Eirik Horneland has made his first steps with ASSE perfectly. A 3-1 victory that the Sainté Night Club team debriefed this Monday evening. Martin Mosnier (Eurosport) and Sylvain (Peuple-Vert) returned to the meeting and look ahead. Excerpts.
Martin Mosnier (Eurosport) : “Simple One-Shot? It is impossible to answer this question, because we do not yet know if this match was a simple stunt. What is clear is that ASSE recruited a coach with a well-defined, almost dogmatic vision His credo is now fixed, but it remains to be seen whether it will work in the long term. Will the team be able to maintain this level of performance every week?
What is certain is that it will always tend towards this playing philosophy. AS Saint-Étienne has clearly changed its identity. For this first outing, it went well, but it is still too early to judge the rest. What I see is that this approach seems to offer more pleasure, because it is more ambitious and the players themselves seem to benefit from it.
However, I am not sure that the current squad is suited to this style. Summer recruitment was not designed according to the expectations of this coach, since he was not there yet. It will therefore be necessary to shape the team according to its needs, which will take time. If the new owners really wish to move in this direction, it will be necessary to fundamentally reshape the squad, in particular to recruit players capable of responding to this intensity, a bit like what Igor Tudor did at OM.
In any case, the promises are there. But in terms of guaranteeing the success of this project, it is far too early to say.”
ASSE: Players who join!
Sylvain (Green People): “L’idea is to maintain the game plan, even if the results are not immediately there. The main objective is to fully take ownership of the game project that Horneland wishes to implement. This involves identifying the players most suited to each role, which are very clearly defined. But it is also a question of progression, both individual and collective.
The next six months will be crucial, of course, to obtain maintenance, but also to allow the players to progress. I am convinced that this playing philosophy will make the team stronger in this quest. We can imagine significant progress among players like Stassin, Bouchouari, Moueffek, Amougou, Nadé and even Boakye. Yes, this style requires a lot of energy, but the benefits will be visible in the medium term, both for the players and for the collective.
Regarding the workforce, to follow up on Martin's comments, there are currently ten players at the end of their contract in June 2025, and a majority who will reach the end of their contract in 2026. This means that the reconstruction of the team will be done over two years. It started this summer, will continue this winter with some adjustments, then take a new wave during the next summer transfer window.
In two seasons, the squad will be mainly made up of players chosen by those who manage recruitment, relying on a data-based process. This is when we can truly judge the work accomplished. But honestly, I think the future in Forez looks bright, and there is reason to be optimistic.”
Stay measured
Martin Mosnier (Eurosport) : “We must not draw hasty conclusions, whether after a victory against a team like Reims, which is one of the weakest for several matches and is no longer advancing, or after a confrontation against PSG, where the The gap in level is colossal. We must remain cautious with what we have seen. These are only the beginnings, the promises.
The analysis of the match at the Parc des Princes will also have to be measured. We know that it is almost impossible to overthrow PSG on their home field. They are a team that has been undefeated in Ligue 1 for months, and the gap with a team like ASSE remains immense. We saw it recently against OM, and it's not because there is a new coach and a metamorphosis of the players that, by some miracle, we are going to go to Paris and bring down their invincibility. It wouldn’t make any sense to imagine that.”
