After the win against Standard Liege (2-1), his team's first pre-season victory, the OGC Nice coach was happy with the way his squad is improving.

Coach, you must be happy with this first pre-season win. 
It's a really good thing to win a game, but the aim for us was to continue improving. The match was promising because we saw a Nice side that was better in its build-up play and its technical level, in possession and in creating good situations. We could have done a lot better, but overall, I'm happy with the performance.

After five pre-season games, it seems like the squad is coming together on and off the pitch
After some weeks of training, we have a better and better understanding in our play. Defensively, there are still quite a few things to sort out, but we looked very promising going forward. We're creating bonds, we were united in difficult periods. I heard a lot of shouts of encouragement on the pitch and the players spoke more than usual. It's encouraging.

What did you think of Morgan Schneiderlin's debut?
It was planned that Morgan play the first half. I thought he was very encouraging, because he's a player who defends going forward, who wins the ball back a lot and who is very precise in his passing. We're happy and the aim during the next game is for him to play even more and to feel better physically.

The game allowed you to give certain key squad members more time on the pitch.
The aim is to give everyone playing time. We're coming into the final straight with one match a week. With my staff, we have to identify the best XI to prepare for Lens (Ligue 1 Round 1 on 23 August). It's up to the players to make it difficult for me to choose and I'll try to do my best to prepare for this game.

The next stage is the training camp in Austria between 31 July and 8 August, and two more friendlies.
We're going to Austria with a limited squad. It's important to create a group and a team spirit with the players who feel involved and want to be part of the project.

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