Two days before the end of the Ligue 2 season, Angers Sco is more than ever in the race to climb to Ligue 1. But Alexandre Dujeux’s players who are going to Annecy this Friday (8:45 p.m.) are no longer masters of their destiny and must count on a misstep from Saint-Etienne to recover second place, synonymous with direct accession.
Interview, Zinedine Ould Khaled.
If we had told you at the start of the season that you would be in the running for promotion to Ligue 1…
Given the preparation we had done and our start to the season, no I wouldn’t have believed it to be honest. Today the reality is that we are racing to rise, even if we do not have our destiny in our hands. We have to be aware of it, win the next two matches and see what Saint-Etienne does. Obviously we had an eye on them, just as they watch what we do.
How are you experiencing this final sprint?
It’s a real pleasure, it’s exciting to play something in every match. Especially when we know the difficult context of last season. We are having a very exciting season there. We are racing for a climb and it is something exceptional to experience. There is only excitement and fun to be had, no stress. We are very relaxed and we are all keen to do things well, hoping to all be happy on the evening of the match against Dunkirk.
Do you consider this end of the season as an accelerator in your career in view of the stakes?
Of course. Last season I only made four matches and collectively it was catastrophic for the club. Today we are having a very, very good season. I have playing time, I’m happy and I take what there is to take. I go through the matches, I try to give everything for the team, lately it’s been working pretty well even if we no longer have our destiny in our hands after our defeat at Charlety.
See as well : VIDEO. Ligue 2: the relegated, the mad race to the top… The lessons of the 36th day
Does the fact of no longer having your destiny in your hands change the way you approach the last two matches?
No because we have something very important to play for and that has always been the case this season. We want to win our two matches and see what we see. If it’s the dams it’s the dams, if it’s the climb, we’ll have a big party in Kopa all together.
“You don’t have to be in the calculations, we’ll see after Dunkirk…”
Is your current best period also due to a new carefreeness in your game?
Unfortunately we had a slump at the worst of times. The teams that were racing with us played well at that time. Today we came back pretty well. Now we know that we have to win every match that comes.
There are also tactical changes in defense and midfield….
The coach explained it to the people concerned. It was very clear. After all, everyone gets along very well in the group, and everyone plays well when they have to play. Everyone took it well. As for my personal position, I don’t care much. The most important thing is to be there for the team.
Did the coach send you different instructions depending on the positioning of Pierrick Capelle or Himad Abdelli in the middle?
We are lucky to have a coach who gives us a lot of freedom. The configuration of the three environments has changed, but we are very free. If we look at the matches, I find myself a little lower than the two, they a little higher than me. Sometimes, it’s Pierrick who is a little lower and the two of us a little higher… We have total freedom in midfield.
Do you have the feeling that this disturbs the opponents?
I think we lacked a bit of carefreeness, which we found in our last matches. Even in Paris, even if we lost, we took risks in the first half and that’s what we need. With Joseph (Lopy) it also worked well. The whole team is working well, not just in midfield.
How are you handling this end of the season on a physical level?
We had weeks with three matches, without being able to train much. The most important thing in these moments is shadow work, recovery, it is essential to avoid injuries. We’re doing pretty well on that.
How did you experience the Saint-Etienne match last week?
I watched the match against Guingamp. I also think they looked at ours. I was hoping Guingamp would get a good result. It was my friend Jacques Siwe who scored the equalizing goal for Guingamp so I was very happy for him.
This time you are playing at the same time as Saint-Etienne. Will you keep yourself informed of the results?
You don’t have to be in the calculations. We’ll see after Dunkirk. I prefer to know the result at the end of the match. During the match, I stay in my bubble and can’t see myself asking for information on what Saint-Etienne is doing…
