Former West Ham United left-back Emerson Palmieri has found game time hard to come by as Marseille slip down the Ligue 1 table.
While West Ham have outperformed relegation rivals Tottenham substantially over the last three months – 19 points out of a possible 36 compared to Spurs’ four – things are trending in a very different direction for Emerson’s current employers across the Channel.
Since Habib Beye replaced Roberto de Zerbi – ironically now the man tasked with saving Spurs’ skin – no fewer than six Ligue 1 sides have accumulated more points than Marseille.
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And while Emerson did play the full 90 minutes during the weekend’s 2-0 loss at surprise packages FC Lorient, the former West Ham United stalwart does not appear to have a clear place in Beye’s plans.
Emerson Palmieri doesn’t fit at Marseille after West Ham United exit
“It’s a difficult choice because we have a player of immense quality,” Beye told L’Equipe a few days ago. “But we chose a system that perhaps didn’t necessarily serve him.”
Emerson has started only four of eight Ligue 1 matches with former ex-Aston Villa and Newcastle defender Beye at the helm. Marseille have lost exactly half of those games.
Against Lorient – a deserved 2-0 defeat on the road – Emerson looked all at sea as the left-sided centre-back in a defensive trio.
“In the hybrid defence we are using, I need specific profiles for the ‘piston’ or the wide centre-backs,” added Beye. “Today, other players are meeting those specific tactical requirements better [than Emerson].
“He is the ultimate professional. I have nothing to reproach him for regarding his effort, his daily work, or his mindset. He is a top guy in the locker room. Even when he doesn’t play, he is a driving force for the group through his experience and his permanent smile.
“You don’t win the Champions League and the Euros [with Chelsea and Italy] by chance. Emerson brings that culture of winning to us. Even if he is playing less right now, he remains a very important player in my eyes and in the life of the squad.
“He handles the situation with a class that many should take as an example.
“[But] at a club like OM, there is fierce competition. I have to make choices for the balance of the team. He is a victim of a system change, not a drop in his own level. He stays ready, and I know I can count on him at any moment.”
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Emerson can look forward to a brighter future in Ligue 1
Emerson said his West Ham exit was a ‘no-brainer’ last summer. Graham Potter froze the Brazil-born Italy international out at Rush Green, while Marseille were offering a chance to compete again at the highest level.
Things haven’t quite got that desperate for him in France, but the longer Beye stays the worse things may get for Emerson.
The good news for the former Chelsea, Lyon Roma leftie is that Emerson stands a pretty good chance of outliving Beye as things stand.
Post-De Zerbi, Marseille have picked up the seventh-most points in France. Good enough only for the Conference League. Under the new Tottenham boss, only Paris Saint-Germain had picked up more.
Considering that ambitious new president Stephane Richard feels that Marseille have everything required to become a regular participant in the Champions League, Beye’s 44 per cent win rate is unlikely to keep him in situ for long.
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