The look of (very) bad evenings. Nantes coach Antoine Kombouaré was very marked by the new defeat (3-2) of his team this Saturday evening in Lens. Interview with a very touched coach but always combative in his speech.
What are your feelings after this disaster scenario match?
It's a big disappointment. We had the feeling of having done the job, of finally having a victory. We broke down at the end of the match… It must have been the match of revolt. We showed it but not for the entire duration of the match. We have nevertheless managed to take the advantage but we feel some excitement. And we don't have success with us, like the last two goals conceded. On the 2e goal, Amian takes a small bridge. And the 3rd is a gift… It’s annoying because we see a lot of disappointment in the locker room. It's working, I see a team hanging on, fighting together. But that's not enough. We'll have to stay together.
What can be the words after such disillusionment?
I told them it's difficult to win a match. When you score two goals, you must take at least one point. This is the minimum we had to have tonight. We played a consistent match. It's tough and that's the lot of teams in difficulty. Mentally, it's complicated. The cut will allow it to regenerate, I hope.
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And you, what are your feelings after this big blow to the head?
Disappointed, obviously. But I know myself. I'm going to fight. I'm hanging on. This is what I explain to the players. In times of difficulty, you need resilient people. There is no room for mourners. We cannot lament our fate. I'm not expecting support, we're here to hang on. I'm going to see how we're going to work. The most important thing is to stay united.
However, you offered a coherent match for 85 minutes…
This is the difficulty we are in at the moment. We need to do more. It is not because we correct the situation today that we immediately reap the fruits of our work. We have let way too many points slip away since the start of the season. Today, we are getting back on track but, as we said during the talk, a match lasts 95 minutes, or even more.
“Moods must be put aside! »
A word about Nicolas Pallois, author of a big match but who made the fatal error on the 3rd goal…
He apologized at the end of the match, in the locker room. It's unfortunate, it falls on him. Against Marseille, he had already had a great match. The marking, on the action, is not done 100% which means that the two Nicos (Cozza and Pallois) find themselves in difficulty. He's there, he's hanging on, he's fighting. There is disagreement and a little excitement too. He makes a lobbed head so that the attacker cannot intervene. At the same time Alban (Lafont) is moving forward… It's bad luck. This is also the situation we find ourselves in. If you make this kind of mistake while being 10th in the standings, it's not the same. Nico is the image of the team tonight. He had a strong match but the slightest mistake cost us at least a point.
However, the team showed the fighting values you expected before the match…
Yes, that's why it's annoying. We have the impression of having had a coherent, solid match. We conceded few situations apart from Thomasson's header at the very start of the match. Alban (Lafont) has no saves to make but we concede three goals. The public pushed but we have experienced players who have to manage these situations. It's impossible not to take a point by scoring two goals against the best defense in Ligue 1… We must continue to work and above all stay united. When you lose matches, you have to put your moods aside.
Is that why you took Thomas out a few minutes after he entered?
It is clear that today, in our situation, moods must be put aside. You can be disappointed not to start but when you come back, you have to show that the coach was wrong. You have to fight to gain playing time. I'm in management, in immediacy.
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