In the privacy of Pailladins #3: Téji Savanier, highs and debate

Increasingly criticized by MHSC supporters, Teji Savanier seems to have begun a sporting decline which coincides with the team's last place in Ligue 1. Credited with a 5 in L'Équipe against Nice (2-2), it’s as if “TJ” no longer brings everyone together. Problem or solution? The debate rages around the captain pailladin.

It's the story of a child from the club who grew up thwarted. A little prodigy who left to study with the Gard rival. Then the return of “Hérault” (I know, it sucks!) a few years later. The fable of Prodigal Son with MHSC sauce. But the wear and tear of time has done its work. TV rights too. And the sheep went astray again. This time, on the ground. Random matches which provoked the anger of a section of supporters and endless debates on Come on Paillade. The grunts no longer forgive Teji Savanier, a playing master with extraordinary statistics: 146 matches, 41 goals & 26 assists in Montpellier. When Jean-Louis Gasset declares: “ Savanier is perhaps a victim of his reputation”Rahan34 replies: “It’s been a long time since we talked about the idol, future ex-EDF selector, the king of Masterclasses”. Paulan shifts: “There are now a good handful of us who are no longer fooled by the smoke and mirrors surrounding this alleged legend” Bamogo34290 approves: ” THANKS ! I'm not the only one who sees that he is distressingly worthless.” Of course, others rush to Savanier's aid. Lionel34, more level-headed, asserts: “For the good of the club, I would like him to find a contract in Saudi Arabia, take as much money as possible while there is still time and leave us a suitable amount to recruit”.

Objectively speaking, it is difficult to quantify the share of “pros” and “antis” currently. It is also difficult to classify Savanier in a well-defined box. If his exceptional talent is obvious, we often forget that our Maestro also knows how to burn coal. Teji doesn't cheat, wets his jersey Orange and Blue and displays a grinta at all times. Of course, “TJ” has his dark side with an impulsive side which has earned him a plethora of red cards. But while certain sulking and ill-intentioned executives have soaped the successive boards, already very slippery, with ODO et MDZ – so much so that we sometimes confused the Mosson lawn with the bubble carpet ofIntervilles – at least let us recognize in Savanier a sincere and respectable love of the institution. Unlike others, he did not play with the destiny of the club's employees. And, when the tired ones were called pale, Savanier pulled himself away from the side of the N3 players, although he sometimes wonders what they are doing there.

His loyalty was rewarded by President Laurent Nicollin who made him “the local Mbappé” with a project totally focused on “Mr. Penalty” (hello Rémy Cabella!). However, Savanier is not Machiavelli either and has sometimes played the catalyst between the tandem of the infernal cows Ferri/Khazri and Der Zakarian, at the time of the Sakho affair or on other issues. His desire to bring back Andy Delort was not followed. It would be wrong to fantasize about a shadow puppeteer who would make rain or shine at the MHSC, depending on his mood when he woke up. On the other hand, the locker room has always been behind the magician of the Cité Gély. The debate that exists in the Montpellier community is a non-subject within the walls of Grammont. Apart from one or two administrators who gesticulate to get his skin, we are often surprised by the extent of external criticism. “Without Savanier, we would be Arles-Avignon”, we were even told.

What does the main person think? Already, it is not disconnected. OUR “gitan” favorite is aware of what is said about him. It touches him. At 32, Savanier knows that his best years are behind him, but believes he can play his matches. He deplores the contours of an increasingly weak squad and confides to his inner circle that it was easier to mark “AD9”, Laborde, Mavididi or Wahi than Akor Adams or Tanguy Coulibaly. The profiles recruited are not doing him any favors. Al-Tamari, for example, is a ball player who likes to receive it at the feet and multiply his dribbles, even if he made us lie about his formidable Nice counter-attack this Sunday. However, “TJ” loves to throw his friends in depth but considers that the technical relationship with his current teammates is not fluid enough. “When Wahi made 3 calls, Akor only made one”he has already said in private about the Nigerian, whom he appreciates on a human level. You should know that Savanier spent long minutes chatting with Elye Wahi two years ago, to refine his automatisms in training, to adapt to his races, to the way the neo-Marseillais liked to receive the ball and timing of openings. With Adams, he tried but between his Spanish cow English and the more limited football IQ of his interlocutor, it was a dead end. Not to mention these poorly positioned balloons and the American controls which exasperate “TS11”. “With Andy, we understood each other at the slightest glance”he often says when he thinks back to Delort, like a divorced and almost bald husband thinks back to his high school sweetheart by going to screen, at nightfall, her Facebook profile with nostalgia. This feeling cannot be improvised. Like this scene in Lens (2-0), at the end of the match, where Savanier looked up to see that Adams, Ndiaye and Khazri were all the opposite of what the game demanded. Resigned, number 11 passed the ball back. In a shrug of the shoulders like an admission of helplessness.

