Lyon coach takes Mariano down a peg: "He needs to change"

Bruno Genesio said that the former Real Madrid striker needs to be less individualistic and learn to cooperate more with his teammates in attack.

Although he has bagged 13 goals in 18 games since joining Lyon for what could be described as a bargain fee of eight million euros from Real Madrid last summer, Mariano Díaz still has plenty of room for improvement according to his manager, Bruno Genesio.

Only Edinson Cavani and Radamel Falcao have scored more goals in Ligue 1 this season, earning Mariano a place in the hearts of Lyon fans along with Nabil Fekir. Nevertheless, Genesio believes he needs to use his head more in game situations.

Genesio: "There are two or three occasions when he should pass"

“He’s incapable of changing,” Genesio said during an interview with French broadcaster RMC. “He’s very good in terms of scoring goals but he needs to improve his interplay with his teammates on the pitch. There are two or three occasions in a game when he should pass the ball. He has a lot of work to do in that respect.”

However, Genesio suggested that the 24-year-old has time on his side. “He’s a young player and he has been able to adapt to the demands at the top level and games serve as a learning ground. He needs to improve his technical link-up with the forwards around him.”