« The match against Lens is going to be a great footballing clash. »

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Habib Beye

 The squad
“We won’t have Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal and Glen Kamara on Sunday. As for Valentin Rongier, we still have 24 hours, with Saturday’s training session, to know if he can start — it will depend on how things evolve.”

Nantes, his view

“Once the analysis is done, the beauty of football allows us to quickly move on and prepare for Lens. We played a very high-level first half, and I don’t want to sum up that game only by the second half. The incidents, with two key players having to come off, unsettled us and we lacked intensity — that has been analyzed. What should drive us now is to perform very well against Lens and to keep winning at Roazhon Park.”

Reunion with Pierre Sage, his former assistant in National

“I only have good things to say about Pierre. We went through a very intense year and a half together. We got to know each other, he complemented me and helped me a lot with my structure. On a human level, Pierre is exceptional, very authentic. In sporting terms, he built himself up on his own; I admire his career, and it will be a great pleasure to see him again. We are different, and that’s what made the strength of our partnership. The only thing we missed at the time was promotion to Ligue 2, we fell just short by two points. We’re very fond of each other. On Sunday, it won’t be Pierre Sage against Habib Beye, but Lens against Rennes — with the objective of winning.”

Similarities in style of play?

“Perhaps in terms of intensity, and also the desire to keep the ball. We don’t use as much verticality as they do. I know his football philosophy, and he had the quality to adapt with his club. What he was doing at Lyon isn’t quite the same as what he’s doing now at Lens. It’s going to be a great football contest.”

Lens’ derby victory

“They’ll want to build on that win — there was a lot of euphoria on their side. I watched the match, they also conceded chances, with some game incidents going in their favor. On our side, we analyze the negatives before building on the positives — that’s important. Roazhon Park is a favorable context, and it has to be a fortress in the league.”

Seko Fofana’s form ahead of facing his former club Lens

“Players with that level of experience are able to put things into perspective. For him, there’s a step between Lens and Rennes. Seko is one of my key players, a leader; he’s in better shape physically, athletically, mentally, and in his game. That’s what matters to me. He’s Rennes’ Fofana now, I’m not expecting Lens’ Fofana. We’re happy to see him playing freely, and he’s training really well. In terms of being decisive, that’s important for confidence — his goal will come, the moment will come. Against Lyon, it was Seko who gave the assist to Kader. I hope he’ll enjoy the joy of scoring soon, but I’m not putting pressure on him for that.”

Djaoui Cissé

“I never said that Djaoui had lost focus. He came back late after a very emotional Euro and returned with a different status. I have full confidence in him; he’s a fantastic player who has already shown it with us and will continue to do so. At Nantes, he had a difficult entry into the game, and it’s important to relieve him of any pressure. The only thing I said is that the starting eleven carries responsibility for the game plan and its quality. The impact player, on the other hand, has a mission: either to go out and get a result, or to help preserve it. Responsibility should not fall on the substitutes. As for Hans, if I had to make the same choice again, I would. Putting the blame for the defeat on him is not acceptable. Djaoui had a tough entry, but if he starts against Lens, I’m sure he’ll put in a great performance.”

The start of the season

“In the last two matches, you’ve seen six new players. Things won’t click overnight; balance has to be found. In the first match we played with ten men, in the second with nine, the third was normal, and in the next two we had early substitutions at halftime. Until the 95th minute, no points are guaranteed. Overall, we’re having a consistent season — now it’s about making the most of it against Lens. If we do, we’ll be very satisfied with this start to the campaign.”

Mahdi Camara

 

His return to the starting eleven

“I was happy to be back in the starting lineup, the wait felt long. I was glad to start and play the full match — it really did me good.”

Nantes

“It wasn’t easy to analyze that game. As the coach said, the first half was of very high quality before the team’s face changed. We dropped deeper, Nantes grew in confidence at home, and they managed to swing the momentum their way.”

Performing against the ‘big teams’

“As footballers, no matter who the opponent is, we approach every game with the same focus and mindset. We always want to win, and it’s true that the team has performed well at Roazhon Park — the supporters play a big part in that. I watched one game from the stands and I saw how much the crowd pushes us. It definitely helps the group.”

His positioning

“Against Nantes we played with a deep-lying midfielder and two number 8s. Personally, I prefer to play that way. It worked pretty well. We still have adjustments to make, especially since I arrived late in the transfer window. But there’s a lot of quality in midfield and we’ll find the right understanding.”

His ability to be decisive

“I just need to keep doing what I was doing at Brest. I’m a fairly versatile midfielder: I can win balls back, and I’ve also improved in making forward runs. I want to be decisive here at Rennes too, and I hope that will come.”

Relationship with the attacking players

“With their positioning, we spend a lot of time in central areas, which gives us numerical superiority. It creates options, and it’s also our role to make runs when they draw defenders. We still have to build that relationship, but once we’re all at 100%, it’ll be very effective.”

Roazhon Park

“With Saint-Étienne and then Brest, it was never easy to come and play here — everyone knows that. The fans are excellent, and I already got to experience it myself for 24 minutes against Marseille when I came on.”