If he does not hide his frustration with his low playing time under the direction of Igor Tudor, Dimitri Payet wants to be combative two days from a capital OM-OL for the Marseillais.
“I made a mistake, I think Payet should have played at least a quarter of an hour. » Three days after the rout against Tottenham (1-2) and the elimination ofABOUT of all European competitions, Igor Tudor makes his mea culpa. He recognizes it, his choices against Spurs were not the right ones. It is up to him, therefore, to correct the situation in the last two matches before the cut imposed by the World Cup, this Sunday evening against OL and next weekend in Monaco. There is an emergency for the Phocaeans.
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Should we deduce that Dimitri Payet will start against the Lyonnais? The Croatian coach did not specify this on Friday at a press conference. The Olympian captain, in any case, is ready despite obvious frustration due to his meager playing time since the start of the season. “I worked a lot to be in shape. I feel good, he assures. In the last match in Strasbourg (2-2), I had good feelings and it had been a long time since I had played an entire match. »
“Why discuss with the leaders? »
“Afterwards, obviously that was not what I had in mind at the start of this season. But if the coach makes choices and thinks the team can be better without me, it’s because he has reasons, he adds. It’s up to me to make sure every day on the pitch and, when he calls on me, to prove him wrong, to put problems in his head. » Problems, Igor Tudor is starting to have a lot of them. And they are no longer only tactical, but also accounting.
The results have not followed for several weeks. The Ciel et Blancs thus remain on a series of five defeats in seven matches, for a victory and a draw, and have taken the lead in Ligue 1. This Olympico is therefore of paramount importance for him and his players. “It’s a special game, we know that. So much the better that it is this match, there will be no need to motivate the guys, explains Dimitri Payet. It is for these matches that we play football. » You still have to win them.
“The coach is not crazy”
For the Reunionese, the time is still for the sacred union. No way for him to take advantage of this complicated situation to claim a starting place or complain to management. “Why discuss with the leaders? It was never my wayhe said. Each time I went through times when I was playing less, I worked to regain my place, to return to the field. It’s not today, at that age, that I’m going to complain to my leaders. »
Read also: OM, the successor to Tudor already identified?
“The coach is the one who decides. I’m not going to go to the leaders to ask them why I’m not playing, he continues. Ultimately, I could go see the coach, but not even. I think that if I am at my level, decisive, the coach is not crazy. If you win the matches, he will necessarily put you. That’s how I see things. It’s up to me to make sure I regain my place, not through discussions but through actions on the pitch. » The public at the Vélodrome is just waiting for this.
