Jean-Louis Gasset: "We need everyone"

What we can wish for ASSE this new year?

Achieve our goal of finishing as high as possible in the rankings because even if our next few matches are important there are still 15 matches to play and 45 points to take. I especially wish to have less injuries. Of our five defenders, we’re sometimes missing three. So we threw things together, we invented things and we gave more playing time than expected to players like (William) Saliba or gave another shot to (Pierre-Yves) Polomat. We adapt to the situation. Our defense doesn’t worry but if there is to be a reinforcement, the priority is that it be in this sector.

In this regard, how is your team feeling?

We prepared ourselves well thanks to our resumption and the players worked well in the Coupe de France, à Strasbourg. Little by little, we’re recuperating players and, today, we’re a bit better. Others will also return here between now and the next ten days. We’ll need everyone to play five matches in fourteen days. I said it to the team at the beginning of the week. It won’t always be the same players who will make us win but every time that I give a player his chance, I want him to show me that he is above approach. Because to tackle this series of matches, we’ll need a full arsenal in order to be capable of changing things before and during matches. The entire team must be aware of their responsibilities.

Which players can see themselves being once again part of the team to face Guingamp?

(Gabriel) Silva, (Romain) Hamouma et (Yannis) Salibur will return, like (Ole) Selnaes who was suspended. (Mathieu) Debuchy et (Neven) Subotic will be the only ones who will not go to Guingamp. I see them working and I hope that their healing process will be quicker than expected. For (Neven) Subotic, even if he has passed all the physical steps, we’ll wait to hear the opinion of the specialists. Robert (Beric) is returning to the team until further notice. I know that the public adores him and I have confidence in him.

Do you still remember your first match in Guingamp?

No, because every match is a fresh start. In matches it’s the little things that count, we saw this once again in the Coupe de France and in the Coupe de la Ligue this week. No one could have guessed who the four finalists of the Coupe de la Ligue would be. That’s the beauty of Football. It’s always efficiency and the state of mind of the players that counts.

What is your judgement of Guingamp’s situation?

Guingamp is in the same situation that we were last year. They made very good use of the transfer window by taking on four players of whom three who know the championship well. Beyond that, they’re all competitors. The club found what is was lacking. Because their qualification in the Coupe de la Ligue cannot be explained only by Paris’ below-average performance. Guingamp set up an organization and made efforts. To get three penalities you have to enter the last 16m of your opponent’s side of the field and, against Paris, in the Parc des Princes, that’s always difficult.

Do you expect to face overmotivated Guingampais?

After their qualification in the Coupe de France and in the Coupe de la Ligue, we know where we’re going. Guingamp will be there mentally and will want to take points on their home turf. For our part, we know that we must take points as an away team. We’ve only taken one point out of nine possible points, that’s very few but some aspects of the game were against us. If we continue playing the same way and with the same state of mind, I know that we’ll be rewarded.