Last Friday against Caen (2-2 after being down 2-0), the Red Star had a breathtaking end to the match and delighted the 4,600 spectators at Bauer. But the paradox is that with the other results of the evening, he slipped for the first time this season into the red zone, to 16th place, that of play-off player.
“On the one hand, we had the satisfaction of having turned a situation around, of having scored 2 great goals and of having shared emotions with our public, but at the same time, we lost places,” notes Grégory Poirier , the coach of Red Star. We must be aware of this and have the will to quickly get out of this zone. »
With this trip this Friday evening to Dunkirk (4th) then the reception of Metz (5th) next Tuesday in Bauer, before facing Martigues (17th) on November 1 in Gueugnon, the Red Star will experience an important week. “We’re not going to lie to each other, it’s crucial from an accounting standpoint,” continues the Audonian coach. We will then have direct confrontations, they will be six-point matches, we will have to be ready. »
But to really exist in this L2 championship, the promoted player who had flown over the National will have to correct the defensive aspect. The Red Star is in fact the 17th defense (18 goals conceded) and has conceded at least one goal in 8 out of 9 matches. “We have to work on our mentality, be more competitive defensively by reducing the windows for the opponent because we concedes too many goals, continues Poirier. This requires more discipline and concentration, because we often score goals from throw-ins, like against Caen. These defensive details need to be sorted out. But we are a team that won a lot last year when there was not the same adversity. Obviously in L2, the opposing attackers are more decisive. »
For the former Martigues coach, “it’s all a question of dosage”. “We are a team that loves to play so we cannot take that away from the players. You just have to find the right balance. Because when we put all our energy into defending, we also lose some in defending. We can score at any time but we also have our defensive weaknesses to correct. But I remain optimistic. There are teams who close more and who have conceded fewer goals than us. But as the season progresses, they may have problems causing difficulties for the opponent. »
Match sheet
DUNKIRK – RED STAR, Friday (8 p.m.), Tribut stadium. Referee: Mr. Lesage.
Red Star : Beunardeau – F. Doucouré, Danger, Kouagba (cap.), Hachem – Eickmayer – Ifnaoui, Mbock, Renel, Durand – Badji. Rempl. : Bonet (g), Durivaux, Dembi, Escartin, Benali, Fall, Cissé ; Entr. : Poirier.
Absent. Mendy, R. Doucouré (injured), Meyapya, El Hriti, Slimani, Avognan, Botella, Anani (choice).
