“It’s a good surprise!” Fabien Courtial admits: the coach of Saran Loiret Handball did not expect this coleader’s place (with Cherbourg and maybe Nancy who is a game late) at the truce.
An almost surprising reflection for the coach of a team which made the first place, synonymous with direct rise in Starligue, its objective. But ultimately not that abnormal. Because this first phase of Proligue, still cut by two days, did not look like a walk in the park.
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“It’s a bit of a paradox. We are first, we stay on five successes and we have the impression of not having been brilliant.”
Fabien Courtial (Coach of Saran Loiret Handball)
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“You have to remember that at the end of October, we were four wins for two losses. We were far from the mark,” recalls Fabien Courtial. And above all, there was this incomprehensible defeat in Angers who was doing task. “I think we’ll be talking about it the whole season of that one! But in the end, she penalizes us less than I thought.”
The champions of the championship have also dropped points. And especially, Saran ended the year with a bang with five wins including the last against Nancy, the other big favorite. “It’s a little paradoxical. We are first, we remain on five successes and we have the impression of not having been brilliant”, explains the Saranese technician.
In Nancy during the der
The margin of progress of the Saranese group is therefore very real. And it is not an always more demanding and never satisfied coach thing. “No, the players are aware of that too. Some people know they can do better. Several times, after the matches, we said to ourselves that it was not terrible but it happened.”
If the goalkeepers, Nicolas Gauthier and Valentin Kieffer, did the job in front of a defense that has proven its solidity, Fabien Courtial is not satisfied with the level “on the attacks placed”, “nor on the lucidity of his group” : “It was seen against Nancy. If we are fairer, more rigorous, we can fold the match at the end of the first period and avoid fears at the end.”
Direction Strasbourg for Nicolas Kieffer
The roadmap is therefore clearly outlined. But the Saranese coach remains cautious. “The other teams will also improve. And our return schedule will be less favorable,” he argues. Indeed, Saran has not yet played Pontault-Combault, will have to go to Cherbourg and especially to Nancy. On the last day …
Recovery program
January 7: resume training.
January 5: Limoges – Advice (amical).
January 29: Saran – Chartres (amical).
February 5: Nice – Saran (Proligue).
The numbers at the truce
3
Saran has the third most prolific attack in Proligue with 323 goals scored, or 29.4 per game on average. Just behind Nancy (30.4) and Pontault-Combault (29.7).
6
Saran is only Proligue’s sixth defense with an average of 26.2 goals conceded per game. Cherbourg (23.9), co-leader with Saran, Massy (24.8) and Pontault-Combault (25.6) are the most hermetic teams in the championship.
44
World Cup in Egypt (January 13 to 21) requires, the Starligue and the Proligue are taking a break. Saran’s next official game is scheduled in 44 days. It will be on February 5 in Nice, before the reception in Besançon on February 12.
72
With 72 goals already scored in 11 matches, Théo Avelange-Demouge is the second best scorer in Proligue, just behind Edson Imare (Massy) with 74 goals. But it is the Saranese right winger who comes far ahead in terms of the percentage of success on shots: 80%!
100
Nicolas Gauthier has aligned performances of choice since the start of the season. Against Nancy, the Saranese goalkeeper reached the milestone of 100 saves. In this small game, the best are the Stasbourgeois Romain Mathias (117) and the Bisontin Milos Mocevic (114), with one game less.
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Patrick Paumier
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