Just 45 seconds had passed on the digital clock at the Etihad when Omar Marmoush made his first touch in the Manchester City shirt. It was heavy, the ball ricocheted from the outside of his right foot. But how he reached the ball and how he made amends captured the virtues that convinced City to cough up 63 millions pounds to acquire his signature.
The move began when Matheus Nunes clipped a neat pass to Phil Foden, stationed a few yards away from half-line. Marmoush was then lurking near the centre circle. But when Foden abruptly sliced a ball into a pocket of space in the middle, the 25-year-old pounced from nowhere and stretched his right-leg to seize the ball, even if the touch was scruffy. But he didn’t give up his wild chase. He out-sprinted his marker, gathered the ball, and swished the ball just a few inches over the bar. Had he scored, the goal would have been ruled marginally off-side, as he had timed his run a fraction over-zealously.
But the sequence demonstrated his gifts and how he would influence the champions in reboot-mode. He marries explosive pace with blistering power, is blessed with a cleverness of movement that Guardiola appreciates and a stinging right-foot swing. His day would only brighten, even if there was no material evidence to show for it. He ruffled the net, a sweet strike to the bottom left corner, albeit he was off-side in the build-up. He essayed a powerful free-kick that had everything but the required elevation to soar into the net. He fell a few times into Chelsea cleverly-laid off-side trap, or it could have been the fresher’s over-enthusiasm, but the Egyptian repeatedly tormented Chelsea’s defenders.
Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush, right, duels for the ball with Chelsea’s Reece James during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England. (AP)
He is devilish on the break, wins most one-on-ones with his wondrous dribbles, is muscled but balletic, has tremendous pass awareness, in the sense he knows his best passing outlets, the exact weight and the precise space. He operated as a second-striker, a nine-and-half to the nine that Erling Haaland was. His work-rate liberated the Norwegian, who influenced a game in months, with an assist and goal. Often in the absence of talisman Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden’s indifferent form, Haaland has at times felt isolated, bereft of someone who could consistently feed him with delicious balls. Marmoush brings this dimension, along with other attributes that could re-unleash the beast in Haaland. There were shades of the grand old Manchester United pair Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole in how they read each other and interchanged their roles.
After the game, Haaland effusively praised Marmoush. “I think in the first half you could see he has something special. He’s going to be a fantastic player for us. He had an amazing first half of the season for Eintracht Frankfurt. Hopefully he’s going to have the same second half of the season for us,” City’s target man would say.
For Frankfurt, he belted 20 goals and 14 assists in 27 appearances in what has been an eye-popping half a season. He drew the attention of Europe’s heavyweights last season with a produce of 17 goals and six assists after six erratic seasons with VfL Wolfsburg, where he was loaned out. But he recollects those days fondly. “Without my switch to Wolfsburg, I would not have lived my football dream,” he told bundesliga.com.
Football over engineering degree
It was his only dream, after his family burned their failed Canadian dream and sought the embrace of his hometown Cairo. He was just in his seventh class when he realised that academics would take him nowhere. He attended a trial at the famous youth academy of Wadi Degla, despite his father’s objection. An accomplished engineer, he wanted his son to follow his foot-steps. So adamant was he that he stopped him from attending training sessions with the club. But the son didn’t bury the dreams, but convinced his club coach to convince his father. He didn’t fully succeed, but the father finally agreed to a coach providing him training at home.
Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, center, duels for the ball with Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush, right, during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England. (AP)
Soon came a time when his father too realised that his son’s future was with football. It was the year he scored 44 goals in 28 games in the Cairo Zonal league. The year after, at only 17, he was promoted to the senior side. A year later, he reached Wolfsburg. Life was hard, he didn’t understand German, he had never stayed alone, or cooked for himself, or washed his clothes. “It was difficult adjusting to an entirely different culture. But I would go to any extent to live his dream,” he would say.
Free-kick specialist
He didn’t set the goal-chart on fire straightaway, developed slowly, but intermittently he would reaffirm his talent with a sumptuous finish or a delightful free-kick. Coaches in Wolfsburg and Frankfurt recall him as something of a free-kick tragic. In November last year, he scored three free-kick goals in as many games, a feat last achieved in Europe by Lionel Messi in the 2018-19 season. Inevitably, Guardiola had little hesitation in designating him with the free-kick taking duties. It’s a lost art in the Premier League that he could revive, in what promises to be an exciting time for Marmoush, City and their supporters. He could make City bolder and more exciting and lethal on offensive transitions.
With Mohammed Salah likely to embrace sandier pastures next season, he could be Premier League’s next King of Egypt. Or “Pharaoh” as his colleagues in Frankfurt called him.
I’m Manas Ranjan Sahoo: Founder of “Webtirety Software”. I’m a Full-time Software Professional and an aspiring entrepreneur, dedicated to growing this platform as large as possible. I love to Write Blogs on Software, Mobile applications, Web Technology, eCommerce, SEO, and about My experience with Life.
