Habib Beye : « It's not the most impressive victory, but it's very welcome. »

A victory won through grit
“It’s not the most beautiful win, but it’s a very satisfying one. We went out and earned it in a scenario that was different from what we’ve experienced recently. I told you we shouldn’t expect the same standards as Monaco or Strasbourg, but rather something more like Paris FC. We lost our technical control of the match despite a very good start, during which we could have scored a second goal. A few weeks ago, this could have been the kind of match we didn’t win 1–0. It’s a clean sheet — I’m satisfied. The boys felt how hard it was, but they’re enjoying this victory.”

The decision to make a triple substitution
“I felt that we weren’t regaining our technical grip on the match. We chose to take off three players to create a shock effect, because that’s often something that marks a group. I had also asked that it be the group that wins — together — with the impact players. The ones who came on were essential to maintaining the lead the team had built in the first half.”

Valentin Rongier the goalscorer
“Valentin Rongier has a magnificent shooting ability. He showed it tonight and was rewarded with a beautiful action. I think we had a very strong start to the match in terms of technique and dominance. If Valentin took three shots, it’s because of the team’s high positioning — he found himself close to the box. We had decided that Mahdi (Camara) would stay in midfield and Valentin would push forward. That’s exactly what we worked on in training.”

Complacency at 1–0?
“No, my players did not show complacency. The fragility we experienced was linked to our technical quality. For 25 minutes we controlled the match. Then we gave the ball away — and when you give it away, you lose control, you run more, and you struggle more physically. I believe we came under pressure, but not to the extent of being very exposed. Metz’s chances mostly came from long-range shots.”

 

Valentin Rongier 

« I want to congratulate FC Metz, who are a team that really try to play football. Personally, I’m not fully satisfied because our performance wasn’t good enough. But Ligue 1 is a tough league, with many good teams — taking three points away from home is difficult. Tonight, we managed to do it, unlike at the start of the season when we struggled in many away matches and dropped points. This evening, we were solid, Brice made the right saves at the right moments. We’re building momentum, and that’s the most important thing.»
 

 

Quentin Merlin

« It was complicated. These matches where we suffer are important for what comes next. We're continuing the run, which is good, and we need to keep it going. We'll analyse what we did less well and keep working hard. We're staying united and ambitious, but we're going to take it one match at a time.»