[ZoltaR]

Ajaccio-OM: A 16-man squad
Jean Fernandez has announced his 16-man squad for the trip to Ajaccio. Kick-off at 17:15 Saturday.
The Squad
KEEPERS: Barthez, Carrasso
DEFENDERS: Bonnissel, Ferreira, Déhu, Cesar, Andre Luis, Cantareil
MIDFIELDERS: Cana, Delfim, Nasri, Ribéry, Lamouchi
FORWARDS: Gimenez, Maoulida, Pagis

Absent: Oruma, Meité, Niang, Beye (CAN), Koke, Nakata, Mendoza, Quesnel, Deruda

[ZoltaR]

Fabien Laurenti: “We have no more room for error”
Just 48 hours before Ajaccio’s crucial match, the former Marseille defender is ready for a difficult game, where he’ll be putting his feelings to one side...



Fabien, Ajaccio, without doubt, are now playing their last card against OM. How do you see the match going?
For us, thi is a very important match. Unfortunately we have no more room for error if we want to be playing in Ligue 1 next season. We’re obviously expecting a very difficult game.

Bottom of Ligue 1, it’s a pivotal match in terms of your survival...
That’s for sure. We need to string together a good run, if we want to save ourselves we need to win. To beat OM at home would be good a good place to start...

At the start of the season, Ajaccio was up towards the top of the table, now you’re bottom of te league. What happened?
We started the season very well, but perhaps we thought we were a bit better than we were. The games are starting to get very tough for us, we had a lot of injuries and we weren’t helped by the refereeing. All those things added together goes some way to explaining our current situation.

To play a must-win match against OM is never easy for someone that comes from Marseille...
For me, it’s a match that certainly has a special flavour. OM is the club that produced me, the club I support, but come Sunday I’ll be putting all that to one side. Only the three points matter.

[ZoltaR]

Lamouchi: “We’ve still got room for improvement”
Suspended against Rennes, the midfielder should reclaim his place for the match against Ajaccio. An essential piece of the Marseille puzzle, the former Auxerre man talks about OM’s recent games and is wary of the weekend’s clash...

You should be back in the starting line-up against Ajaccio, a match that won’t be all fun and games...
I hope I’ll be there… the commission meets again on Thursday. We’re travelling to the bottom team and we know what will be waiting for us: a very tough match. For Ajaccio, we won’t call it the last chance saloon, but psychologically, to beat Marseille would give them a great boost. It’s a match to take very seriously.

Against Rennes, OM only played one good half of football. How do you explain that?
All I know is that we are aware of the problem. It’s up to the team now to address it, but we know our faults. There are lots of things to improve and we’re a long way from being a well-oiled machine.

OM is always up for the big games, but the team feels les comfortable against the so-called ‘smaller teams’...
Actually I disagree. Since September we’ve had five wins from six games and it was and they were against less-popular teams than Marseille. Our only regret was the trip up at Le Mans where we completely messed up the match. For the other games, whether at home or away, everyone knows that Marseille are a hard team to beat. We have to keep giving everything because an OM at only 80% against an highly motivated, but average, team can be difficult. It’s up to us to stay focused and determined.

We can sense that OM feels a lot of regrets regarding the matches against Lyon and Lens...
All those regrets can be countered by the fact that e had a lot of new players and therefore new ways of working. From the players point of view, we’re continuing to improve on the field. The team from December is not the same as the one from July and we can only hope that the team in May 2006 is that the same as the one now. That would mean that we haven’t taken the step forward, that we knew how to overcome the less hyped teams and that Marseille had taken points at an important part of the season. We need to have a consistent arc in our performances.

OM was worried about the departure of its African players for the CAN, but recruited well to cover the positions, yet the team does seem very brittle when it plays...
We showed our weaknesses against Lens and Lyon and we suffered at the end of the match against Rennes most recently and it’ clear that we have to improve in this area. The arrival of Jérôme Bonnissel, Mickael Pagis and Toifilou Maoulida during the Mercato have done a lot of good. I think with the good results, the confidence will return and we will play better. We have to play with less inhibitions, we have to be right in the head, because even leading 1-0, you’re not totally safe. We’re afraid of leading, and it’s not any individuals fault and we’re working as a team to correct that. I think weve still got a lot of improving to do.

Do you think the team, with the quality recruits, has the means to qualify for next season’s Champions League ?
I don’t think like that, even though, like all of Marseille, I want to be part of that competition. Before we get there though, we’ve got to get passed Ajaccio and then Sochaux... take it step by step. We have to try and do what we can to not be disappointed at the end of the season, because today, we have a few regrets after the games against Lens and Lyon. We have to do everything to not be ruing the points we lost to these teams.

On a personal level, you’re stringing together good match after good match now. Do you envisage extending your current contract with OM?
I had the good fortune not to get injured during my preparation for the current season which allowed me to reach level needd for a professional footballer. The atmosphere around Marseille can inspire you at any moment. At Marseille there are things that happen that don’t happen in other clubs. I’ve taken to it like a fish to water – I even scored a header!
Knowing that I signed on here for one year with an option to extend if everyone is agreed, then I think e’re going to meet up soon to discuss it. Given that I’m having such a good time at OM, I wouldn’t be happy if i twas just to end at the end of the month or at the end of the season.

