Accustomed over the last two seasons to shine in the Coupe de France, Rodez was one of the three Ligue 2 clubs who were trapped last weekend in the 7th round. Rodez fell to Angoulême (2-1). Even if he had rotated his squad to give it some breathing room and was deprived of six internationals, Didier Santini has some regrets. “It's never nice to lose alreadynotes the Ruthenian coach. It was not an objective of our season but it was also experiencing a journey. The last two years, we had a very good run (16th against Monaco (1-3) and quarter-final against Toulouse (6-1)). It's also the Cup and its magic, you have players opposite who transcend themselves and score on their first two chances while you are quite harmless and very average. Congratulations to our opponent. We got into the match less well. I think we deserved to get eliminated.”
“When you change 90% of the squad, it’s never easy to start from scratch”
This disappointment in the Cup interrupts a good series of six games without defeat in the league. Rodez, in difficulty at the start of the season (five defeats in the first six days), has since been able to turn things around. “When you change 90% of the squad, it's never easy to start from scratch. There were very good performances in the first six days which did not lead to a result. There were always small There was all this learning but above all not to lower our heads and above all to continue in the same direction, in the same principles. Afterwards, it turned a little in our favor so it's interesting.
It must be said that author of a historic performance last season with a qualification for the accession play-offs, Rodez had seen his squad literally plundered in the off-season. “The managers tried to do it as quickly as possible but four-five players arrived at the end of the transfer window and did not play the first days. This means that the six-seven weeks that we had done beforehand, we had to start from scratch from the training we did at Vichy, there were nine players left. I think that on the first day, there were six or seven players on the pitch who had never played in Ligue 2. of their lives.”
“Caen has a lot of qualities with offensive potential and Mendy who is monstrous”
Rodez will travel to D'Ornano this Friday in 12th position, one point ahead of SM Caen which is in turn raising its head. “I think it was also complicated for them in the off-season with all the changes that there were in Caen in terms of the presidency. So, we also had to wait quite a while to be able to recruit. And then players who were perhaps supposed to leave and who didn't leave Now, I find that this team has a lot of quality, with offensive potential with Mendy – I love it – who is monstrous, with players who have a lot of talent. experience defensively and in the middle. It is a team which is very experienced, which now knows this championship, which had a difficult start like us. But I find that for some time, it has recovered very very well. It will be a fun game for us to play.”
“I find it more respectful for the supporters to make a nice 3-3 than a 0-0”
Since the start of the season, Rodez has never renounced his playing principle despite the difficulties. The Aveyronnais have the second best attack in Ligue 2, symbolized by the success of Timoté Nkada (seven goals and three assists in twelve games). “For me, it’s in my DNA, explains Didier Santini. Even if I was a defender, I find that it is more respectful for the supporters to make a nice 3-3 than a 0-0 even if it is not bad. I always tell myself that at 3-3, I can win 3-2 while at 0-0 I cannot win (laughing). I find that today we are too focused on not conceding goals, on being careful. I think you have to have fun, give pleasure to the people in the stand. We are a small town in the middle of Aveyron. But there is a lot of value and we try to put on a show, to have a blast. That's my philosophy. I would like to concede fewer goals but I have to work a little better (Laughing).”
