Rémy Cabella: "Maintain this drive"

How do you feel right now?

I had an operation this summer and since then I’ve had a small problem with my knee that in particular prevented me from playing against Paris. Concerning other matches, I struggled a bit but I wasn’t really at 100%, so it was difficult to tell the difference. During the last break, the coach gave me a few days to rest and that did me some good. Since then, I’ve regained my full strength.

How do you explain the more conquering face shown by the team during their last match?

The coach spoke to us frankly and told us that he wasn’t at all happy but I think that we needed it. We played too much at an average level during certain matches and we were maybe a bit too satisfied with our tie games, so he gave us a rap on the knuckles. He’s ambitious, he knows that we have a team that can do better and he has confidence in us. That did us some good being rattled because we responded well by showing our great state of mind against Angers. If we want to have a good season, that will happen with performances like our last one during which all the players, even the substitutes, contributed.

How did Jean-Louis Gasset react to the magnitude of the score against Angers?

The coach asked us for more defensive solidity because we won’t always be able to score four goals. Even if I have confidence in our defenders and in Stéphane Ruffier our goalkeeper, I know that it’s not just up to the defenders to defend. We all have to make the effort.

What are your ambitions for this season?

I came to earn a UEFA qualification at the end of the season. I think that we have to finish in the Top 5 but, personally, I would like to finish in 3rd place in order to have a shot at the Champions League. But a season is long and that requires a lot of energy. We have to concentrate in order to realize our ambitions. The most important thing will be consistency, to be efficient in order to win our matches. For the moment, we’re off to a good start, we can’t slack off and we have to maintain this drive. It would be huge to qualify at the end of the season.

Is it even more important to win before the international break?

For the moment, the matches before the breaks haven’t been very successful for us. It’s a shame because a victory always breathes new life into a team. Saturday, we’ll have to win on our home turf in order to feel strong at the derby. In any case, we’ll be feeling very strong in Lyon. We’re fighting with them in the rankings, a positive outcome would allow us to put them below us.

How do you explain the freedom that Jean-Louis Gasset gives you on the field?

This freedom is interesting and we have the players to enjoy it. It’s up to us to understand ourselves. I for example like to move around everywhere on the field when I play, I sometimes make way to leave Loïs (Diony) room so that he can make a difference. He’s on the lookout for all the balls that we can give him.

How are you handling the threat of suspension of the derby?

If I defend intelligently, I won’t have to receive a card so I’m going to pay attention, if not the coach is going to kill me (smile). Anyway, I think more of scoring than making a great tackle.