[ZoltaR]

Mickael Pagis: “Give the leaders a scare”
Author of the winning goal against Rennes, the Marseille striker is ready for “a tough match,” and knows the importance of “taking maximum points” against Ajaccio.


OM has a dangerous trip to the league’s bottom team. How are you preparing for this match?
Right from the kick-off we have to stand up and be counted while always playing the way we know. That’s how we’ll get something out of this tri. We’re ready for a tough match, on a difficult pitch, but we’ve been preparing for that.

The mistake woul be to take the match lightly...
Absolutely, but I don’t think that will be a problem. They’re a good team, even if things are going badly for them. They still have some very good players.

OM’s ai mis string together the results to stay right up at the top of the table...
After the win against Rennes we’re obligated to go on with it. Against Ajaccio we’ll try to take the maximum number of points so that we can give the leaders a bit of a scare.

[ZoltaR]

Ajaccio-OM: String the wins together
Winners against Rennes at the Stade Vélodrome, the Olympians are on the road to Ajaccio this Saturday looking to start a series of wins. Jean Fernandez even talks of “a vital match” which will shape the rest of the championship.


AJACCIO-OM
Ligue 1 – Round 23
Saturday 20/01 – 17:15 - Stade François-Coty
Live on Canal+ and inLive text on OM.net

The Olympians know it. Ajaccio are a team in trouble. Eliminated from the Coupe de la Ligue by Nancy on Thursday, Ajaccio are coming off three defeats in a row and are currently bottom o Ligue 1: They don’t have a lot of games left to turn it around. The next four or five will decide their future. If they can get a few good results, then they can still avoid relegation. They’ll be desperate to bounce back,” said Lorik Cana.

It’s a difficult match that begins a run of matches against teams in the bottom half of the table. After Ajaccio, OM then takes on Sochaux, Metz, Troyes, Toulouse and Nice. It’s the chance for Jean Fernandez’s men to string to gether a series of good results against Ligue 1’s less performant sides. And that means starting with a win at the Stade François-Coty on Saturday: “We need to win back the points we lost before Rennes in order to stay with the leading pack. We’re playing against last in the league and people won’t accept it if we lose over there,” continued te Alabanian.
There’s plenty at stake, but it’s also a danger match, a match where it will be important not to “under-estimate the opponent. The struggling teams would love to kick-start their recoveries with a win against Marseille. We have to be wary,” added Samir Nasri. Wary, but above all careful, against a very motivated Ajaccio side: “I heard José Pasqualetti didn’t need to motivate his players against OM. I agree with him, I think it’s in the heads that this game will be won or lost. If we are mentally solid we have enough talent to cause them problems on the field,” declared Jean Fernandez.

“The match against Ajaccio will be crucial”

Despite their last place in the league, Jean Fernandez is not taking Ajaccio lightly : Just because they’re last doesn’t mean it willbe an easy match. They’re well organised and good at winning th ball. In their recent matches they’ve just missed the cutting edge in attack and have made a few errors in defence. So it’s up to us to be striong at the back and in the midfield. We know that we can score away from home, but I don’t think there will be much in it.”
Just like the match against Rennes, Saturday’s game is another test for the Olympians: “The Ajaccio match is vital. If we get the win there, it will shape the rest of the championship and give us a real boost. After that, we host Sochaux and go to Troyes and then there’s Nice and Metz. If we handle the six games coming up well enough, anything will be possible.”






Referee: Eric Poulat
Suspended OM: -
Suspended Ajaccio: -

Ajaccio
Players to watch: Edson, Lucas
Absent: Rocchi, Saïfi
Current standings: 20th with 23 points
Last result: Le Mans 1-0 Ajaccio


-------------BARTHEZ---------------

FERREIRA - DEHU - CESAR - BONNISSEL

-----DELFIM - CANA - LAMOUCHI------

-----RIBERY - PAGIS - MAOULIDA------

Substitutes: Carrasso, André Luis, Cantareil, Nasri, Gimenez

Absent: Meité, Beye, Oruma, Taiwo, Niang (CAN), Quesnel, Koke, Nakata, Mendoza, Ba, Cantareil, Deruda, Benatia

[om4ever]

Ajaccio 3 - 1 OM

well done mr. Fernandez

Can we dream of CL or even UEFA cup next season whereas we cannot overcome a team like Ajaccio??

[L'OM15]

Very bad, the new just not enough quality.

[SportBoy333]

I was shocked when I saw this result. New owner and new president is needed. Its the only way.

[blackjack]

Disgusting. No other way to put it. What's worse is that we all knew this was coming. I don't quite understand how you can beat PSG but get pummeled by Ajaccio. Fernandez has to go. As far as I'm concerned, a loss to Ajaccio would be enough to give him the boot by itself. Combine it with the debacle that has been the rest of the season and there's no reason to keep him around.

If Marseille fail to qualify for Europe, Ribery will want out. He's too good not to be playing European football.

[sl7vk]

Sorry, but I don't think that Fernandez is the problem here. For christs sake, Pagis is the big Mercato signing? What can you expect. Anigo is right about 1 and only 1 thing.... Marseille are a little club.h