Well-known journalist Artem Frankov told us what he thinks about the prospects of Ukrainian midfielder Ruslan Malinowski at French side Marseille.
Artem Frankov"All the notable moments with Malinowski's participation took place in early February: a goal in the cup, in the league, and a penalty kick earned in the same game.
But it seems that this was due to the effect of the change of scenery. In the autumn of 2022, Ruslan felt out of place at Atalanta. The new city, the club and the roaring Velodrome stadium could have given him a dose of emotion that he lacked in Italy. But after his February successes, the Ukrainian began to get fewer and fewer minutes of playing time. Moreover, the team often played better and more efficiently without Malinowski on the pitch than with him. For example, on 16 April, the midfielder was put on the pitch against Troyes with the score already 3-0 for just 14 minutes.
The Ukrainian's profile is such that he is most comfortable playing as a central midfielder, a classic back eight. This gives Malinowski the opportunity to use his strong and accurate shot. He also has the ability to make penetrating passes to the forwards. In Marseille, they started to put him on the flank of the midfield. From there, it is inconvenient for him to shoot, his crosses to the penalty area are not good enough, and he lacks speed and endurance for the edge.
For us, Malinowski is a football star. But, in addition to his obvious advantages, Ruslan has obvious limitations. He lacks versatility and intensity in the press. At Atalanta, he was also good primarily in the centre of midfield. But the Bergamo coach Gian Piero Gasperini tried to use the Ukrainian as a wing midfielder and even a wing striker. Unfortunately, without much success. Even two or three years ago in Italy, Ruslan rarely spent the full 90 minutes on the pitch, he didn't have enough strength. Now he is 30 years old, and the Ukrainian is not getting any stronger.
In addition, Marseille does not have enough great forwards with whom the Ukrainian could interact. And there's not enough roster in the midfield, which is why Malinowski has to plug the holes on the flank.
It is highly desirable that Ruslan improves his position at the club in May. This will allow him to go on summer holidays in a good mood. But the autumn part of the next season will allow us to completely resolve all the issues. It will become clear whether Marseille is a new page in his career or a step towards fading away," said Frankov.
