History seems to repeat itself over and over again… Like in the film A Day Without Endthe Chambray Touraine Handball is as if stuck in a time loop forcing it to relive the same disappointments over and over again, just as the hero of the film relived the traditional “Groundhog Day” in North America.
Season after season, the CTHB leaves big points among the supposedly affordable teams in the championship. This was again the case on Friday evening in Saint-Maur, where the Chambraisiennes conceded a disappointing draw (24-24), offering a game far from their potential.
Without a rediscovered Jovana Stoiljkovic (8/8 on shots), without the vice of Yaëlle Morvan on the final action, to cut off a counter-attack, and without the last second stop by Emma Perche, the defeat would even have was there at last year's red lantern.
“A lack of focus and commitment”
“I clearly explain this result by a lack of concentration and commitment, comments coach Mathieu Lanfranchi. The first action of the match is symptomatic, because we immediately leave the game plan and we offer a ready-made goal to Stella…”
Since his arrival on the bench in 2022, this is not the first time that the technician has pointed out instructions that have not been respected. The causes at the heart of disappointments are, in fact, also recurrent. The lack of efficiency in the shooter-goalkeeper duel is another example of poor consistency.
Just like the CTHB jet game. “The positive point is that we don’t lose. Once again, we showed character, indicates Mathieu Lanfranchi. We are capable of coming back when we are down by four goals with a quarter of an hour to go, but the problem is that this team only works on that. Today, it becomes problematic, because we are systematically in reaction. »
“Worrying is useless”
If the diagnosis is made, for the umpteenth time, how can we explain these errors recurring from year to year? “I don’t know, it’s hard to say, because it comes from everything. It is clearly multifactorial. There may be fifteen thousand reasons,” underlines a coach who logically does not want to go into details publicly.
He doesn't seem too worried: “We work and think about what we need to put in place to evolve and move forward, but worrying is useless. As they say, fear does not avoid danger. And then, I almost want to say that it's better when we're afraid, because we're on our guard. Against Besançon, we weren't afraid, that's not the word, but we had to have a good match. Result: the girls gave a lot (victoire 27-25). Against Dijon next Wednesday, I have no doubt about the commitment the players will make. But honestly, it's annoying not to be able, against teams who are risking their lives to stay, to get involved from the first action. Friday evening, we were clearly not ready for that. »
Is the happy ending coming soon?
To summarize, the CTHB rises or falls to the level of the opposing team. At the risk of repeating ourselves, the situation seems to repeat itself tirelessly… As in A Day Without EndSO.
In the 1993 film, the protagonist eventually breaks out of the time loop, giving himself a happy ending. Chambray would be well inspired to achieve this. This is obviously much easier to write than to do! It is nevertheless a necessity, with a record for the moment of three defeats (including two against Brest and Metz, of course), a draw and a success. We have no doubt that the staff, players and managers will do everything possible. This club has talent, passion and resources. The click will definitely come.
Otherwise, the marmot will not only put “the chocolate in the aluminum foil”, as in a famous advertisement from the 1990s, but it will also lock in Chambraisian ambitions.
