If we had to bet on a player that Laurent Batlles would absolutely have wanted in his squad, upon his arrival on the Saint-Étienne bench in the summer of 2022, the name of Florian Tardieu would have topped the list. The two men have appreciated each other enormously since Troyes, where they arrived together in 2019. Batlles had made them a centerpiece, placed as a sentinel in front of a three-central defense, within an innovative, risky but very effective system. French Ligue 2 champion, Troyes returned to the elite in 2021.
Among the Greens, the coach therefore had to wait a season to recover his strong link. An undisguised pleasure from the presentation of the player on the last day of the transfer window: “Flo will contribute to the balance of the team. He knows what I expect from him, whether we play with three or four in defense. He masters his role very well. We will benefit from his volume of play and his experience in Ligue 2, which he knows by heart. »
“He is there to regulate the offensive and defensive aspect”
Laurent Batlles, coach of Troyes
In two matches, Tardieu has made everyone agree. Especially during the latest one, a victory in Caen (2-1, last Saturday): scorer for the opening score from the penalty spot (30th), he multiplied in midfield. “He is there to regulate the offensive and defensive aspect. In holding the ball, it’s also very clean. It’s very important,” Batlles summed up in a post-match press conference.
In a squad where the lack of leader has been glaring since the start of the season, the 31-year-old Istrean, through his volume, his tactical sense and his analysis of the game, is already a boss. “Florian Tardieu runs a lot, brings a lot of bonding,” explained defender Dennis Appiah this week. Technically, it’s clean. He is a player to whom we can give the ball. What I like about him is his ability to direct the game. We have a tendency, and I think we need to improve on this, to always stay on the same side. I talked about it with him, and he has this ability to turn the game around.”
The rapid adaptation of the former Sochaux player is not really a surprise as we know his mastery of the position as well as his fighting temperament. And his close relationship with Batlles. “I am at the service of the team, also tactically. I’m here to plug the holes. I hate losing, he said on Thursday, before emphasizing his pleasure of returning to the field. I arrived here in excellent conditions. I’m not far from being 100%. It’s easier because with the coach, we talk the same football. In training, it’s the ball, the ball and that’s what I like. »
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