L'Equipe: Marseille goalkeeper De Lange concedes 16 goals in 8 Ligue 1 games, but coaching staff still ready to give him time

According to L'Equipe, after Rulli's transfer to Manchester City, Jeffrey De Lange was promoted to Marseille's starting goalkeeper role. Although his current performances have not yet proven that he can become a reliable first-choice goalkeeper, the Marseille coaching staff are still prepared to give him time because there is no truly serious competition within the squad.

De Lange had previously hoped to leave Marseille, join Twente and become a starting goalkeeper. However, after Rulli moved to Manchester City and Marseille were unable to sign a replacement due to budget restrictions, De Lange ultimately stayed and unexpectedly received the starting role he had always wanted.

When De Lange signed a three-year contract with Marseille in 2024, he hoped to receive more playing opportunities. He now understands that the club's financial situation has given him a rare opportunity. Last Friday he said: “Now is the time to prove myself.” However, so far he has not produced convincing enough performances, and his personal form is not ideal, much like Marseille, who currently sit 10th in Ligue 1.

In his first season after joining Marseille, De Lange made only two appearances in the Coupe de France. In the 2024-25 season, he gradually convinced Roberto De Zerbi to give him more opportunities, especially after international breaks, but he conceded 11 goals in five Ligue 1 matches.

This season, De Lange has already conceded five goals in his first three league matches. This means he has conceded 16 goals in total across his eight Ligue 1 appearances for Marseille. The figure is concerning and has increased doubts over his control of the penalty area. L'Equipe believes he can sometimes appear passive inside the box, even giving the impression that he is fixed on his goal line.

In Marseille's 0-2 away defeat to Monaco on August 30, Brenner opened the scoring with a header, and De Lange's helplessness on the goal was particularly noticeable, although there was no clear answer as to whether he should have come off his line.

Speaking about the goal, De Lange said: “Did I really make a mistake? I don't know, but I think I could have helped CJ (Egan-Riley) better. It was not an easy situation, and we have already discussed it with the goalkeeper coach.”

Goalkeeper coach Nicolas Dehon, who joined Marseille this summer with Bruno Genesio, has always appreciated De Lange. However, the 28-year-old De Lange does not have much experience of being a first-choice goalkeeper for a full season, with only two complete seasons between 2022 and 2024 during his time at Go Ahead Eagles. Therefore, the Marseille coaching staff believe they should not lose patience with him too quickly.

In daily training, De Lange's professional attitude has been praised. He pays close attention to details, prepares seriously before matches, and is willing to use video analysis to correct issues from games. The club believes his distribution with his feet is very reliable, but he now needs to show his value through saves.

A Marseille insider said: “He is a very meticulous person and has received good training. He has not made any particularly serious mistakes, but he still needs to find his feel for matches. He needs games, needs to become someone who can decide matches, and needs to keep improving through consecutive appearances. He needs a truly defining performance, building confidence through consecutive saves and making a breakthrough.”

Although his performances have not yet reached expectations, De Lange has not shown obvious self-doubt in daily training. At the same time, the current competitive environment at Marseille makes it difficult for anyone in the squad to genuinely threaten his starting position.

The 29-year-old Theo Vermot is well-liked by his teammates, but his career record is not enough to convince people that he can be a capable Ligue 1 second-choice goalkeeper, and he is currently a substitute mainly because of the team's squad situation. In Marseille's 2-3 defeat to Paris FC last Sunday, 21-year-old Ibrahim Gomis replaced Yelle Van Neck and entered the matchday squad as the third-choice goalkeeper, but the club currently has no plans to further raise his position in the pecking order.

Therefore, De Lange remains Marseille's undisputed first-choice goalkeeper, but his performances have not been enough to silence outside criticism, creating a rather unusual situation. On Friday, he will face another test when Marseille travel to Rennes.