On the eve of the reception of Montpellier, Friday at the opening of the 29th day of Ligue 1, the coach of OM, Igor Tudor, was very complimentary with regard to his Portuguese side, Nuno Tavares.
If Igor Tudor has the reputation of being a very demanding and ultra-rigorous coach with his players, he also likes to defend them or even praise them against the microphones. This was the case Thursday about Nuno Tavares. With 32 appearances in all competitions and six goals scored since his arrival at OM last summer, the Portuguese side on loan from Arsenal has given satisfaction to the Croatian technician.
“He’s still a young player, he has fantastic physical abilities, he has extraordinary legs, he could play for Real, Barça, City…”, declared Igor Tudor Thursday at a press conference at the day before the reception of Montpellier at the Vélodrome stadium. An opponent who does not bring back good memories to the versatile Marseillais.
“He can change things when he is in good shape”
In the first leg, the 23-year-old was sent off for a blow inflicted on Arnaud Souquet before being punished with a three-game suspension. Proof that Nuno Tavares still has areas in which he needs to improve: “He still needs to grow and improve, we talk to him a lot. He has been very important for us this season. He has scored several goals, it is not trivial to his position. What is important is how we finish the season. He can change things when he is in good shape,” concluded the Croatian.