Marseille left Troyes with the one thing they most needed on Sunday night: a victory. The 2-0 result did not satisfy Bruno Genesio in every respect, but after a run without a win, the OM coach saw it as the essential first step towards steadier ground.
Genesio admitted that his side’s display was well short of complete. Marseille controlled possession in the first half but played with visible caution, progressing too slowly and taking too few risks. He felt his team lacked the attacking combinations needed to pull Troyes apart, making it a difficult evening for the forwards.
Yet the coach placed greater value on the outcome than the style. He said Marseille had to be pragmatic after slipping into a negative sequence, and that ending it mattered more than producing their best football. The win, he stressed, must now be followed by a positive run rather than treated as a solution on its own.
A first answer after difficult weeks
Genesio believes the result can restore confidence to a group that had become tense and hesitant. He described the Troyes fixture as an important match at this stage of the season and welcomed his players’ response when pressure was on them.
During the international break, Marseille worked with the available squad and held frank discussions about their problems. Genesio said there had been honesty and clear-eyed recognition of what needed to improve, arguing that denial would have been the worst response. He maintained that the team are not fully through their difficulties, despite the change in result.
The coach also paid tribute to Marseille supporters, acknowledging that the recent period had been hard for them. He said unity between the squad, club leadership and fans could help the side move beyond a difficult spell, with the win at Troyes representing an important initial move.
There was no concern, Genesio said, over Igor Paixao walking past him without an apparent acknowledgement when substituted. The winger was likely frustrated either by being taken off or by his own performance, the coach explained, but he insisted there was no issue. Genesio added that Paixao retains both his trust and that of the group, particularly after the club’s efforts to keep him in Marseille.
On the injury front, Derek Cornelius is expected to remain unavailable until the winter break because of what Genesio called an unusual injury. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is unlikely to be ready for the coming week, although a return in the following week has not been ruled out.
