accepted the compliments after the good results, we now have to accept the criticism”.
“We have to be aware that we are trying to build a great Marseille and that it does not happen suddenly. We have to go through matches like the one in Strasbourg and the one this (Friday) evening,” he continued. “The episodes are not going our way, some decisive players are not in good shape and did not play their best game (Luis Henrique, Greenwood, Hojbjerg). They were a little imprecise in their first gestures. But we would have could still have won and we should have won anyway.” After the break, Marseille will go to Montpellier to get back on track. It is necessary, because then it is PSG who will come to the Vélodrome for the Championship Classic on October 27.
