Here is Franck Haise’s reaction after OGC Nice’s 2–1 defeat away to Metz on Matchday 12 of Ligue 1.

Coach, we imagine you didn’t get the response you were hoping for after Freiburg…

No, obviously not. We’re far from where we need to be, even if the match could have ended in a draw. In any case, we didn’t deserve much more.

How do you explain this new change in performance between the first and second half?

We didn’t have an exceptional first half either, despite a few interesting moves, especially the one that led to the goal, but we need to be able to reproduce that much more often. Right now (Sunday), and for some time, we’ve not been letting ourselves go enough offensively. Whether that’s because we lack the means, I don’t know. I’m convinced we do have the means to do better, maybe not to be irresistible, but to do more. Even defensively, we’re winning too few balls high up the pitch, even though we want to press and create one-on-one situations. We lack intensity and energy. Our team shape isn’t compact enough to recover possession higher up. There are many things to fix,  maybe even a need to completely change our approach.

What kind of change would that require?

Since we can’t recover the ball high even when we try to press high, maybe we have to stop trying. There’s a big difference between wanting to play high and actually doing it. It takes a lot of intensity and aggression to make it work, you need to push from the back. But we’re realising that we’re struggling to do that.

Are you more disappointed with the play or the attitude?

It’s not really about attitude. You can feel that we’re missing a lot of things. I think we could be higher, more intense, more aggressive. That’s part of mentality, but there’s also fragility, a lack of confidence. Should we go back to a more conservative approach? I wouldn’t call it less ambitious, because even if we intend to be ambitious, we’re not showing it on the pitch. The reality is that a lot of things need to change.

You were angry on Thursday — tonight (Sunday) you seem more resigned…

I’m very disappointed with our performance. I’d like us to show something different, and the first person responsible is me. I already said it on Thursday, even when I was angry, and I’ll say it again now. We’re not freeing ourselves enough. I don’t have all the answers, but maybe we simply don’t have the capacity to do more. Maybe we have to change systems, but when we defend with four, I’m not sure we’re any more solid. Or maybe we need to change certain tactical principles, which we did when we picked up points recently. We did that mostly out of necessity, given the quality of our opponents, but maybe that’s an option, even if it’s not one I particularly like.

Why did you choose to give the captain’s armband to Charles Vanhoutte?

Mainly because Melvin (Bard) was in a very difficult physical state yesterday (Saturday). The medical staff and performance team told me the risks were too high, that he hadn’t recovered enough. He’s the only outfield player who had played all six of our recent matches in full, and since I’ve had four central defenders injured for quite some time, I couldn’t rotate much. So I decided not to start him. Jo’ (Clauss) has worn the armband too, but I didn’t want to give it back to him at this moment. The player who seemed most suited to take it was Charles.

Were you surprised by Metz?

No, I’d watched their last two games. I knew exactly what to expect. Even at 1–0, we knew they’d keep playing their game until the end. We needed much more control, probably more chances, and to get that second goal to cool them down. But I knew they’d keep going. The equaliser from the penalty gave them a real boost. After that, there weren’t many chances. We conceded the second goal from an attacking situation we handled poorly. We lost the ball, they went long, and we weren’t in position because we were opening up to push forward. They hurt us with their long balls.

Do you still believe the team can reach its pre-season goals?

If we’re talking about European qualification and finishing in the top seven, I don’t think that’s where our focus should be. At least, that’s not where I’m looking. I’m looking behind us, not ahead.

Do you feel capable of breathing new life into this team?

That’s my job. But we’ve just lost three matches in a week. Given our current level, I’m not going to pretend that everything will suddenly change or promise that we’ll be amazing against Marseille in thirteen days. I’m mostly disappointed. Even without playing well, we still could have taken a point — and every point matters. I’m not afraid to change my principles, but it bothers me because I’m not even sure that’s the solution. If I were certain, I’d say, “Alright, let’s play low and hit on the counter.” But you need the players for that. We might find them, but it will require changes and adjustments.

Are you also disappointed with the substitutes’ impact?

They’re like the rest of the team. Some starters don’t play great games, and some substitutes don’t make great impacts. I’m the one making the choices, so I’m not having a great game either.

Was it a difficult decision to start Jonathan Clauss again?

No, not really. It had nothing to do with our earlier discussion. He’s the only true right wing-back in the squad. Tiago (Gouveia) had just started three straight matches in a short time, even though he didn’t play much last season or earlier this one. Jo’ had a full week of normal training, no issues, he was in good shape, and he’s played all season so far. Given that, I didn’t have any big doubts about starting him.

Will the team’s revival depend on an active winter transfer window?

That’s not for me to answer. I work with the squad I have. The club invested this summer, and it could do so only because it sold a lot first. If we couldn’t invest more in the summer, I don’t see why we would be able to in the winter. Otherwise, it should have been done earlier.

Is it frustrating to have a squad that doesn’t perfectly fit your playing principles?

It’s up to me to adapt. It’s always the coach’s job to do that. That’s the challenge for the weeks ahead: to keep earning points, move forward, rebuild confidence, and show a different side of us, even if it’s not exactly the style I’d prefer in the short term. We still have to move forward. This team and these players have quality. We can’t ask them to do everything, but I have to be capable of doing better with this group.

Is this the biggest challenge of your professional career?

What’s certain is that, regardless of the size of the challenge, compared to my expectations and the playing principles we share with the staff, we can’t keep going like this. We’re last in Ligue 1 for high ball recoveries — whereas I’ve usually coached teams that rank in the top three, if not first. I don’t think it’s a matter of bad attitude from the players, but are we capable of doing it? That’s a real question. We can certainly do more, but we’re not going to go from 18th to the top 5 overnight. I’ll have to find other solutions.

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