Plus, Teji has bad luck. The best match of the season was played without him. It was against Brest, the European terror (3-1). That day, Wahbi Khazri occupied the position of playmaker and the disgruntled mischievously jumped at the opportunity to prove by A + B what “it plays better without Savanier”. Except that the mad lobster had the attack before him « Premium » : Tamari, Adams, Nordin (the “TAN”). An offensive line aligned only once this season, against Strasbourg on the first day (1-1), then again against Nice (2-2).

And if ultimately, the problem of the MHSC was to have its « Premiums » available? Where “TJ” must have struggled with “second knives” (Maamma, Khazri on the left, Yssoufou, Khazri false 9, Coulibaly, Ndiaye), Khazri had the chance to evolve with the fire attack. Would “Wahb’” have the same success over time? Is he the best of the two to enhance a collective? Everyone will have their own opinion. However, the frightening total of his 22 balls lost against Nice does not speak in favor of Savanier! Before, our Little Mozart caressed the piano to play his part. Here he is suddenly smashing the keys like Richard Clayderman. 22 bullet losses? The bowler went from Dylan Rocher to Kylian Caillou in a few months.

Tactically, I preferred its use during the first passage of the Armenian genius: leader of the 3-5-2 or relay of the 4-3-3 with Jordan Ferri at low point and Florent Mollet at his side. Paul Scholes from Nantes is the only player of the Savanier era to have been talented enough, while maintaining a volume of races well above average, to symmetrically occupy half of the field with Savanier. Because, let's be realistic, being the counterpart of “TJ” is practically impossible. Between his way of thinking about football and his geographical indiscipline, how to be “Savanier-compatible” ? Mollet had found the key. Alas, Olivier Dall'Oglio imposed his 4-2-3-1 with “TJ” in 10, a solution in which I never really believed: two recuperators too exposed, full-backs much too weak, the wingers a little flankers, Savanier unable to cut off the first opposing wave). I even proposed the idea of ​​a « quaterback » retreated to ODO at the end of the London escapade at Crystal Palace (4-2). “Teji is not the Pirlo of AC Milan! We are far from it »the coach of the lower neighborhoods in a murderous smile. The older Savanier gets, the more the level of the attackers drops, the less I believe in it. In 6 as in 10, a purely axial role becomes too heavy to bear. However, to my great surprise, Romain Pitau didn't change anything. No more than Michel Der Zakarian, once back at the helm. This ugly 4-2-3-1 even survived the first inventions of Jean-Louis Gasset, which at least has the merit of varying the pleasures.

Unfortunately, the position of bottom red which shames us in Ligue 1 no longer encourages patience. In desperation, the strongest takes. Is a departure for the truce possible? Probably not. Savanier does not see himself leaving the ship in the doldrums. But he had felt the tide turn last summer and had taken the temperature here and there. “Do you think it would be time to leave?” » “Would you blame me if I signed for another club? » This painful end of reign affected the greatest, from Ronaldo at Real Madrid to Totti at Roma, via Gerrard at Liverpool, Guardiola at City, Mbappé at PSG, Messi at Barça or Federer at Wimbledon (it's free) . It seems like there's never a good time to see legends leave “their” stage. Like Dalida, they would like to die on it. But who would stand to see an aging “TJ”, repositioned 6 for lack of anything better, and therefore legs, distributing the game like a corpulent vizier in the central circle. I refuse to see this unique player end up as a BKT mogul, trotting on the dry lawns of Rodez or Dunkirk. In short, a burden for the team, squeezed into a too tight L jersey.

Several parameters are nevertheless added to the equation: Savanier is a homebody. He wouldn't leave his pétanque court for anything in the world and the latest news is that jacks are becoming rare in Al-Nassr. His lifestyle was openly questioned by Der Zakarian, without us really knowing whether it was praise or an epitaph: “If Teji had wanted to make football his profession, he would have played at Real Madrid”. Lack of pot, the Zizou de Figuerolles preferred couscous to Tony Kroos. Now more Casimir than Casemiro in this modern football which stinks of DataSavanier is less profitable. What once gave him his charm is turning against him. Until becoming the scapegoat of followers frightened by the specter of Ligue 2.

So what to do? Should Gasset remove Savanier from 11? Clinging to him like a patch on the Titanic ? Put him on the first plane to Riyadh? The future of the former pailladin darling has overtones of Juke Box. “How to say goodbye” or “Don’t leave me” ? In Brel's song, there are these words: “We have often seen the fire erupt from the ancient volcano that we thought was too old”. So go ahead, Teji. Put a coin back in this fucking machine and give us these rain beads from countries where it doesn't rain. Because in this sad month of December, there are just tears running down our cheeks.