OM. Milik: “Pablo Longoria called my agent every day”. Sport

A goalscorer, a real one. Presented Tuesday at a press conference at La Commanderie, the new center-forward of loon Arkadiusz Milik did not beat around the bush: whatever the tactical system or its state of form, the only thing that matters is to put the ball at the bottom.

READ ALSO. Why did Milik abandon his number 99 for 19 at OM?

Despite the deep crisis of results that the Marseille club is going through, there were a little more people than usual in front of the training center gates, as if to recall the immense expectations surrounding the newcomer.

“There are a lot of expectations”

OM are doing badly, only sixth in L1 after a series of poor results (five points in eight matches), and only score very occasionally, which marks the failure of Dario Benedetto, umpteenth center forward to break his teeth on the mission.

Before the Argentinian, Kostas Mitroglou, Valère Germain or Mario Balotelli had not managed to put on the clothes of the great striker and so it’s Milik (26) to try it out.

It’s not the easiest job. There are a lot of expectations, we have to score. If you don’t score, you’re not good enough, summarized the former striker of Naples. It doesn’t matter how you play, it doesn’t matter the assists. The only thing that matters is getting the ball to the bottom. “

The meeting took place because OM needed a goalscorer and Milik needed to play for a club with a view to the Euro, which a conflict with Napoli management had prohibited him from the start of the season.

Arek was one of the best opportunities on the market with his contractual situation (end of contract at the end of the season, editor’s note) and the situation with Naples, explained the sports director of OM, Pablo Longoria, who jumped at the opportunity.

He called my agent everyday, smiled Milik. ” I wanted to come. It was a difficult time in Naples. And I saw in their eyes that they really wanted me and they needed a goalscorer. I know the team is not having a great time, but I will do my best to help them win matches, ”he added.

“Need for rhythm”

The Pole has already played half an hour on Saturday in Monaco, without being able to prevent a new Marseille defeat (3-1), and he hopes to be able to do more on Saturday against Rennes, even if his six months without competition, apart from a few appearances with its selection, may weigh.

I feel ready. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything, speed, cardio …, relativized the Pole. “I just need matches. In Naples, I trained very hard. I know it’s not the matches, but I just need rhythm, nothing more, ”he said.

The arrival of this tall attacker (1.86m), strong in his head and left foot, also offers his trainer André Villas-Boas the possibility of changing systems and moving to two attackers.

He is used to playing alone or in pairs and we worked on this option. That does not mean that we will do it in Rennes but we will continue to work on it and I hope that it can be a strength, said the Portuguese technician.

Milik is perfecting his integration, facilitated by his impeccable command of English and Italian, and his discovery of Marseille, where there is sun every day, and Ligue 1, on which he had no negative a priori despite the current financial crisis.

No one told me anything negative. Last season, Lyon were in the Champions League semi-final and Paris in the final. So we can’t say it’s a bad championship, he said.

Either way, he knows it, whether at Ajax, Naples or OM, the expectations are always the same. To mark.

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