By Alexandre Gourlaouen
Published on
May 3, 24 at 12:02
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The more time passes, the more the fateful bar of 60 points seems increasingly difficult to reach for Stade Malherbe Caen. Defeated at Saint-Etienne, they would need a flawless performance over the last three days to achieve this. If an additional Source of motivation is necessary, Romain Thomas has not forgotten that it was the Laval residents who plunged the Stade Malherbe into his infernal spiral of three months without victory.
Already, they are the ones who put our heads in the water to begin with. So we have a little revenge to take in relation to that too. We must take the remaining nine points, it’s obligatory. Will that be enough? I don’t know because it’s very difficult this year to do calculations with all the twists and turns in this championship.
A flawless obligatory
Before the three-match week that Malherbe has just played, Nicolas Seube already mentioned the 60 point mark and therefore the need to win four of the last six games. Caen having won only one since, it is necessary absolutely win the remaining three. The score is also good for the Caen captain. “The coach warned that it would take at least 60 points to be in the top 5,” recalls Romain Thomas. We have the possibility of reaching them, but there is no longer time to think about it. Victory is imperative against Laval. » After Saint-Etienne, the former Angevin was very disappointed. As he has been saying for several weeks, Caen has the means to do better.
There is frustration with the match in Saint-Etienne, because I think we played a consistent match over the 90 minutes. And ultimately we lack efficiency, being fairer in the last gesture. But we were equal, we thought we would suffer more.
Laval will be in the same situation as SM Caen. With one point more than the Caennais, the Tangos are also still in the race for the first five places. “A draw won’t help anyone,” analyzes Romain Thomas. We are going to play a team which will also want to stay alive and which will want to give in to take the three points. ” The stage is set.
Who to replace Brahim Traoré?
Following his red card received at the end of the match at Geoffroy-Guichard, Brahim Traoré will miss the Laval reception. Several players can claim a start to replace him. For Romain Thomas, this is not a Source of concern. “I don’t yet know who will play alongside me, but he will have different qualities from Brahim,” he explains. It will be a different way for me to help the person next to me and put them in a good position to have a good match. »
At the same time, further adjustment may be necessary to help Stade Malherbe take three points this Friday. Alexandre Mendy, still top scorer in Ligue 2, has not scored in the game since March 30 at QRM. We even have to go back to February 10 and the reception in Amiens to see him shake the nets at home. To help his partner become decisive again, Romain Thomas knows that the whole team has a role to play.
All the defenders are focused on him. Sometimes, they even take two or three catches on him on the centers. I think we should sometimes serve the players around him, to give him more room to maneuver later.
Two of last three home games
Caen has the advantage of hosting twice before the end of the championship. While they remain on two consecutive victories at the Stade Michel d’Ornano, Romain Thomas’ teammates want to rely on this to stay in the race until the end, and offer themselves a final day in front of a still full stadium.
It’s… for everyone to play matches without stakes. We have the flame all the time, but it shines less in these cases. We have to make sure we are still within gunshot range on the last day. Let’s make everyone vibrate a little longer.
In the event of a victory over Laval this Friday, May 3, Stade Malherbe Caen would move ahead of its opponent in the standings. Even better, he would put pressure on Paris FC, current fifth and last play-off player, who will go to the leader Auxerre the next day. With any other result, however, Caen could well say goodbye to his last hopes of the playoffs.
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