Arrived just over a month ago, Tudor was already contested after four warm-up games, which is something of a record.

Another performance, he was also very loudly whistled on Sunday by the Vélodrome before kick-off for his first in an official match.

This mistrust is born of the very uncertain content of the pre-season friendly matches and a reputedly abrupt working method, which this week prompted President Pablo Longoria to call everyone to order and in the best interests of OM.

Above all, we had to wait for the verdict on the pitch and the matches that matter and Sunday's meeting showed that OM's season, which started with five recruits (Blanco, Clauss, Mbemba, Gigot and Tavares) was not -be not so badly fitted as that.

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Tudor unraveled all the possession game built by his predecessor Jorge Sampaoli and he took a step further in asserting his authority by leaving Payet, captain and best attacking element of the last exercise ended in second place, on the bench, qualifier for the Champions League.

The sides shine

In his place, it was Cengiz Under who was established, with some success while the preparation had given rise to some doubts as to the possibilities for the Turk to exist in the system without a winger from Tudor.

With Under and without their N.10, the Marseillais in any case entered the match with appetite, with a greedy use of the width allowed by the profile of the two new pistons, Jonathan Clauss on the right and Nuno Tavares on the left.

The French international who arrived from Lens was behind the first goal, with a magnificent cross sent into his own net by Wout Faes, under the relative threat of Arkadiusz Milik (1-0, 13th).

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Then it was the Portuguese on loan from Arsenal who doubled the lead just before the break with a nice shot from the right into the side netting, at a time when Marseille was a little less well.

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Between the two goals, Tudor's men had also hit the uprights twice, first the bar by Under, then the left post of Patrick Pentz by Valentin Rongier.

Double for Suarez

The pressing of the players in white, fierce, pleased Tudor and the Vélodrome, but it is energy-intensive.

The rest was therefore more messy, even if OM now have real resources on their sidelines.

Tudor was thus able to launch Jordan Veretout, barely landed from Rome, then Payet, given a standing ovation by the Vélodrome – and for whom the Croatian will still have to try to make room -, and the Colombian striker Luis Suarez.

The latter scored with an opportunistic strike a real center-forward goal punctuated by a few "Vamos" towards the North Bend to give OM a three-goal advantage (3-0, 75th), fairly consistent to the difference in value between the Provençaux and the very harmless Rémois.

At the end of the match, a technical clumsiness from Leonardo Balerdi still allowed Folarin Balogun to reduce the score (3-1, 84th) and OM did not seem absolutely serene until the double from Suarez, well served by Cedric Bakambu (90+4).

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In the end, Marseille and his new coach offered themselves a little serenity on Sunday.

It is welcome as the calendar still leaves them time to work with one match per week until the start of the Champions League.

We will then know where the Tudor graft is.

© 2022 AFP