LONDON: At an idyllic pre-season training camp on the banks of Lake Geneva, David Moyes began to sow the seeds of separation with Wahbi Khazri.
It was only six months earlier that Khazri had fulfilled his Premier League ambitions by making a £9 million move to Sunderland, and immediately helped the club remain at the top table of English football. But the freshly appointed Moyes was already contemplating bringing a premature conclusion to the Tunisian’s stint at the Stadium of Light.
Moyes briefed journalists that he harbored serious reservations over whether Khazri possessed the tools to correlate with his blueprint for Sunderland. He felt the attacking midfielder didn’t work hard enough off-the-ball and was too inconsistent when in possession to warrant a regular spot in the starting XI. Subsequently, Khazri largely became the desperation option from the bench for Sunderland last season, as they limply surrendered their Premier League status.
But not for the first time in a managerial career which has become unglued since leaving Everton, Moyes’ judgment on a player has proved to be questionable. Almost two years on from that snap assessment, Khazri is rebuilding his career in eye-catching fashion.
Since moving to Rennes on loan last August, Khazri has netted nine goals in 18 Ligue 1 appearances. The turnaround in his form has been so dramatic that a queue of French clubs are already sharpening their elbows to land the 27-year-old on a permanent contract.
“His style of play is perfect for Ligue 1, whereas it didn’t really suit the Premier League. That’s why he’s been such a big hit at Rennes,” said a source close to the club.
Crucially, Khazri has rediscovered confidence and a scoring touch in time for Tunisia’s first World Cup appearance in 12 years. With a daunting qualifying group ahead alongside Belgium and England, the Carthage Eagles need all the quality they can possess to reach the knock-out stages.
If Khazri does indeed shine in Russia, then it will represent a lightning quick international rehabilitation for him. Turn the clock back to the start of the season and it looked as if Tunisia coach Nabil Maaloul would follow Moyes’ example and use him as a “super sub.” He stayed on the bench for the back-to-back qualifiers against Congo, along with the win in Guinea, which put Tunisia on the brink of qualification.
But as Khazri began to get some minutes under his belt for Rennes, his recall to the Tunisian starting XI followed, as he played his part in November’s goalless draw against Libya, which sealed a spot in Russia.
What has sparked such a dramatic change though?
Given his struggles at Manchester United, Sunderland and currently West Ham, it’s fashionable to point the finger at Moyes, yet the Scot was not completely blameless in this scenario.
When Khazri reported back for pre-season training in July 2016, the naked eye demonstrated that he was a pound or two above his optimum weight. On the sporadic occasions that he was used from the bench or in the starting XI last season, he rarely rose above the levels of mediocrity produced by the rest of the Sunderland side.
“From the start, Moyes decided that the moments of magic from Khazri didn’t come around often enough to justify his place in the side,” said a source close to Sunderland.
“If there had been a serious bid in the January transfer window, then they’d have sold.
“Of course, as Sunderland continued to struggle with results, the crowd began to see Khazri as a savior, but even when he did feature, he wasn’t great. He scored (direct) from a corner, but that was about it.”
There is a “but” here though.
When then Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce splashed out £9m to take Khazri across the Channel from Bordeaux in January 2016, he did so in the knowledge that he was signing a maverick. The midfielder had built his reputation in France as a player equally capable of brilliance and bemusement.
Perhaps Moyes simply needed more patience and to give Khazri the license to show his raw ability. Asking him to be a consistent work-horse, just isn’t in his DNA.
In contrast, Rennes boss Sabri Lamouchi has played to Khazri’s strengths. He’s not harnessed him with the token tracking back responsibilities of a winger or number 10. Either as a lone striker or alongside January signing Diafra Sakho, Khazri has been used as an out-and-out forward.
Maaloul has to take note. For all Khazri may frustrate or drift into anonymity during a game, Tunisia are going to need that one elusive moment of magic if they are to get the better of Belgium or England. At least, they now boast a match-winner capable of springing an upset and taking them to the World Cup’s last 16.