14th in Ligue 2, with 14 points, SM Caen hosts Rodez, 12th (15 points) this Friday, November 22 (20) for the 14th day of the championship.
A week after qualifying without a hitch for the 8th round of the Coupe de France, Malherbe must confirm the progress of recent weeks.
“We adapted the session, due to the snow, fortunately here we have a pit (covered ground). It was perfect for this morning. For the quality of the ground tomorrow? I don't know, I think everyone will work well so that we can honor the match. Snow isn't that annoying, it's more like frost. »
M’Vila, Henry, Coulibaly…. : “Little chance of seeing them again before 2025”
“The internationals have returned (Mandrea, Milliner, Gomis). Otherwise, we are on the same injured list (M'Vila, Henry, Coulibaly, Ntim, Tavares, Bagbema, Sy). There will perhaps be revivals in the group before the end of the year but, in any case, if they are late revivals, we have little chance of seeing them again on a team sheet before 2025. Diabé Bolumbu has had an adapted week, he has shoulder discomfort, but he is eligible for tomorrow. »
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The situation of SM Caen: “Switching to a more pleasant championship”
“It’s been a month since the players took matters into their own hands. The level of the sessions is qualitative, I have the impression that there is total support for what we are putting in place. The content is coherent and this was confirmed last weekend in the Cup, despite the level of adversity (Chartres, N3). The players made sure to quickly end the match to make things easier for themselves. The day before, three Ligue 2 clubs had been eliminated, which alerted us.
I hope that the Cup match (0-4), with goals from Brahimi and Le Bihan, will give individual confidence and show them that they too are capable of scoring, not just Alex (Mendy). This is a speech that I have been making for a long time, that we can have more offensive weapons to create uncertainty among the adversary. Micka Le Bihan is getting better and better, he brings technical skills, he is rewarded with a nice goal. He's still a scorer so I hope something clicks.
We must also reproduce Metz's performance, but with points. A positive outcome. Because we are still in a critical zone which is not pleasant. It is therefore necessary to validate the content with victories.
On an accounting level, it's like last year at the same time yes, even if on a mental level it has nothing to do with confidence. The parallel would be that we can finally extricate ourselves from this zone, bring peace and that we can have higher ambitions afterwards. We need to be able to move into a more pleasant championship. There are reasons why we are here and reasons why we have raised our heads too. I see on a daily basis that we have the ability to show another face and make a more interesting championship. I am hopeful. »
The opponent: “Rodez is a valiant team”
“Rodez will not look at all the same as last weekend. They had five absentees, three internationals who had left for selection. Rodez has a lot of verticality in the game, power, speed. It's a team capable of getting results away from home, like at Paris FC. Or even capable of coming back to score against Lorient when they were down by two goals five minutes from time. It's a valiant team, which has great mental values. Even though the team has changed a lot from last year, it was one of our most difficult matches last year. We expect a big fight. »
The winter transfer window: “The roadmap is already given”
“My needs have already been stipulated, signified, for some time. I reiterate my desire for certain positions to provide added value. Now everything has to come together to keep it achievable. We know well that in the winter transfer window, it is often players lacking rhythm who are looking for a second wind. And opportunities that can provide added value can cost money. Are we able to buy them? Knowing that there can be six-month loans and longer-term projects. Everything will depend on the offers. In any case, there won't be a plethora of them, if there are any. But the road map is already given. There are in particular the offensive players on the sides but also positions which, today, we are lacking, such as the right-back position with repeated injuries. Strengthen the defensive sector too, as Ntim is regularly injured.
For a club to work, you need stability. The framework is given, now, as Gérard Prêcheur said, there is a lot of work on the recruitment unit. This cell must be strengthened. I am in favor of observing players on a recurring basis, over the long term, in person. To have as much data as possible, to make as few mistakes as possible. Video remains a means, but it is random since in general when we receive the videos, there are rare moments when the player is not good. I like seeing his daily attitude etc. State of mind is an essential criterion. I remember for N'Golo Kanté, Leicester had been there all season. Observing how the player behaves, whatever is happening on the pitch, is important. I believe in that and we need a high-performance cell. Then, the financial aspect will have the last word: we can or we simply cannot. »