Player Focus: Diarra's Recent France Outing Marks Impressive Return to the Fore
Lassana Diarra’s 34th French cap on Thursday night can certainly be considered a return from international wilderness. The midfielder’s start against Armenia was the first time he turned out for France since the October 12th 2010. It was almost five years to the day that Diarra last featured for his country. The 30-year-old did not let the opportunity pass him by either. Only WhoScored’s man of the match Karim Benzema (9.40) gained a better rating than the Marseille star (8.67), with his total of nine tackles better than any other player.
His outing under Didier Deschamps certainly marks quite the turnaround by the player in recent years. A move to Real Madrid almost seven years ago kickstarted Diarra’s fall into obscurity. His 12-month spell at Portsmouth from 2008 to 2009 saw him return to the fore after hit and miss spells with Chelsea and Arsenal, where the tough tackler failed to really impose himself in the middle of the park in order to cement a regular starting berth, often being forced to watch from the sidelines or, when called into action, deployed at right-back.
After failing to hold down a regular spot in Madrid - the arrival of Sami Khedira effectively bringing the Frenchman's time in the Spanish captial to an end - Diarra tried his luck in Russia with Anzhi Makhachkala and Lokomotiv Moscow, before being sacked by the latter last summer. Though linked with a host of British teams, Diarra fell out of thought of the vast majority of football fans. While he hadn’t kicked a ball in over a year, Marseille took a punt on the middle man and their faith has been repaid.
Nine games into the new season, Diarra is Marseille’s highest rated player with a score of 7.66, that in turn enough to rank among the top 10 players in France’s top tier. Following a summer of discontent that saw key players André-Pierre Gignac, André Ayew and Dimitri Payet depart for pastures news - coupled with Marcelo Bielsa’s decision to call quits on his time at the club following the opening day 1-0 defeat to Caen - Marseille are languishing just four points above the relegation zone. After securing a 4th place finish last season, it marks quite the downturn in fortunes for the prestigious club.
The shining light comes in the form of Diarra, who has performed above and beyond expectations in the Marseille midfield, leading to an international recall. While a laborious Marseille continue to flounder, it’s he who has done all he can to ensure Míchel’s side sits above the relegation zone and are not mired within it. Once hailed as the new Claude Makelélé - "I am compared to Claude Makelélé, but I am not Makelélé, I am Lassana Diarra" - Diarra performs the necessary defensive duties reminiscent of one of football’s most famous holding midfielders with aplomb. His pass success rate (92.9%) is the fifth best in Ligue 1 this season. Take away players from PSG and he is the best of the bunch.
As one might expect, Diarra has developed a statistically calculated WhoScored strength of ‘passing’, a necessity for any holding midfielder. The ability to effectively recycle possession is essential and Diarra certainly impresses in this regard. He showcased this weapon from his arsenal against Armenia, with his pass success rate (93.5%) second only to Mamadou Sakho (97.3%) of all starters in the 4-0 win. That he attempted more passes (77) than any other player in the victory further reinforces his efficient distribution.
Focusing on his club performances, it’s not difficult to see why he has emerged as one of Marseille’s most important players. Diarra has made seven more tackles (21) than any other player for the Ligue 1 side, with the France international effeciently covering for the loss of Giannelli Imbula. The 23-year-old departed for FC Porto over the summer, leaving a gaping void in midfield that needed to be filled. However, Imbula was not only there to break up play, but also required to carry the ball forward once possession had been won. The midfielder did so to an impressively high standard, completely more successful dribbles (110) than any other player in Ligue 1 last season.
Diarra, though, is not faltering with the task at hand. Only Lille’s Sofiane Boufal (4) is averaging more successful dribbles per game than the Marseille ace (3.9). Furthermore, of the 65 players to attempt at least 15 dribbles, only Marco Verratti (87.5%) and Valentin Rongier (83.3%) boast a better dribble success rate than Diarra (81.8%) in Ligue 1 this term. He’s evidently performing the required duties expected of him with consummate ease, which is all the more impressive considering he hadn’t kicked a ball in competitive action for 12 months prior to his move to Marseille.
L’OM’s decision to secure the services of the Frenchman was certainly viewed as a risk. Given the club’s financial woes, they needed to explore the free market and, along with former Arsenal star Abou Diaby, Marseille took the plunge to offer Diarra a contract. Given his form so far and subsequent return to the France set up, the decision to offer Diarra a four-year deal is proving to be more than justified.
Is Lassana Diarra finally realising his potential for Marseille? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
