Jean-Louis Gasset: "More consistency"

What impression does the postponement of the match in Nîmes leave you with?

We would have preferred playing. When you prepare for a match and make the trip, we always hope to play. It’s our job. The delegate announced heavy downpour around 8.00 pm. When we were in the plane, we saw it, and it was a real storm. We knew that there was going to be heavy rain but when we took 15 minutes to take off for our return flight (he sighs)...

Do you have a date that suits you to replay the match?

After the international break, between the matches in Lyon and Nantes, that seems to be the most logical date. We discussed this with Bernard Blaquart and his managers. That date would be fine. We have a full calendar. We’re playing the derby that Friday. If the match against Nîmes is scheduled for the Tuesday or the Wednesday, we’ll be able to play three matches that week.

How are you tackling these two matches on your home turf before the international break?

I’m not going to go through the routine of “it’s difficult to win twice in a row on your home turf”. To start we’ll try to win the first match. Angers had a bad start but, since then, this team hasn’t lost a lot. It’s a difficult team to outmanoeuver, they won in Monaco and defeated Lille. Wednesday, even if they’re eliminated, they’ve changed their starting lineup a little bit, like many other teams.

What will it take to regain the taste of victory?

Having more consistency. In Nîmes, we had a very good first half and a very good last 15 minutes. Which means that we’re lacking the 30 minutes needed to put the final nail in the coffin and score a second goal. We have to be more consistent in regards of effort, technique, the work in defense. There are some that have forgotten this a little bit. So, with our opponent’s first pass, we have four players eliminated. It’s not all about attacking, you have to defend also. We finished better than them. So I don’t think that the problem is physical, even if Nîmes is a true Cup team, that has impact. But, we allow ourselves to be outmanoeuvred when we have the ball. Against Rennes, it was also a technical error that made us let a goal in. All the players have to be in top form at the same time. The thought of that is what gives me a lot of hope.