By Ewah Chika.
Six goals in 33 league games (18 starts) isn't an impressive stat for a striker but that is exactly the sort of stat new Marseille forward Bafetimbi Gomis who left Swansea for the Southern French club this summer can boast of. Marseille have moved quickly to sign the forward on loan even though there is a big uncertainty at the club following the inability of current owner Margarita Louis Dreyfus to
attract investors or new owners for sometime now.
Gomis returns to his homeland to help Marseille right the wrongs of last season which saw them finish a disappointing 13th and also led to the dismissal of Spanish manager Henri Michel in April. Gomis is a graduate of the famed Saint-Etienne academy having made over 159 league appearances before leaving for Lyon in 2009. The forward is seen as a short-term replacement for Belgian Michy Batshuayi who was sold to Chelsea for €40 million this summer. In total the French man scored 17 goals in 71 league games for Swansea often playing second fiddle to Wilfred Bony before his sale to Manchester City in the winter of 2015. At 30, it is surprising that Marseille signed the forward considering the huge sum of money at their (Marseille) disposal after the sale of Batshuyi this summer.
The good bit is that in a highly inflated transfer market, Marseille is signing a highly experienced striker in Gomis who has played at the very top level making over 300 French Ligue 1 appearances and scoring over 100 goals. Gomis also has the experience of playing European football after reaching the Champions League semi-final in the 2010/2011 season before exiting the tournament after losing to Manchester United. The forward will also add his experience of winning titles to the team having won both the Coupe de France in 2012-2012 season and the Trophee des Champions in 2012 with Lyon . Also financially this is a big signing for Marseille considering Gomis is on loan and also given the smart gamble by the French club who instead of signing him outrightly have secured him on loan . Last season, Marseille was so poor in attack scoring a mere 48 goals in 38 games with Batshuayi scoring almost half (17), which shows the impotency of the Marseille attack .
Replacing departing Batshuayi will be enormous task not just for Gomis but any other striker considering the forward's impressive 17 Ligue 1 goals. Compared to the Belgian, Gomis is better on aerial duels as he maximises his huge physical frame scoring more than half of his goals from set-pieces and headers. The main problem that makes the signing of the 30-year- old look like a square peg in a round hole is Gomis' immobility compared to the Belgian. Unlike Batshuayi, Gomis is slow and predictable, hence easily marked by opposing defenders . Gomis' finishing is also questionable considering his poor goalscoring record and inefficiency in front of goal. The forward is one that misses good goalscoring chances which is part of the reasons he has always played second fiddle at both Lyon (Lisandro Lopez and Alexandre Lacazette ) and Swansea (Wilfred Bony).
As Frank Passi continues to build the team following his appointment in April 2006 and after their impressive run to the final of the Coupe de France where they lost to PSG, it is expected by OM fans that his latest signing (Gomis) will regain his old Lyon form and fire them to European qualification places this season .
No comments:
Post a Comment