“I believe a lot in him, so I am demanding of him”: if Franck Haise appreciates the successful start to the season of his attacker Evann Guessand, the Nice coach still plans to see him progress in all areas.
Haise made him his base attacker. Guessand is the most used Nice outfield player of the season and the only one to have started every Ligue 1 match.
And the 23-year-old Franco-Ivorian, who extended his contract until 2028 last August, does it well. With five goals and an assist in nine matches, he has already been as decisive as last season (six goals). “I often alternated between starter and substitute. This season, I have started a series of starts. It helps me to be more decisive”explained Guessand.
In September, Haise gave him the objective of halving his playing time/goals scored ratio compared to last season. But if this mission “still stands”, the Nice technician expects more from his player. There are “other offensive and defensive aspects he can improve on”.
“He has the capabilities,” assured the coach. “I believe a lot in him, so I am demanding of him. I am here to pinpoint what he needs to look for to make sense of this work.”
Also, he increases the number of meetings with the attacker from the Marseille region and trained in Nice. Before the 8-0 against Saint-Étienne, they had discussed together “finishing, movements, markings”, in order to improve their statistics which make “the difference between a good and a very good attacker”.
Head-to-head before Brest
Before this trip to Brest the two men again had a twenty-minute meeting in Haise's office, “to discuss the points that he still needs to improve to become even better”.
Management appreciated by Guessand: “It’s normal for the coach to be demanding,” he recalled. “It's a pretty good sign. It's certain that he has expectations of me and I have expectations of myself.”
Guessand wants to establish himself in Nice, to become an indisputable attacking leader of the Reds and Blacks, and he is in the process of achieving it.
“Last year, he was brilliant,” said his teammate Gaëtan Laborde. “But this season, he has taken on a new dimension and gained in consistency. Today, he is a strong element for us. He scores, which is very important and he creates chances.”.
Haise also changed Guessand's positioning. It is becoming increasingly rare to see him play as a center forward. Often, in the 3-4-2-1 set up, he is in support of a N.9.
“I am at the heart of the game,” he said. “The coach also gives me enough freedom. We had a discussion about that. I can highlight my qualities. That means that sometimes the No.9 can end up in No.10, the 10 in No.9, 9, winger, it moves and can destabilize opposing defenses..
Last season, Francesco Farioli held Guessand in high regard. But he asked him to be patient, to wait for his time to come. Haise, for his part, made him the No. 1 striker of his team, which also evolves in a more direct way.
“Playing like this favors offensive actions,” recognizes the Ivorian international. “It helps to score goals and be more decisive. I like to touch a lot of balls. So, I'm happy. As for the confidence, it's always been there. But my positioning on the pitch means that I can express myself in this way now.” In Nice, no one complains…
