Tours : 0
Montpellier : 3
There was really no suspense, nor surprise, this Saturday, September 28 during this Tours-Montpellier which, on paper, looked like a great poster but which, given the Touraine circumstances of the moment, was far too imbalance. Marcelo Fronckowiak, the Touraine coach, could only note the reality of the moment when Loïc Le Marrec, his Montpellier counterpart, had reason to appreciate the performance of his team, a week after their victory in the Super Cup.
Marcelo Fronckowiak (Tours coach): “It’s not a great match in terms of numbers, when we see for example the level of attack of the two teams (37% offensive efficiency, on both sides). But as far as our team is concerned, it is a reflection of our situation, where we play without Zeljko Coric and where we have to adapt.
We had flashes, but not light all the time. We also played against a very physical team, who put pressure all the time and who had no doubts. Montpellier did what it had to do, knew how to accelerate when necessary. But that doesn’t stop us from having some interesting moments.
What shocks me are the unforced errors in the first, in the second set. Conversely, there are interesting things in block defense, which we no longer have in the third set. That’s the big difference. And then, what bothers me is our lack of continuity: when we break, we miss the serve behind. To eliminate this, you have to train more, work. But the necessary experience is not there for everyone, we know that. »
Loïc Le Marrec (coach of Montpellier): “At times, we had inaccuracies, made too many mistakes on serve or elsewhere, but the guys remained mobilized, focused. We had a mixture of serenity and commitment. There was no panic in the face of Tours’ good performances. When I see guys going left, right in defense, that my point goes to the ground, I tell myself that we are in the right dynamic even if we lose the point. And tonight, it paid off. »
