RC Lens, beaten by Toulouse (0-1) at Bollaert, had a fairly average first part of the season. What to call into question his coach, Will Still? Laurent Hess and Raphaël Nouet give their opinion.
“Hard to throw stones at him”
“It’s certain that yesterday’s defeat against Toulouse at home is disappointing. But from there to pointing the finger at Will Still… Personally, I like the Belgian. I still believe that it is a very good choice for the RCL. Quite simply, he makes do with what he has, and apart from in defense, I'm not sure that he is better equipped in Lens than in Reims.
Honestly, up front, this season, it’s very light in Lens. Apart from Nzola, there are not many people to hit, to weigh, to score. And in the middle, apart from Thomasson, successfully repositioned by Still… The squad has gaps that the winter transfer window has not allowed to fill for the moment. Dréossi announced reinforcements in attack, but what weighs down the Sang et Or at the start of the year is the context: Samba's desire to leave, the dragging negotiations with Rennes, the probable departure of Khusanov, even by Danso… In short, it’s an artistic blur at the moment. And if the RCL weakens this winter instead of strengthening, I fail to see how it could end up European. Despite Still. »
Laurent HESS
“He seems less inspired than in Reims”
“I loved Will Still’s time at Stade de Reims. He really worked miracles with a squad that was much worse than in Lens and a crowd that was much less passionate than that of Bollaert. So, naively, I tell myself that with more talent in his hands and more support behind him, he should do better. But it is clear that this is not the case. We can, like Laurent, see the glass half full, pointing out that he has an unbalanced squad, gaps in attack, and that he risks losing one of his best defenders this winter. I see the glass half empty. Empty because of the very avoidable European elimination against Panathinaikos or because of the lack of victory against a big club this season (draws against Monaco and Lyon, defeats against Lille, Paris and Marseille).
If the Sang et Or do not go the distance in matches, it is his responsibility. If they haven't made any shots this season, that's also the case. He managed to do it in Reims, why can't he do it today? Still inherited a reputation as a good tactician in Champagne but, since he set foot in Artois, we have seen almost nothing, apart from his move to a four-man defense, which showed its limits this weekend. end against Toulouse. I expect a lot more from Will Still, whom I hold in high esteem. I hope that after six months of acclimatization, he will have taken the full measure of his new position and will experience the same success as in Reims. »
Raphaël NOUET
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