Group update.
« Like Glen Kamara, Andrés Gómez should be ready. His week has been adjusted, but he has started training with the team again.
Jota has not resumed training with the group, only on an individual basis. We'll see how he develops next week. He has a minor muscular problem, but it's not serious, but we need to take a few precautions. We're listening to how he feels. »
The end of the match against Lens.
« It's not a late-game move that's going to change the analysis. When it's cold the analysis is the same. A single action can't determine the message you give to the players. Despite everything, I think we're on the right track. Against Lens, in terms of solidity, intensity and organisation, we were very consistent, as we were against Montpellier. Steve Mandanda is a great professional, but he plays in a very exposed position where the slightest annoyance is magnified because it has an impact on the result. He has a lot of experience and he takes responsibility for everything. He's a great goalkeeper and he'll continue to prove that over the coming months. »
If we let them play, we find ourselves stuck in our 30s for 90 minutes and we can't get out of it. If we press them all the time, they eventually find a way through because they have speed and talent.
The opponent.
« Paris are a team used to controlling the game, with a very high level of possession. We'll have to try and reduce that as much as possible, but they always have the ball more than their opponents. If we let them play, we end up sitting in our 30s for 90 minutes and we can't get out of it. If we press them all the time, they end up finding the solution because they have speed and talent. There's no miracle solution, but Stade Rennais have already managed to cause Paris problems in the past. We'll be trying to do that again on Friday. But we're not just developing the team for the trip to Paris, we're developing it for the weeks ahead. There's no denying it, the main principles have to remain the same, but of course we have to adapt when we play them. It's hard to get in the way of the Parisians, so you have to go in with your weapons. They're the logical favourites, but in the recent past, there have been matches that can help us. »
Un PSG plus collectif ?
« La saison dernière, je trouvais déjà Paris très collectif. Là où ils sont particulièrement forts, c’est dans leur comportement quand ils ont perdu le ballon, leur faculté à contre-presser et étouffer l’adversaire. C’est une équipe complète, organisée, talentueuse, rigoureuse et puissante. »
La montée en puissance d’Alidu Seidu.
« J’ai trouvé qu’il avait réalisé un gros match en tant que latéral gauche face à Lyon. Jouer à différents postes, à n’importe quel âge, ça nourrit et développe la réflexion sur le jeu. Au poste d’axe gauche, il est exposé, il faut du caractère pour ressortir le ballon et il y a une zone importante à couvrir dans le dos. Il a les qualités athlétiques et d’engagement pour pouvoir gérer ça. Il a vocation à devenir un des leaders mais aussi à exercer beaucoup de responsabilités dans le jeu collectif de l’équipe. »
Since the start of the season, Ludovic has shown total commitment in all areas of the game, with the ball, without the ball, on the run and mentally.
Ludovic Blas, one of the strongest performers at the start of the season.
« For all players, integrating into a new club can take a little time. He has always had the talent and qualities. Since the start of the season, he has shown total commitment in all areas of the game, with the ball, without the ball, on the run and mentally. Even in leadership, he's starting to take on more responsibility. He's got a wealth of experience, he's been playing in Ligue 1 for ten years now, he's played over 300 games, and he's also destined to become one of the leaders of this team, or at least to set an example. He has the skills and maturity to be able to do that. Thanks to his hard work and commitment, he's been rewarded with some interesting statistics. I don't think it's down to the system, but to what he produces every day in training. You can't talk about total consistency after five games. He needs to continue in this direction. »
Désiré Doué.
« He can become a great player. He's got the talent, that's obvious. It's the sequence of matches that you have to manage. He chose to stay in France, where the competition is very strong. He has the versatility to get as much playing time as possible and the potential to become a great player of the future, that's for sure. »
Ludovic Blas
The 2 points lost to Lens.
« It's a scenario that's hard to accept because we did some good things and it's infuriating. We're making progress but there are a few things we need to put right. It was a number of little mistakes that led to this goal. We mustn't forget this match, it can help us, but we still have to move on and keep working. »
His start to the season.
« I'm playing more, so that helps. Then I have more confidence in myself and I give more of myself to the team. I put in a lot of effort, which helps me to have the confidence of the group, and then I do what I know how to do, which is to provoke. Sometimes you get the impression that I have a nonchalant attitude, but when you look at the stats, I'm one of the players who runs the most. I had a lot of volume last season but there were a lot of late runs. I've had a lot of discussions with the coach to put some things right. I'm trying to make the effort at the right time. »
A leadership role to play?
« There are several ways of being a coach. Verbally it won't be me (laughs), you either are or you aren't, it's more on the pitch as a technical leader, I can help with my experience. There are other players in the dressing room who are better at talking than I am. »
We have to show that we're not afraid to play there. It's by showing who we are that we can achieve great things.
The match in Paris.
« These are games that everyone loves to play. Personally, it's special because my family will be at the stadium, a place I used to go to when I was younger. It was a dream of mine to play at the Parc des Princes, and going back there brings so many emotions. I have good and bad memories, one of the best being my first goal there with Guingamp, when I was voted player of the match. We're going to have to follow in Lens' footsteps, try to keep the ball and not throw it away, otherwise it's going to be a long game. We have to show that we're not afraid to play there. It's by showing who we are that we can achieve great things. »
Désiré Doué.
« He's a phenomenon, I'm not afraid to say it. A youngster bursting with talent. I hope that everything goes well for him and that he manages to play as much as possible. I've sent a few messages to Randal Kolo Muani asking him to take him under his wing. When you arrive at a big club, it can't be easy, but he's got character, he's not shy, and I'm not worried about him. »
Matchday 6 - Ligue 1 McDonald's
Paris SG / Stade Rennais F.C.
Friday 27 september 2024 – 9pm CET
Parc des Princes
