Marseille missed out on European football next season due to a disappointing fifth-place finish in Ligue 1, though their performance levels were such that they could scarcely complain about their final position. While Rudi Garcia’s men were capable of piecing together several wins in succession, they also endured some dire barren spells over the course of the campaign that threatened to see the coach sacked before its conclusion.
The inconsistency which dogged the team as a whole was reflected in the performances of star players Florian Thauvin and Dimitri Payet. The latter was so mediocre over the course of the campaign that he ended it playing largely from the bench, with Lucas Ocampos deemed more valuable in the attacking midfield sector.
Thauvin, meanwhile, finished the season as the club’s leading league marksman with 16 goals, though this was in part a reflection of the lack of centre forward they had until Mario Balotelli signed in January. Once the Italian was on board, Garcia was able to switch to a 4-4-2 formation and in that system OM had more luck, with this set up also getting the best of Valere Germain.
Previously, Marseille had been too reliant on their misfiring stars, which resulted in a poor first half to the season, notably in Europe, where they performed abysmally.
Luiz Gustavo was not up to his 2017-18 standards in the midfield, though Morgan Sanson had an excellent season and so too did Maxime Lopez, whose use of the ball was an important lubricating factor in the team’s play.
The real issues came in the defence, where Adil Rami had a weak campaign and ended it dropped to the bench. Duje Caleta-Car initially started poorly but became a solid presence in the second half of the season, while Boubacar Kamara continues to improve rapidly.
Left-back was an area of weakness, too, with Jordan Amavi not strong enough on a consistent basis in that sector, forcing Hiroki Sakai to switch wings on occasion.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Steve Mandanda appears to be well past his best, with several goals conceded cheaply over the course of the season.
Marseille do not yet know who will coach them next term, and with several key players agitating for a move, significant changes are afoot ahead of the summer.
