Valère Germain returns to the height of Benedetto in terms of competition for the striker position.

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Jon Super / AP / SIPA

  • Olympique de Marseille striker Valère Germain is more in competition with Dario Benedetto than at the start of the season.

  • He always gave everything for the OM jersey, which did not prevent him from being highly criticized by the supporters.

The revenge of Valère Germain.

Little used and often very criticized since his arrival at Olympique de Marseille in the summer of 2017, Valère Germain has been playing more and more since the start of the season.

Like his tenure on Wednesday night against Manchester City for the last Champions League match for OM, eliminated from all European competitions.

“We started to trust Valère a little more, who is doing a good job.

Today with Benedetto they are more in competition than at the beginning of the season ”, recognized André Villas Boas before the match against Nîmes.

A match that he had finally started on the bench, before returning and mocking the 2-0 goal late in the game (84th).

An all-steel mind

Already author of the goal of the equalizer against Lille, at the very end of the match (85th), Valère Germain never surrenders.

“He always offers total availability, he gives everything, he loves OM.

In every position, every moment you play him, he's going to give it his all.

He always has a good state of mind and he wants to help the team, ”said André Villas Boas.

It's @ValereGermain the Grantattakan #MCIOM

- FC4FANS 🇬🇧🏟⚽️💪🔥 (@ FC4FANS_en) December 9, 2020

“I think he's coming back pretty well, he had a bit of a difficult pass at the start of the season but he was able to raise his level to make the competition play with Benedetto.

Above all, he always knows how to adapt to Villas Boas, as against City when he plays him as a winger.

It is not at all his position at the base, and yet he makes the defensive efforts in place of Payet.

He has a lot of mentality and that's honorable of him, ”considers Téo, OM supporter.

Critics "more or less justified"

Therefore, logical for this supporter to put the two attackers on an equal footing, while Dario Benedetto had to wait for the match against Nantes (3-1), two weeks ago, to unlock his goal counter.

#NOOM @ValereGermain He's our soldier.

Always there, unfairly criticized.

He is our Giroud.

It's just what, our 2nd highest scorer since his arrival?

While never having played (99% of the time) at his post?

IMMENSE RESPECT FOR GERMAIN.

- Hell Walker (@iamRisingAgain) December 4, 2020

Despite this return to form, critics continue to rain, certainly at a smaller drop.

“They are more or less justified, says Teo.

At OM we expect a lot from attackers.

We expected him to score a good ten goals in Ligue 1, as in Monaco, but it was not the case.

After that he was never put in the right conditions, and he did not have all the confidence he needed.

But it is sure that he always fought for the club we can not blame him.

And whether he plays 5 or 70 minutes, he runs like crazy ”.

Attacking position

Like his debauchery of energy against Manchester City, but also his failed header in the first half.

OM supporters, however, love players who give everything, despite some technical limitations.

Except for Germain.

“Because the position of top striker is a flagship position.

The supporters are obviously disappointed with his performance in terms of goals per season.

With a number 9 you expect 20 goals per season, we expected too much of him.

If you take the example of Sakai, he too will not give up, but from a certain level you see the limits.

And his position is much less in sight than that of attacker, “argues the supporter.

Me it is not the beginning of career but the beginning with my club ...


Valère Germain who holds a hat-trick in qualifying for the Europa League.

I think everyone in Marseille said to themselves that we finally had our long awaited 9!


And the rest we know her

- Alex (@Alex__OM) December 4, 2020

But the patience of the supporters to limits, and with very average performances, the critics are also starting to fuse towards the Japanese.

As everything goes very quickly in football, a goal this Saturday to offer victory against Monaco and Germain would climb even more in the esteem of the supporters.

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