The Montpellier coach returned at a press conference to the good match achieved overall but especially by these executives who responded in spirit.
How good did this victory feel?
From all points of view. She put up a tough fight against an opponent who is technically stronger than us, but who stacks up the matches and who has obligations in the Champion's League. So, if we wanted more than them, we could achieve something. We did it.
We felt you were shy in the first half. What made something else happen in the second half?
No, in the first half, we weren't shy. We had a game plan, because they have much greater technical mastery than us. And we decided to counter by putting Tamari at the forefront, with Khazri and Savanier who were the throwers. And at the end of the first half, we conceded a goal from a set piece, but we had both chances. Tamari rolls up, she doesn't go very far. Et Khazri comes a little sideways in front of the goalkeeper and hits the goalkeeper. So the plan was respected. We didn't have the ball, but as soon as we countered… We were a little feverish in this first relaunch. Monaco is physically strong, it is the team in the middle which wins the most duels.
In the second half, we let go of the horses. Technically, we were much better at feeding our arrow in front.
To win matches, you often need a striker who scores goals and a goalkeeper who makes a lot of saves. What can you say about the performance of Benjamin Lecomte and Moussa Al Tamari?
They are the leaders. When the leaders are at this level, when I see Wahbi (Khazri) defending, when I see Teji positioning himself and Benjamin reassuring us, that's the role of the leaders. Leaders must be examples. It's in all groups, it's like that. When they are at this level of involvement, we have a team.
That's what I said at the end of the match. We went up a short step. But if we are in this state of mind and we bring our technical quality to it, because technically, we are better than that, we can hope for something.
Tamari, is he the player who is capable of scoring your goals until the end of the season to save the club? Because that's what's been lacking in effectiveness so far.
Of course, of course. He has the range to be able to play side or point. When we play against a team which has technical mastery in the middle and which leaves us 40 meters behind its back, it is the prototype of the player who scares. But I've been here for three months and I see a very good Tamari.
-Compared to Angers, was it just the confidence that you showed this evening that made the difference?
No, it's not just that. It's not just trust. There is still this revolt. Because after the Angers match, we took it, as they say. I read an article again this morning where we are in agony, we have the worst faults in the world. We were buried perhaps a little quickly.
It's true to lose against Angers at home, after having played a match in Lyon, where we really came close to a point, or even three. The Lyon scenario is very difficult to swallow. We didn't know how to play the Angers match intellectually. We should have been in control of ourselves, we were under pressure. But that’s what we need to be able to give to this group, it’s confidence. But for that, they have to want to work a lot more, they have to want to put themselves in the state of mind they were in this evening. And there we can have hope.
Did you have more certainty with your team this evening?
I told you once, it's yes or it's no. Today it was yes. Against Angers, it was no. In Lyon, it was yes. At Puy, it was no. I'm yo-yoing. I live with a yo-yo. When they're like that, I lose my voice explaining to them that football is difficult. But there, they are good, they are comfortable in their skin. But they are tired, they are dead. You have to get off the field like that. And then, at the end of May, we'll see where we are.
How did you judge young Mouanga's match, and more generally on these young people? Does the solution also come from them?
You know, it did it to me in Lyon. When I saw the changes in Lyon where the coach opposite, he brings in Tolisso, he brings in Cherki… And there, this evening, the same, we see Embolo come in, we see Golovin come in… We say to ourselves that we are not doing not the same sport. We return young people from the training center who have qualities, but who must return at opportune times. It is not the young person who will make the difference, it is the executives who must set the example. Those above must lead by example. Benjamin Lecomte today, Théji Savanier showed that they were going to the end of themselves. When it's like that, the young people around can play with confidence and we can interchange them. There are a few who don't have an hour and a half in the buffet to play a match against international players. But in this respect, we lose Maksimovic in Lyon, even though he is the only player we have been able to take for two months. And the player who could replace Maksimovic plays ten minutes and gets a red card. That's when you say to yourself that it's very difficult. So you have to trust a young person.
You took your twelve points at Monsoon. Does this mean that the maintenance will be played out here? Or is there a method to try to get points in Toulouse so that the yoyo stays up at that time?
There, we are no longer going to look at the place. For us, it's the state of mind, it's how we're going to play, what's going to happen in the transfer window. We are in total uncertainty.
