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Guardiola praise
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Omar Marmoush issued a timely reminder to Pep Guardiola of his unquestionable ability at the weekend amid mounting speculation of his future. The 26-year-old has endured a hugely frustrating season, restricted to a bit-part role at Manchester City after falling down the pecking orders. Despite flashes of brilliance during an exhilarating start at City, Marmoush hasn’t lived up to expectations since his €75 million move from Frankfurt last January.
It’s indicative of Guardiola’s ruthless demands and City’s immeasurable riches that they invested another €72m to sign Antoine Semenyo this month. The acquisition of Semenyo was viewed by many as a replacement for Marmoush, given the Egyptian’s struggles this season and there’s been legitimate interest in his services. Tottenham tracked Marmoush during his time in Germany and their interest remains, while Turkish giants Fenerbahce and Galatasaray have been linked. Marmoush, however, showcased his talent against Wolves on Saturday and we’ve analysed why sanctioning his exit could be a costly mistake.
Analysing Omar Marmoush’s time at Man City
Marmoush’s campaign has been disrupted by a knee injury and his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations but he’s still only played 18% of Man City’s minutes. His goal against Wolves was remarkably his first in the league this season, with his only other strike arriving in the League Cup against Swansea. Marmoush’s attacking output was phenomenal in the first half of last season with 25 goal contributions in 17 Bundesliga games to earn his big move.
As the graphic above illustrates, Marmoush’s attacking numbers were far superior at Frankfurt than Man City but that’s to be expected given the disparity between the Bundesliga and Premier League. It’s much easier for attacking players to flourish in Germany for several factors, such as the style of play and quality of players but Marmoush’s output at City remains respectable. While he registered 0.94 goal contributions per90 at Frankfurt, Marmoush has still delivered 0.58 g/a per90 at City and he could still play a significant role for Guardiola across the remainder of the season.
Why Man City should keep Omar Marmoush
Guardiola clearly still rates Marmoush and showered him in praise after his contribution against Wolves, labelling him a ‘special player’. The Spaniard said: “Last season when he arrived he was unbelievable for two or three months. Without him it would have been impossible to achieve qualification for the Champions League or reach the FA Cup final. He is a special player, not old, not young, but has a margin to improve and a sense of goal [with] dynamic energy in his runs, which is really good. I see him more as a striker than a proper winger but he is a guy for transition actions. I am so happy for him.”
Guardiola’s assertion that he believes Marmoush thrives centrally helps explain why it would be unwise for City to allow him to leave this month. Erling Haaland is unquestionably one of the best strikers in the world but City don’t have a natural back-up to the Norwegian and Marmoush can provide an alternative when Haaland needs a rest. He can also operate on either wing and that versatility, combined with his quality, can only benefit City in their quest to hunt down Arsenal in the title race and in the Champions League. It’s understood that Fenerbahce are determined to take Marmoush to Istanbul but City are reluctant to accept that offer and that is the correct decision. Realistically as an impact player, Marmoush is capable of playing a significant role and he deserves more time to prove he can be a success in England.
