After Lyon (3-3), Monaco (1-0) and Rennes (0-1), Paris FC ends its cycle against teams with European ambitions, this Sunday, in Lille. Before the December break, the promoted team will face direct competitors for maintenance (Auxerre, Le Havre, Toulouse). For this trip North, Otavio is suspended, and Hamel (calf cyst), is still absent.
“Rennes left us with a bitter taste, we go to Lille with humility and ambition to achieve results,” Stéphane Gilli announced. Lille had collective control, a wide palette in their game, and put in a lot of defensive intensity. He is like his coach, one of the best French technicians at this level. He was cruelly tried in Lyon. Since he returned to France, I have liked his team play and his personality. You have to be right in front and behind. »
The Paris FC coach also mentioned Benjamin André whose fake arrival soap opera actually animated the month of July in Paris. “He’s a very, very good player, a really great player, it’s good for us that he’s suspended this weekend. But I’m very happy with my squad, we have a lot of diversity in midfield. Pierre Lees-Melou brings his experience and technique. We rarely talk about Adama Camara, who has had a very good start to the season and might be selected with Mali. »
If conceding fewer goals in two matches and the tactical repositioning of Adama Camara (5th defender and keeper), Paris FC will still have to find balance. “We have fewer situations,” believes Gilli. We know that in defence, we have to be more solid. In every game, we have situations, we have opportunities, now, we have to be successful offensively in order to get the points back. »
While waiting for the January transfer window, the strikers have three games to try to end the year on a better note. The reason is that apart from maestro Ilan Kebbal (5 goals, 4 assists), the other players have not appeared in several consecutive matches. The case of Moses Simon is indeed worrying.
“Maybe we didn’t ask Simon the same thing as we asked him in Nantes”
“From a statistical perspective (3 goals, 2 assists) it is correct,” continued Stéphane Gilli. Regarding the position, I chatted with him a lot. He must succeed in finding the freedom that is his strength in Nantes. After that, maybe we didn’t ask the same thing that was asked of him in Nantes. Like everything, when you change clubs, there is often acclimatization. We expected more from him, as did everyone. He returned from the selection by being eliminated. It was something difficult to digest because the World Cup is something important. We exchanged. »
His missed shot on goal on Sunday as Nigeria played DR Congo in the World Cup play-off was an indication of the bad times he is going through. But if the staff maintains a 4-3-3 formation, there are not many solutions on the left side as Mathieu Cafaro and Alimami Gory have just returned from injury, and Jonathan Ikoné has only just resumed collective training this week.
Considering CAN in Morocco (21 December-18 January), which will most likely select five of its players, Stéphane Gilli wants to “adapt”.
“Samir (Chergui) played a lot with Algeria, Ilan (Kebbal) less. I spoke to them when they came back. They are professionals and competitors. I had no doubts about their involvement with Paris FC until the last game they played before CAN. We had fewer international players at the start of the season, this was beneficial for them, and the club, which helped them progress. »
