Like every Monday, the Sainté Night Club met. Nolan Roux, former Ligue 1 scorer and Sylvain (Peuple Vert) commented on the first third of the ASSE championship while looking ahead to the future. Extract.
ASSE awaits Abdelhamid
Nolan Roux (Ex-ASSE) : “The arrival of Yunis Abdelhamid? It's not at all what I expected. Having worked with him, even if I never played with him, I played against him, and certainly, he's no longer the same age, but I saw him much more serene. Afterwards, he didn't get any help, that's for sure, but it's true that I saw him more serene, more enterprising. and more leader. There, it's true that I see him a little more reserved I wouldn't say shy, but I don't see him running like before, I don't see him walking like before. there is a little less determination, he asks himself a lot more questions, and he does not play liberated.”
“I’m waiting for a revival”
Nolan Roux (Ex-ASSE) : “With age, we go much slower. So, we compensate with what you just said: anticipation and also guiding others. Even if he runs a little slower, he can still direct someone to help him take cover, give him advice, etc. And there, I find him a little less, in quotes, “nasty” on the ground, a little less impactful. Afterwards, it's true that he played for a very long time in Reims, he changed clubs. It's not the same environment at all, it has nothing to do with it. Age also plays a role, but it's true that I expected much better. So I'm not saying that he lost everything, but in terms of confidence, that's where I was most impressed: I have the impression that he no longer has confidence at all, and that, as the matches go by, it doesn't get better. I expect a renewal, I expect a lot more energy, a lot more involvement and leadership.”
New Turkish head at ASSE
Sylvain (Green People):“To conclude Nolan's remarks, the additional difficulty is that today, some of the supporters turn their backs on him and no longer believe in him. I specify a “part”, I would not say a majority, but a portion of the supporters who turn away from him And when you arrive after only a few months in a project where you are immediately promoted to captain, where you are placed as one of the headliners of recruitment, it's complicated. When you look at our recruitment, you wonder who was the figurehead of this transfer window in terms of career, presence, experience, you tell yourself that it is Yunis Abdelhamid And that is perhaps the biggest disappointment with Igor Miladinovic. came out of nowhere and no one really expected it. It's true that this makes it even more difficult for the player.”
Abdelhamid is not finished!
Nolan Roux (Ex-ASSE) : “Is I think that the ASSE club made this choice for several reasons. The fact of saying: “Well, we have a lot of young people, but here, we are bringing in someone with a lot of experience, a lot of charisma. » Obviously, the armband goes to him in this team. It's true that he was a little heckled, that he went through moments of difficulty. I also think that ASSE did not expect such a complicated start to the season. All this means that, despite everything, he is a great player, a Ligue 1 professional. He has had to question himself on several occasions, but the reality of weekend matches sometimes hurts and all that. comes together.
This is probably something new for him. I think he had expectations too, but maybe he didn't put too much pressure on himself. He said to himself: “There, I arrive at Saint-Étienne, I played in Reims for a long time, I arrive with the armband, I have to guide the young people a little, I have a big responsibility, but I I also have my job as a defender to do. » But so far, it hasn't really worked. As we often say, the luck in football is that there is a first and a second part of the season. Some players, in the first part of the season, are not good, are not confident, and in the second part, for a reason that we don't always understand, they come back full of gas, full of good intentions. This is what I wish for him, because for me, he has not lost his qualities. Maybe he's just missing a trigger, something that makes him react. I'm a positive person, so I don't tell myself that it's over. No, it's not possible for me. Maybe he will play less, but in terms of quality, I hope he will be better.”
