The rays of sunshine that lit up the Canebière this weekend were certainly not enough to warm the hearts of Marseille supporters.
Sunday evening, OM once again delivered a poor performance on the Lyon pitch of their Olympic rival (1-0).
Sterile ball possession (63%, 8 shots, 1 on target) against an otherwise sharper OL (12 shots, 7 on target) as they struggle to maintain their position.
Nothing shocking coming from a team which had three draws in Ligue 1, and an elimination on penalties by Rennes in the Coupe de France.
To discover
Calendar and results Ligue 1
Ligue 1 ranking
“No one puts us under water, no one clearly dominates us, but there is always a little something missing
,” said Marseille coach Gennaro Gattuso on Sunday.
Small causes, big consequences: OM are 8th in L1, six points from the European top 5, seven from the podium on which they finished during the last two seasons.
He must limit the damage and quickly in the championship, while juggling the play-off for the round of 16 of the Europa League which awaits him: a round-trip confrontation (in Hamburg then Marseille) with the Ukrainians of Shakhtar Donetsk, the 15 and February 22.
OM made life complicated with Clauss
Going off the road would be a stain, would increase the pressure and would make ridicule of the Olympians who want to replay the Champions League, they who are already dying in C3.
OM has no shortage of ridicule outside the green rectangle.
His winter transfer window was marked by the Jonathan Clauss file.
The right back is the Ironman of the Old Port, the most used outfield player this season (2,293 minutes out of 2,730 possible).
However, three days before the market closed, OM tried to get rid of it.
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Lacazette’s goal during Lyon-Marseille last Sunday (1-0)
Clauss' performance is not a problem.
But the French international (31) is suspected of taking it easy since he sprained his ankle during the Blues rally in November.
He gritted his teeth on his return to the club, and even scored a goal against Strasbourg (1-1) after playing the entire match.
OM think that they will be even more careful as the Euro approaches, having been in the wagon for a long time for the World Cup in Qatar, until a tactical change by Didier Deschamps which they made expenses.
Watch out for the next anger of the supporters
Without qualms, Marseille, and its president Pablo Longoria who mysteriously brandished “
the mentality
” and “
the involvement
” necessary for the end of the Olympian season, proposed Clauss to several clubs.
The main interested party, under contract until 2025, never wanted to leave.
He remained, perhaps now with a big black cloud over his head.
Even when everything is going well, OM panics and gets weighed down.
When will the fans' patience reach its limit again, two years after the invasion of the Commandery and five months after the stormy meeting between some of them and Longoria?
“I expect more, I too must do more,
” Gattuso diagnosed on Sunday.
It's true that we have injuries but complaining is the alibi of the weak, it's too easy.
We have high-level, international players who can do more.”
OM host FC Metz on Friday (9 p.m.), a promotion in crisis who have lost their last 7 matches.
Another misstep would amount to professional misconduct.