Slow down even more last week by its draw against Nice (1-1), l’OM is now on the verge of failure and defeat in the race for the Champions League, even though Habib Beye is trying to spread a message of hope before going to Nantes on Saturday (3:00 p.m.). “It’s going very well, thank you very much. It’s very kind of you to ask,” with a big amused smile, Habib Beye set the tone on Friday for a press conference that was more positive than the one, very tense, that preceded the match against Nice. However, the reasons for rejoicing are not so numerous at l’OM, which has now slipped to 6th place in the standings, closer to 7th which offers nothing than to 3rd which sends to the Champions League. “But we can do it. If we look at the standings, we are very close,” assured Timothy Weah, who spoke before his coach.
“Yes, it’s true that there are still four points. But the others can lose three matches. And if we win the three, we’ll see. In any case, I believe and I will do everything to give this energy to my team,” added the American. However, Weah will not be able to do much on Saturday against Nantes, since he is suspended, like Benjamin Pavard. But his optimism was welcome to support Beye’s speech. “We have nine points available and we must take them to hope to be well positioned. We will take stock afterwards. But it is sure that without these nine points, it will be hard to be in this battle,” explained the Marseille coach.
“Small locker room stuff”
To still believe, Beye can count on some good news, with the returns to training of two of his offensive assets, Amine Gouiri and Igor Paixao. They may not start in Nantes but they will give more options to the Marseille coach, who also assured that Mason Greenwood, bothered by a sore thigh for several weeks, was “better”. A little annoyed, Beye also assured that the atmosphere at the Commanderie was not as terrible as some media outlets reported this week.
“The tension and pressure exist all the time, from the start of the preparation. There are 24 or 25 different egos, there is relief. That doesn’t mean that the locker room explodes or that everything is fractured. That’s not the case. And a tense locker room, in our situation, is very good,” he judged. “Here, there are always tensions. We have to accept that,” confirmed Timothy Weah. “There are small locker room things, at training, arguments, fights. But it must stay here. It comes out in the media and it’s hard. It’s not good but that’s how it is. We have to be a family that builds itself every day,” continued the American.
However, l’OM has only taken one point in the last two matches against Lorient and against Nice, and coach as well as players must find the solution to ensure at least European participation next season. “The lever is the players. The engine is the players. The solution will come with this group of players who must know that we have no more jokers,” Beye emphasized. “To reach the goals, we have to win these three matches.”
