Chelsea flop given reality check by club boss amid DREADFUL goal drought
Tom Weber
- 15 Nov 2023 13:44 CST
- 3 min read
Marseille president Pablo Longoria has addressed the criticism levelled at summer signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and urged the star striker to engage in self-reflection and give himself a reality check.
Despite ending his Chelsea nightmare in the summer, things aren't going much better at Marseille for Aubameyang. The Blues flop signed for the Ligue 1 outfit in hopes of reviving his career after barely featuring at Stamford Bridge - despite having had several different coaches last season.
However, things haven't quite panned out as the Gabonese veteran might have hoped. While he has already bettered his Chelsea goal tally of three with his five strikes this term, the 34-year-old has been largely underwhelming at the Velodrome. Consequently, a torrent of criticism has come his way from the media and fans alike.
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And it's not hard to see why he would come under fire: Aubameyang has only scored once in Ligue 1 this season as Marseille, now coached by Italy legend Gennaro Gattuso, languish in mid-table no man's land.
"He has to criticise himself as well and live in reality" 👀
A harsh assessment of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's season so far from Marseille boss Pablo Longoria? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/SRmbFS1Beh— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) November 15, 2023
Longoria fires back
Firing back at the critics, Marseille president Pablo Longoria has backed his star signing, though he did urge the player to take a long hard look in the mirror in hopes of turning his form around.
Asked by RMC whether the striker will find a way out of his rut, the Spaniard said: “When I see him training every day, I have no doubt. Aubameyang is an international-level player. Could he improve his offensive efficiency? Yes."
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"He has to criticise himself as well and live in reality. Will that happen? Yes. I’m sure of it. Particularly because I see how he works on a daily basis, I see the level of commitment he has, I see how the coach believes in his possibilities...I believe that this Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the same Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the one that we saw at Barcelona..."
