This is taken from the GFFN 100, our leading 150-page FREE publication ranking the best 100 players in France, see the full list and read every profile right here.
Arsenal have again trusted Ligue 1 and Marseille with one of their most promising defensive talents and left-back Nuno Tavares has taken his opportunity in France to become one of the league’s most dangerously offensive and unpredictable wing-backs. Yet, it’s his unpredictability which has characterised the inconsistent nature of performances at the Velodrome.
Tavares is growing up in the league of talents. Although defensive and passing errors have littered his performances, his attacking dynamism has been a sight to behold at times in Igor Tudor’s brutish attacking system. Along with the summer signing of Jonathan Clauss on the right side, the former Benfica man offers the key elements of energy and width in OM’s attack as well as executing the manager’s demanding pressing intensity with relentless enthusiasm.
The start of the Ligue 1 season saw a blistering start for the on-loan Arsenal man as he adapted to life in France quickly, scoring three goals in his opening four games – the first OM defender to score in his first two outings at the club in the top tier for 40 years.
These were attacking performances which lit the blue touch paper on his Marseille career, as Ligue 1 defences couldn’t deal with his drive and relentless athleticism. These strong performances were, however, littered with the odd defensive mistake or misplaced pass, which became more prevalent in OM’s more recent Ligue 1 struggles amid a drop of form heading into the winter months.
Despite this, Tavares has enjoyed more Champions League football this season than his parent club, playing all 90 minutes in all of Marseille’s European fixtures this season. His form in Europe quietly summarises a general pattern also seen in Ligue 1. In OM’s wins over Sporting Lisbon, the Portuguese was spellbinding in his attacking display, yet those performances were affected by mistakes and a passivity in OM’s less successful outings.
Tavares encapsulates Igor Tudor’s haywire football at Marseille, but he has progressed in his attacking play and maturity so far in his time in France – yet more consistency will be needed in the new year.
George Boxall | GFFN
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