– Stade / Sampaoli: “A difficult month of January”

– Stade / Sampaoli: “A difficult month of January”
Nice – Stade Rennes / Sampaoli: “A difficult month of January”

– Stade / Sampaoli: “A difficult month of January”

Before the first match of the year in Nice for Rennes, Jorge Sampaoli presented himself at a press conference.

New year: It necessarily generates new hopes. We hope to give happiness to the supporters, and to us, and to do better than the previous year.

Breathing: I expect energy, aggressiveness, competitiveness from a player like him. I think he will bring us a lot in aspects where the team lacked. He is exactly what the team needed. We hope he can play a few minutes, but we don't know his fitness level yet, he doesn't know our style of play. But he is willing to come back if we need him.

Manage the group during the transfer window: It has an impact for the whole group. It's a month where players have doubts about their situation, especially with the doubts experienced the previous semester. This emotional instability exists. But the important thing is to resolve this situation so that it does not become contaminated.

Samba : We talked about Brice Samba and other players in other positions. But so far no one has arrived. The problem for the goalkeepers is that Steve Mandanda's contract ends in June. The club therefore left to think in June about how to replace him. In the short term, we are counting on Steve. He gave us security. Recruiting another goalkeeper would mean more competition.

Market : With Alidu Seidu's injury, we need to recruit an additional central defender. With our style of play, a physical midfielder. Then it all depends on the players in the market. We want players to commit for 3-4 years. It's hard to find them in January. We are therefore more about quality than quantity. Players are interesting but difficult to convince. Ideally, as a coach, I would like one player per line.

Recruitment of Fofana: The arrival of Seko is positive for the coach, the club, the city, the supporters. He is a player with whom the club is thinking of improving the quality of the squad, a player who can play in another place in the standings. For the moment, we are at a stage where we are playing to maintain, and he is coming to play at another level.

Take more risks in the game: We have a difficult month of January with the teams to face. We have to go there with the conviction that we can win away, with our style. Nice is a very strong team. We have a significant challenge. More than the result, we will see how we can win in a certain, unified way, which will allow us to win.

Rest of season depends on January results: I think the month of January will be decisive in knowing what the team can aim for. Monaco, , are located in the part of the ranking where we want to be, plus the French Cup. If we don't win, we risk staying in a soft spot. January is going to be very difficult.

Confront Haise: He is a coach with an aggressive style, with interesting pressing methods in the opposing half. They attack in numbers. It requires a lot of concentration. The most important thing is to control the game, and minimize all their attacking abilities.

Team far from what he wants in terms of style: No, we're getting closer. The team is starting to understand what I want to do, we are starting to move away from a certain anarchy that existed in the team. We want the team to unite through the pass. The pass is the mode of communication, to unify the team. The important thing is to control the game, with a lot of passes in the opponent's half and annihilate the opponent's counter-attacks.

Desired leaders in the transfer window: Fofana can be a football leader. Of course we look for players who can convey what the coach wants. Leadership today I find relative, because humans are more individualistic. Leadership should always help others and I feel that individualism is most important in this era.

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