Marquinhos is considered one of Spartak's brightest players, but questions are arising about his role in Dejan Stankovic's system this season. This was reported by Euro-football.ru.
The head coach is reducing the team's main attacking strength by using the Brazilian footballer in a position that does not suit him. The Euro-Football.Ru online publication analyzes the reasons why Marquinhos will not remain Spartak's leader in the new season.
According to the results of the 2024/25 Russian Championship, Moscow Spartak fans recognized Marquinhos as the team's best player. In the voting, he surpassed not only Ezequiel Barco but also Manfred Ugalde, one of last season's top scorers.
Why Marquinhos? Because in modern football, flair is considered even more important than goals and assists.
Marquinhos stands out with his technical skills and highly accurate long passes. Everyone knows how many goals Ugalde scored from his precise deliveries.
Additionally, he has frequently distracted opponents on the left wing with his dribbling and feints. This is a great achievement for Spartak, especially considering they bought him relatively cheaply for five million euros.
Previously, fans regretted losing Quincy Promes, but now he is hardly remembered. So what happened in the new season?
Stankovic stopped using wing-backs because he was dissatisfied with their performance. As a result, Marquinhos was shifted from left winger to left-back and now has to cover the entire flank.
A left center-back supports the Brazilian player, but his defensive responsibilities have significantly increased. As a winger, he felt secure because Ryabchuk covered him, but Ryabchuk's level dropped at the start of the new season.
Now Marquinhos moves along the entire wing, which has considerably reduced his attacking statistics. Last season, he made 13 assists, but in one-third of the current season, he has only recorded two assists and two goals.
He no longer makes as many passes because he is left alone on the wing without Ryabchuk's support. This negatively affects Spartak's attacking power.
Previously, he could move to the half-wing and deliver precise shots to the far corner, but now such opportunities are rare because there is no player protecting his back. Overall, defense is not Marquinhos's strong suit, despite his great effort.
In the match against Zenit, after controlling the ball with his chest in his penalty area, he failed to notice the approaching opponent Luis Enrique and kicked the ball away with his foot. While Marquinhos is dominant one-on-one, he often shows weaknesses in defense.
His wing is often left open. Previously, opponents exploited Denisov's mistakes on the right wing, but now the situation has changed.
Marquinhos is not performing as well as he did last season. Experiments continue.
Stankovic did not stop at moving Marquinhos to left-back. In spring, he also played as a left defender.
In the ninth round of the RPL, the Serbian coach deceived not only Krylya Sovetov but also himself. Spartak returned to the usual 4-3-3 formation, but Barco played on the left wing and Marquinhos on the right wing.
The result was poor: Spartak had the worst first half of the championship and only created chances late in the game with the help of two substitutes. After the break, Marquinhos returned to his natural left wing and played an excellent 45 minutes, assisting Ugalde for a goal.
