Gerson's return to form, good Christmas news for OM

• Olympique de Marseille will host Lokomotiv Moscow this Thursday (9 p.m.) in the Europa League. 

• The Marseillais only need one point to secure a qualification in the Europa Conference Conference. 

• OM should be able to rely on their Brazilian Gerson, in form since his repositioning in false 9. 

Good news for Gerson, not necessarily for Olympique de Marseille.

At the time of receiving Lokomotiv Moscow, for the last match of the Marseillais Europa League (9 p.m.), which has a taste of the final since OM can qualify for the Conference League by obtaining the point of a draw, the midfielder Gerson field finally seems to flourish in Marseille.

And demonstrates, even if it is intermittently, why OM has spent more than 20 million euros to recruit him this summer.

"He's starting to be a little better, more cheerful.

We can see it better on the green rectangle.

We did not win against Brest, but he had chances, ”said the Argentinian.

A return to form which corresponds above all to its repositioning, higher up on the field, as a false 9.

"We want to see him closer to the goal"

“It's true that Gerson was present at this post. In fact he moves, he swaps, with Dimitri Payet. And normally it's more up to Dimitri to play false 9. But he was less well in the last match, so we saw Gerson more in that position. We want to see him closer to the goal, we think he gives a lot when he is close to the opposing goal, "said his coach. And indeed, the Brazilian has scored in his last two games, after unlocking his goal counter with OM against Saint-Etienne (3-1) at the end of August.

A beneficial repositioning which may seem strange, Gerson has always seen himself more as a recovering midfielder than an attacking midfielder.

“We can compare him to Paul Pogba!

It's exactly that.

They have the same style, ”slipped even his father and agent to

, a few days after his arrival in Marseille.

Except that we have never seen him impose himself in this style.

"Maybe Ligue 1 is still a little more physical than him"

But this good period actually betrays other problems.

Starting with that of his adaptation, he who had a first failed experience at Roma, before returning to Brazil and proving himself at Flamengo.

“For me he's a very physical player, but maybe the French championship is still a little more physical than him.

In South America, it was a point below so he managed to fly over the championship, at least physically.

He's starting to understand this.

But the adaptation is not only physical, it is necessary to know the adversary, the refereeing, there is all that to take into account.

But when you arrive from South America, the adaptation must be fast otherwise you can dive very quickly, ”Sampaoli analyzes.

To see him try to play with his body, and mainly his buttocks, before being too often caught on the shoulder and claiming, in vain, a fault from the referee, we can only agree with this observation.

"Need for sharp players"

The other reality reflected in Gerson's return to form is above all the lack of realism of Olympique de Marseille, who during the two matches in which the Brazilian shone, deprived himself of Arkadiusz Milik. “We need Milik's return to form, and Dieng's return, to have options in this position. We are going to need it, especially in this French football which is very complicated. We need sharp players, we have a lot of chances, but we are not sharp enough. If we are already eliminated from the Europa League, it is because of that. If we want to be high in Ligue 1 and stay alive in Europe, there is no need to look any further than that, ”recalled Jorge Sampaoli.

Problem, to regain efficiency, attackers must be served by the midfield.

Apart from Payet, no one seems to be able to fulfill this function.

With the probable absence of number 10 against Lokomotiv, already injured against Brest, it may be Gerson's turn to fulfill this role this Thursday evening, and finally prove his dad right.

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• Sport

• Marseilles

• Jorge Sampaoli

• OM

• Soccer

• Europa League

• League 1

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