Scorer and author of a very good match at Bollaert (3-1), Valentin Rongier was complimented by his coach, Roberto De Zerbi. Has he earned his place in OM's starting lineup? Our journalists Laurent Hess and Raphaël Nouet debate it.
Obviously !
“I am a big fan of Valentin Rongier, and have been since his arrival at OM in September 2019. We know the story: every time a new coach arrives in Marseille, the former Nantes player is not part of his plans and then, very quickly, he realizes his mistake and reinstates him to the starting lineup. Roberto De Zerbi is going through this process repeated many times and has also said it to Bollaert: Rongier enlightens his team's play. He has an incredible ability to find the right shifts, to propose solutions, to not do anything under pressure. In addition, he is a real team player, ready for example to sacrifice himself at right back when Jorge Sampaoli was the coach. He will be able to compensate for the defensive replacement with variable geometry of a Mason Greenwood. He will know how to make the link between defense and attack. Furthermore, his mentality is impeccable. This Monday, La Provence recalls that the three times he played more than an hour this season, it was against Nice (2-0), Lyon (3-2) and Lens (3-1). Three victories won while the opponent had badly shaken the Marseille ship. Three successes achieved thanks to great strength of character. It is anything but a coincidence that Valentin Rongier was in the fight each time. With the former captain, OM is different, more reliable, more serious. Now that he is over with his knee problems, it is obvious to me that he must be one of the first names that Roberto De Zerbi thinks of when he is working on his starting XI. »
Raphaël NOUET
Not yet !
“The return to form of Valentin Rongier, materialized by his good match and his goal scored in Lens, is obviously very good news for OM and for Roberto De Zerbi. The former Nantes player will be able to bring his experience and his versatility, his calm, his intelligence and his combativeness. It's a safe bet. Now, to think that he has earned his place, I think it's still a little early.
Rongier has just returned after a long period of absence. His performance at Bollaert will therefore require confirmation. But what is undeniable is that he can represent an important asset for De Zerbi. And that the Italian did well to densify his midfield. Rongier can free the Hojberg-Rabiot duo, help them and give OM more balance. What Kondogbia can also do if De Zerbi takes him up a notch. »
Laurent HESS
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