Marseille isn't the best season. They were on the road to the Champions League but now find their chances of playing in Europe next season hanging by a thread. This has been attributed to chaos behind the scenes.
This involves the behaviour of then-manager, Roberto De Zerbi and the players. The signing of Mason Greenwood garnered outrage. Things have only gotten worse with the behaviour of their striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Aubameyang is reported by L’Equipe to have been the ringleader of a group of around 10 players who caused mayhem in the rooms of several players.
L’Equipe stated: "The problem arose when Aubameyang used a fire extinguisher to spray Bob Tahri, the sporting director’s representative responsible for enforcing the curfew at the training ground, his bed, and his personal belongings. The former 3000-metre steeplechase champion took it very badly and reported the incident to the higher-ups at the Marseille club."
Aubameyang, a former player at Arsenal and Chelsea, is reported to have made his excuses to Tahri.
This is the latest chapter of what has been a chaotic few weeks at Marseille, dating back to their elimination from the Champions League against Club Brugge and the messy end to Roberto De Zerbi’s time in charge that followed.
Mason Greenwood, meanwhile, has been one of the main actors in the chaos, according to the media. The former Manchester United player is in the crosshairs for an attitude that has been described as deplorable.
Greenwood has angered the club for numerous aspects of his behaviour. He left sporting director, Medhi Benatia, ‘exasperated’ by missing a marketing campaign; frustrated the club by skipping French classes and left officials maddened by his ‘lack of commitment and even gratitude’ for their faith after supporting him when charges of attempted rape and assault had been dropped in the UK.
Habib Beye succeeded De Zerbi but his tenure had started disastrously, losing five of nine games in charge. He took the team to Marbella in an attempt to lift morale and strengthen bonds but that jaunt was followed by a 2-0 defeat by Lorient.
His relaxed attitude has already shifted, according to L'Equipe, with players now subjected to double training sessions in a bid to reverse their form. Marseille's key man this term has been Mason Greenwood. The former Man United striker has scored 15 times in Ligue 1 and provided seven assists.
RMC Sport reported that the Englishman is 'irritating coaches with his nonchalance'. He 'gave up' against Lorient and they reported that he is 'showing very little effort or connection with his teammates'.
In spite of his impressive numbers, there is also a chance Greenwood will be sold this summer. While his stock remains relatively high, a number of those around him are coming in for criticism.
Former Tottenham midfielder, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is club captain but looks 'unrecognisable, hesitant in his play and outmatched in duels'. He is another who may be considering his future at the club.
Another senior star, Benjamin Pavard, who won the 2018 World Cup with France, has been accused of going missing in the big moments, while ex-Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is described as being 'disgusted' by the lack of effort from team-mates.
Pavard's defensive partner Leonardo Balerdi has also delivered error-strewn performances.
Now it's claimed there is a "gaping rift" between Greenwood and Benatia, who have not spoken in many weeks.
Others have been caught in the crossfire, with on-loan Arsenal midfielder, Ethan Nwaneri, one of the principal victims of De Zerbi’s departure. The youngster has rarely had a chance under new head coach Habib Beye; who finds his role under severe risk.
RMC report that an anonymous member of staff has said: "Some players are having trouble with Beye that's true but it would be the same with any coach, given how disconnected the players—let's say some players—seem to be from reality and the Champions League objective."
Players are struggling to understand the new manager's instructions and Beye is already under mounting pressure.
After every poor performance — against Lorient; the 3-0 defeat at Bruges on the final day of the Champions League league stage that ended Marseille's hopes of making the play-offs; the humiliating 5-0 reverse at Paris Saint-Germain; the sloppy draw at Paris FC or the 2-0 home defeat to lowly Nantes — the same phrase is repeated, whether by a player, a director, or the coach.
Namely that the performance in question was "unworthy of Marseille," which used to be France's biggest club.
The harsh reality is that Marseille is no longer a big club in Europe and maybe not even in France other than historically. For Marseille has not won a trophy since the League Cup 14 years prior and hasn't won Ligue 1 since 2010.
After winning a tight league game against Lyon last season, the players did a lap of honour and posed for a group photo. It only served to underline how Marseille is a team which overly-celebrates individual wins in the absence of trophies.
Meanwhile, Marseille appear to have descended into chaos once again in what is promising to be a memorable season for all the wrong reasons.
It looks like there are a few bad influences in the club. I believe the best possible solution is to get rid of those influences. Once this is done, I can only assume that the club will improve and the morale will boost significantly.