Six months ago, OM spent 10 million euros to recruit Ruslan Malinovskyi from Atalanta Bergamo. His future is in danger.
For the moment, it is an understatement to say that the Ukrainian international has disappointed at Olympique de Marseille. Indeed, the ex-playmaker of Atalanta Bergamo failed to adapt to the tactical device of Igor Tudor. The most regularly used in the two playmakers in the Croatian coach’s system, in support of the striker, Malinovskyi appeared too slow and not incisive enough to establish himself as an essential playmaker at OM.
See this post on Instagram
With Marcelino taking office, will the former Genk midfielder be more successful? Nothing is certain because a priori, the device favored by the new coach of Olympique de Marseille does not really make room for an old-fashioned number ten, the real position of Ruslan Malinovskyi. On the contrary, Marcelino’s 4-4-2 requires fast wingers and two very strong defensive midfielders in recovery.
Barely arrived in Marseille, Ruslan Malinovskyi 🇺🇦, new Olympian recruit, shared an unforgettable moment with the Ukrainian children and parents who came to meet him at the training center.
Learn more 👉 https://t.co/ZOvsTc5y7B pic.twitter.com/UcK1h1Zcoi
– Olympique de Marseille (@OM_Officiel) January 10, 2023
Therefore, La Provence wonders if the native of Zhytomyr could not be the first big victim signed Marcelino within the workforce of Olympique de Marseille. Thomas Buffel, Malinovskyi’s former partner in Genk, tries to defend his ex-teammate and claims he is capable of playing between the two midfielders in Marcelino’s 4-4-2, alongside Geoffrey Kondogbia for example.
Difficult for Malinovskyi to find a place at OM
“In this system, he can very well establish himself as a central midfielder. Admittedly, he is not going very fast, but he anticipates very well, he has a huge volume of play and he knows how to orient the game perfectly. He has often been lined up as a torchbearer in our 4-3-3, he will not be out of place » says Ruslan Malinovskyi’s ex-teammate. The reality is that this position is already blocked at OM with Ounahi, Rongier, Veretout and Guendouzi in addition to the rookie Kondogbia. Difficult to imagine a future for Ruslan Malinovskyi in this sector of play. His only way out could ultimately be to establish himself as one of the two attackers, which is not impossible thanks to his physical chest and his quality of striking . If he does not manage to find a place for himself, there is no doubt that Pablo Longoria will activate his networks to find a way out in Malinovskyi in Italy, where the Ukrainian still has a good rating.
