Jorge Sampaoli Deserves More Credit Than He Gets
Olympique Marseille and Jorge Sampaoli seem to be a match made in heaven.
At this point last year, Olympique Marseille were in freefall. Marseille had lost all their Champions League outings until that point and only managed a solitary point from their early December fixtures. Their performance only went downhill before it led to the sacking of then-boss Andre Villas-Boas.
Jorge Sampaoli arrived at the club mid-season amidst mass unrest amongst fans. It included an incident of fans storming the club's training ground. Sampaoli's arrival was a massive testament to the man's character taking over the club in such a volatile situation. The news came after top coaches in Europe - Maurizio Sarri and Rafael Benitez - declined to come.
Sampaoli's first task was to bring calmness to the club and he did just that. Marseille saw a steady improvement in results as they finished fifth that season, remaining unbeaten in seven of their last eight fixtures. More than just that, Marseille also played some positive football which was lacking under their previous managerial tenure.
Sampaoli's transfer moves and squad development
One of Sampaoli's major objectives was to replace Marseille's star-striker Florian Thauvin in the summer. Thauvin was instrumental in Marseille's recent success in the Europa League and domestic campaigns.
Sampaoli managed to land AS Roma forward Cengiz Ünder on a loan deal - a decision that proved to be a masterstroke following Marseille's recent run. Ünder has contributed to two one-nil wins for Marseille so far across competitions.
⚽️ TRANSFERS ⚽️
Under ➡️ Marseille ✍️✅
French club Marseille have announced the signing of 🇹🇷 international winger Cengiz Under on a 1yr loan deal from Roma 🔵⚪️
The 23yr old struggled at Leicester City last season, but could find a new home in France
#OM #Under #Marseille https://t.co/Xfdo9rgxVM
Sampaoli was responsible for overseeing some of Marseille's shrewdest recruitment in recent times. Leonardo Balerdi, who arrived at the club as a loanee from Borussia Dortmund last summer, was roped in on a permanent deal.
The club also managed to purchase the services of Flamingo midfielder Gerson to replace Morgan Sanson, who left last term. Apart from that, Luan Perez came in as a replacement for left-back Jordan Amavi.
These signings not only bolstered Marseille's squad but also underlined Sampaoli's trust in youth and finesse. Interestingly, all these recruits are under twenty-five years in age.
His early assessment of the squad last term and Marseille's transfer business this summer put them in a prime position to challenge for the title.
Marseille began the season on stunning form, registering four wins from their opening five fixtures. This included victories against AS Monaco and FC Bordeaux. Even in the Europa League, Marseille managed to stay unbeaten despite being drawn into a tough group along with Lokomotiv Moscow, Lazio, and Galatasaray.
Change in Marseille's formation and style
Sampaoli's change of information to a traditional 4-1-4-1 has brought a lot of solidity at the back. Under Villas-Boas' second season in charge, Marseille conceded an average of 1.5 goals per game before his sacking, something that remains a distant memory now.
The deployment of Boubacar Kamara as a holding midfielder has cajoled the back four into a well-knit unit. The innovative idea of a diamond midfield with Gerson and Guendouzi higher up the field has allowed Marseille to play possession-based football.
It was a major shift in Marseille's style of play that the club's fans have missed since the reign of Didier Deschamps.
Sampaoli - A man for the future
Marseille sit third in the Ligue 1 table, two behind Rennes with a game in hand. A win will put them within ten points of leaders PSG. Marseille were unfortunate to drop into the Europa Conference League despite losing just one out of their six outings in Europe.
📈📉 Here's how the league table looks after Friday's action! -- How did your team do? https://t.co/qZvfcg1ceL
Sampaoli nonetheless deserves enormous credit for rescuing the sinking ship and putting them back on track for Champions League football. In terms of the overall development of the squad and promotion of young prospects, Sampaoli is second to none.
This season offers Marseille a prime opportunity to go all the way to make his vision the frontier of the club's long-running ambitions.