This season has not gone the way Marseille legend Dimitri Payet would have planned it. Not only did he miss out on the World Cup, but has not found starting minutes with his beloved club. To make the situation worse, with all of the injuries Les Bleus had before the start of the World Cup he may have found his way to the tournament if he had the consistent playing time.
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When asked about his playing time the French attacking midfielder stated, “My playing time, It’s not what I was hoping for. It’s more complicated for me. Will I have more playing time? I don’t have the answer…. It’s the coach who will decide if I have more playing time or not. Me, I work on a daily basis to be able to respond when I am called upon.“
This type of maturity when faced with adversity is something we do not always see with the younger generation of footballers. Leadership is another quality Payet that he brings to a locker room. He continued to explain that it his responsibility to force the coach to re-think his roster decisions, ”That’s how it will pay off. If the coach can do without me, it’s because I have things to work on. It’s up to me to make sure to cause him problems in his team composition by being good in training and in matches (…) I think he expects me to be more decisive, more sharp when he calls on me, whether it’s over 15-20 minutes or when I start. I try to bring, as I did in Monaco, an important match that can count.”
The league may be getting away from Marseille, but they still have a lot to play for. Marseille’s number 10 gave his take on how he sees the rest of the campaign going, “Qualifying for the Champions League is the goal. We are not there yet, but we are only halfway. The calendar will be lighter. Then the cup must be a goal too. We were involved in three competitions. We had to pass the pools in the Champions League, it would have been something great to achieve it. Today, it is more difficult to win the championship , even if Monaco or Lille have done it in the past. But when we see that they (PSG) are undefeated and have such a lead, we know it’s complicated.“
At 35-years-old Payet is at the last stage of his career, but still has plenty to offer. Whether it be his free kicks, playmaking or leadership, his game is not reliant on athleticism. Meaning his assessment of how to get back on the field is correct. As long as Payet is fit he brings too much to the pitch to keep him off of it.