Looking at the lineup Didier Deschamps has selected for Marseille’s UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United, it’s a bit hard to follow exactly what the Frenchman is attempting to accomplish today at Stade Velodrome. He’s selected Gabriel Heinze at left back ahead of Taye Taiwo, while preferring Charles Kabore to Benoit Cheyrou, setting up with two defensive midfielders in front of his back line. With two defensive midfielders in the lineup, as well as the defensive-minded Heinze over the athletic, attack-minded Taiwo, it seems like Deschamps is playing for a 0-0 draw.
Marseille Vs. Manchester United: Didier Deschamps, I’m Not Sure I Follow You
However, there are a few problems with this. With United playing a midfield three of Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, and Darron Gibson, the presence of two defensive midfielders seems to be entirely unnecessary, even if 0-0 is the goal. Additionally, even if Marseille is spot on tactically, the matchup between Nani and Heinze is a scary one. Even if Taiwo is a worse defender than Heinze and more likely to get caught up the pitch, it seems like his athleticism alone makes him the right choice against Nani. The chances of Heinze avoiding getting his ankles broken for 90 minutes is low.
Obviously, Didier Deschamps is a great manager and former player, while I’m just a dude on his couch, but it’s hard to make sense of what he’s trying to do.
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