AVB finally finds the perfect port of call
WHEN Andre Villas-Boas took over as Marseille boss last May, some people scoffed at his suggestion a top-three final position was a realistic objective.
With 13 games played, Marseille go into this weekend’s round of fixtures second in the standings. In such circumstances, the ex-Tottenham and Chelsea coach may pause and smile.
There have been plenty of grins since he touched down on the Canebiere. The 42-year-old has won over l’OM’s notoriously fickle fanbase through his authentic mix of openness and affability, plus more recently some encouraging results.
The Ligue 1 table is too close to take things for granted – just six points separate second-placed Marseille from Amiens in 15th. Yet even before the side recently turned a corner on the pitch, Villas-Boas had impressed with the way he was going about business in difficult circumstances.
Marseille had little money in the summer. No problem, came his response. There were just three new signings, and a net spend of £0m – yet the Portuguese manager set about turning his small, unheralded squad into an effective unit.
World Cup winner Florian Thauvin has been sidelined by injury for three months. An uncomplaining Villas-Boas has improvised on the right wing, ensuring the team still pose a threat down that flank.
Only 18 pros, plus four raw academy graduates, have made first-team appearances for Marseille in Ligue 1 this season. Those numbers show how thin the squad is. Villas-Boas has asked for reinforcements in the January window. If they are not forthcoming, you imagine he will shrug his shoulders and get on with the job.
An on-pitch reward for his toiling in the shadows came before the international break as Marseille recorded consecutive 2-1 home victories over two of their biggest rivals – last season’s Ligue 1 runnersup Lille, and then Lyon, who many have tipped to finish above Marseille next May. There is no hope of catching runaway leaders PSG but that topthree idea doesn’t look silly any more.
The fans remain cautious. They know a couple more injuries could derail the side. And Marseille’s wins can be as nerve-rackingly close as a minus-one goal difference implies.
In Villas-Boas, however, fans on this football-mad strip of the south coast of France have found a leader enjoying the challenge of steering a club that has lost some of its lustre yet none of its ambition. After a nomadic managerial career, he may have landed in the right port at last.