Marseille (AFP)
Its curve follows that of Marseille: after a stagnating season, Morgan Sanson has resumed its progress and OM are counting on their midfield with "three lungs" to erase in Nîmes, Friday (8:45 pm), their recent stoppage against Nantes (3-1).
His team is still well placed in second place before the 27th day of Ligue 1 this weekend, with 8 lengths ahead of Rennes (3rd) and 9 over Lille (4th), but they will need all the qualities of Sanson against the "Crocos".
"I like his percussion, his high-intensity play, always, his efforts on the move," says André Villas-Boas.
The arrival of the Portuguese coach this summer weighed on Sanson's recovery, but it was first necessary to agree on a training a little à la carte, to adapt it to his physique of diesel buffalo.
If the preparation with ball advocated by "AVB" delights the vast majority of the group, it is "not top" for Sanson, said the player, who "needs to fill the box".
He explains to the staff that he needs more land. "Cardio, running, purely physical work, after the sessions, focused on ischios, quadri (ceps)", explains Sanson.
"We did some extras for the physical work with him, which he appreciated, he felt a little below physically", remembers Villas-Boas.
- "Big questioning" -
"I was not happy with my first matches, rewinds Sanson, I couldn't repeat the efforts as usual, it was very frustrating".
But he found his case and a major role in the team, where the pair of relay circles trained with Valentin Rongier shines.
"I'm happy with the season I'm having," said Sanson.
During the previous one, "he had stopped progressing", according to Jacques Bayle, assistant to Rolland Courbis and "big fan of the + small +". The duo launched it in Ligue 1 in Montpellier in 2013.
Sanson speaks of a "big questioning at the end of the season on my performances, my state of mind".
Introspection has paid off. "+ Morgie +, it's a creator, greet Boubacar Kamara", who plays the sentries behind the duo Rongier-Sanson.
"He has a lot of character and volume of play, and three lungs, he runs from the 1st to the 90th minute, he helps us a lot, sometimes he sacrifices himself to offer space", continues "Bouba".
- "Great room for improvement" -
Villas-Boas "finds it very well, adjusted to our system in 4-3-3. It is a medium + box to box +, with percussion, recovery, finishing, timing to penetrate the lines ..."
The coach would like him to further refine his oriented controls, "his big strength", according to Bayle, and his statistics. Because Sanson is only 4 goals away and 2 assists in all competitions.
Sanson "still has a very large margin of progression", assures Villas-Boas and "playing at OM, with the pressure that we have", makes it move forward.
How far? Approached in particular by English clubs in the winter transfer window, Sanson did not "think of leaving for a second".
And for this summer, "my answer is clear: I am focused only on this season, qualifying for the Champions League. This is not the time to talk about it. And then we all want to go back together with the coach in this competition. I came to Marseille to play it. "
OM are almost there and should not stress for the 3 points lost on Rennes and Lille. Everyone at the club, recalls AVB, was happy with this difference of 8 and 9 points acquired after the victory at Saint-Etienne (2-0), coming back to it "should not make us think that we are in misery and sadness ", reassures the Portuguese.
The C1 remains on the horizon of Sanson, and, a little further, the French team. "I got closer through my performances but there is a lot of competition. The Blues are always in the back of my mind, a dream. I gave myself several seasons". And Sanson is not idle.
© 2020 AFP