A first this season. It has been four matches since FCVB, championship and cup included, have last read the word victory in their locker room. Suffice it to say that coach Romain Revelli’s group is in full swing in tough times that should not be dragged out this Friday evening against Le Mans (6e) during an important battle to stay in the top 5 of the National. Once again.
After the elimination in the Coupe de France last Friday against Grenoble (1-2), what was the state of mind of your group?
“We quickly got our minds back into the championship. Everyone was sad at the weekend about the scenario of the cup match. But in the end, looking back at the match, their victory is deserved. This outing is like what we are doing at the moment, apart from the match in Rouen (1-1). What has been bothering me, for some time, is that we are less in endurance, compared to the game that I want us to practice. We have a lot of suspensions, injuries, moods. We are making less effort. This match against Grenoble is a symbol. We see our goalkeeper too much (Paean), Right now. At the start of the season, he was more protected, like our defense. Our communities must hunt more, in front of them. We have to get back in our heads that we are playing to maintain. And that takes effort. We can’t only play when we have the ball at our feet, like this Grenoble match which we managed to cause difficulties. But we caught waves. It’s from Ligue 2. We’re eliminated but I’m using the content to return to the National, and this match against Le Mans. There will be good people there: Rabillard, Boussaïd, Le Méhauté. We have to close the store! For a month, we have been conceding goals. And when we don’t take any, our goalkeeper makes saves. We are less enduring in spirit, in our efforts. I say this without malice, you have to be realistic. Friday, against Le Mans, if we go 0-0, I’ll take it! There isn’t a workout where I don’t push the group. At the moment, it is insufficient. We have to keep our heads down until Christmas. We have three matches left for that. We play it safe, I repeat! We have to stop taking ourselves for others!”
This mental endurance that the group lacks at the moment, what is it playing out on?
“We arrive in the fall, it’s harder and we get angry. At the beginning, everything was beautiful and rosy. The locker room is doing well but we’re in tough times, without wanting to dramatize our situation. Everything is not coming back with the wave of a magic wand. It’s training that should allow us to do better.”
“We’re not on vacation yet. We have to move on to Christmas with more points. Only then will we feel better about ourselves. That’s our only concern. The priority is not the states of each other’s soul”
Le Mans is a test located at what height?
“I want to take points between now and Christmas, especially against the opponents who are coming. After Le Mans, we will go to Avranches who are undefeated at home. We will then host Châteauroux, who is in full swing. We have to regain our defensive solidity, without that stopping us from playing well, like our first half in Rouen. Players will come back, like Mourad (Louzif). But you shouldn’t believe that it’s Jesus… He lost his rhythm a little. Le Mans is the opportunity for everyone to have a full match. More solid than against Grenoble, managing depth much better. All of this requires mental stamina. We’re not on vacation yet. We have to go to Christmas with more points. Only then will we feel better about ourselves. This is our only concern. The priority is not each other’s moods.”
One of your men in good form at the moment, in attack, remains Claudy M’Buyi. How would you summarize his start to the season?
“He started well, with a good campaign in friendly matches, scoring goals. He was part of the collective effort, notably at Niort (1-1) where he defended a lot and obtained situations. He played regularly. He continued to work and felt a certain confidence from the staff. He is an attacker with great potential in all registers: depth, playing with his back to goal, power. Hopefully it lasts! He is in a good time.”
Before the Cup match, against Grenoble, Rémi Sergio returned from suspension but your defender Nathan Dekoke retained the captain’s armband. Why ?
“I answer you in all sincerity, but before the match, Rémi (Sergio) returned the armband. He probably wants to concentrate on his performances. I took note of it. It’s not the problem of who wears the armband. It remains symbolic. I have a lot of problems to deal with on the pitch, I’m not going to add to them. We are in a six-down season. Let’s stick to our objective, to maintain and obtain these 43 points. Afterwards, I remain the guarantor of the state of mind on the ground. On that, I won’t give any favors.”
Comments collected by Ralph NEPLAZ
Local press correspondent.
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