Habib Beye stuck as OM slide to sixth, progress stalling and injuries mounting | OneFootball

Habib Beye’s bid to haul OM onto the podium has drifted off course, with the team now sixth and beset by physical and mental issues, according to L'Équipe.

He had long pointed to the table, noting OM were fourth on 18 February, but a bleak 0-2 defeat at Lorient on Saturday underlined the slide and sparked Medhi Benatia’s fury. Beye, usually protective of his squad, also challenged senior players to show consistent, positive leadership.

From his first match at Brest, a 0-2 loss on 20 February, Beye saw alarming GPS data more akin to pre-season. A squad assembled late in the window missed a shared summer, and heavy scheduling limited deep work. Weeks have been longer than under Roberto De Zerbi, with a late-February Marbella camp focused on intensity and mental freshness.

There have been signs in training, yet weekends suggest hybrid plans are not landing. At Lorient, Pierre-Emile Höjbjerg and Himad Abdelli looked short, the latter preferred to Arthur Vermeeren, who is set to leave in June.

Beye accepted responsibility, noting injuries have constrained choices, including Quinten Timber’s adductors. Timber’s intensity is vital, while Tochukwu Nnadi, managing a knee issue, could feature against Nice if fit as hierarchies are shaken.

Muscular alerts are frequent and dialogue with the medical staff is strained. The club has doubled sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday before a Thursday camp, with Facundo Medina’s return from suspension the lone bright spot. The staff plan to build around him and blood youth such as Ugo Lamare el-Kadmiri, 18, who came on at Lorient.

Beye said a repeat of that level is unacceptable and knows standards must rise to see out his 18-month deal. In February, owner Frank McCourt set targets of the Coupe de France and the podium, but OM fell to Toulouse in the quarter-finals, 2-2 then 3-4 on penalties on 4 March. He maintains Ligue 1 is still open, and it now needs proving, not least to silence comparisons with Rennes, who are faring better without him.

Source: L'Équipe