Missing from the starting 11 for the first time in 2017, Arnaud Souquet didn’t take part in his side’s defeat against Lazio (1-3). “Frustrated” by the outcome of the match, the defender delivered what he thinks are the keys for success 48 hours before the match against Strasbourg.

After an almost perfect month of September, the Aiglons have been defeated on 3 occasions in October (against Marseille, Montpellier and Lazio), and have let in 9 goals: “the defeat against Marseille left its mark a bit, of course, because we were in a good place, admitted Arnaud Souquet. Now, it's gone, and we will need to put in good team performances to hope to climb up the table."

"As a defender, it's our main job"

For the ex-Dijon man, the bounce back will come when the side can find their defensive solidity once more: "As a defender, of course, it annoys us when we concede, because it's our main job. It's like when a striker can't score". Against the Alsaciens who just put three past Marseille (3-3), the full-back believes that it will be "important to finish the match with a clean sheet. That will make things easier, and will allow us to find serenity at the back again. Strasbourg are coming off the back of a very good game. We are going in the other direction, we are asking more questions of ourselves. We are in a phase in which our opponents are scoring from each of their chances. Unconsciously, we can think about that when we defend."

The Rennes example

"We need to double our efforts and to be even more rigorous: that's the way that we can turn this around, continued Souquet. We can't panic, but knowing at the same time that nothing will be given to us on a plate. We will have to go out and find it."

To do so, the number 2 intends on drawing from the performance put in at Rennes, when the Aiglons secured their last clean sheet in the league (0-1): "Even if it wasn't flamboyant, there were good things and we showed our ability to be solid. We will need to take lessons from that game to be able to come back up to our level."

F.H.

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