48 hours after the defeat against Paris (3-0), and 72 before the kick-off of Lazio - Nice, Christophe Jallet spoke about the side’s difficult period. Focused on the future, the international full-back hopes to get a new dynamic going from Thursday at the Stadio Olimpico.

How would you describe your mood after this defeat at the Parc ?

There is disappointment, of course. We knew that it was going to be very difficult to take home points from there, but with another scenario... The goal conceded in the opening stages pulled us down. Then you are going into tricky waters, you know that you need to press higher up the pitch, but that if you open up too much, they can punish you with the quality and pace that they have up-front. In the second half, we came out with good intentions, we were better at the breakdown, but we struggled to make that pay offensively. We didn’t give up at all, even though it was complicated. And it became mission impossible with the injury to Allan (Saint-Maximin). It wasn’t a flamboyant match from us. It’s frustrating because I am sure that we could have done better. But it’s not this match that is putting us into difficulty, it’s more the games from before. We are in a negative spiral that we need to get out of. Now we need to look forward, to lift our heads as quickly as possible with the week that we have ahead of us.

How do you explain this bad period?

We haven’t been able to get good results, despite our desire to do so. The little bit of luck has escaped us, we are struggling to score straight away, and we are being made to ponder. And when you see your opponent’s first attempt hit the back of the net... These aren’t enjoyable times. It’s confidence which is lacking, because the quality is there. We have the chance to take some oxygen on board on Thursday and Sunday. 

“We often say that we play like we train” 

How to bounce back? 

It has to come through each one of us taking a hard look at ourselves. Everyone needs to concentrate on what they can do to help the team, and the whole squad will grow from that. You have to say to yourself that nothing is easy in football and playing 11 players with good intentions isn’t enough. The key is found in the training. We often say that we play like we train: it’s down to us to double our efforts - even if we are already working a lot - to be able to demonstrate in the match that we are working in the week. Work, that is the basis of everything, whatever the environment or the level. It’s down to us to do better to get our confidence back each day. For me, we need one win, even if it’s scrappy, that would be even better: to get a result whilst giving 300% to bring out our values and to improve the confidence of the squad. The win against Monaco could have served to that effect, it was very difficult to achieve, despite the size of the final result (4-0).

“A springboard for the league” 

To get a result in Rome, against an in-form Lazio, would send a great message... 

Of course. They are a quality opposition, but they didn’t seem to be that much better than us in the first game (1-3). They were mainly more realistic. If we do everything that we need to, we could produce a bit of a surprise. To see that we are able to beat a team like that, at their place, could be of huge benefit. It would also allow us to be well placed in the group. Physically, to play every 3 days is difficult, but we take a lot of positives from these European game: all of the squad are involved and players pick up experience. It also allows you to look at the bigger picture, to get some confidence back and to use it as a springboard for the league. To get a result in Rome would be the best form of preparation for Dijon.

F.H

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