Here is Olivier Pantaloni’s reaction during his press conference, just moments after the cruel defeat against Olympique Lyonnais on S dimanche soir (2-1).

Coach, what do you make of this match? Do you feel that the final score is harsh? 

Looking at the second half, yes. I think we thoroughly deserved to get back on level terms given all the chances and opportunities we created, hitting the crossbar once and the post once, and then that final incident where we were talking about a matter of two or three centimetres, with the tip of Elye Wahi’s knee just beyond the opposing defender’s foot… We thought we’d salvaged a point tonight (Sunday), but unfortunately, we ended up losing. As for the first half, we can have regrets about taking the lead, even though we were very timid in our play. On top of that, we can rue conceding two goals that were entirely avoidable, particularly the second, which came from a lapse in concentration at a set piece. We were caught off guard.

We struggled in the first half. We were sitting very deep and found it difficult to press the opposition high up the pitch, something we managed to put right after the break. That allowed us to get much more involved in the game and win the ball back more easily. With our low block, we came under a lot of pressure, but the only chances Lyon managed to create came from our own mistakes. We gave the ball away too cheaply on quite a few occasions. Once we improved both our high pressing and our technical quality in possession, we were a much better side.

Do you get the feeling that you have found the best Elye Wahi ?

He’s gradually regaining his confidence. This goal will do him good, and it’s a shame his second wasn’t allowed to stand. For a striker, scoring goals is the most important thing. It meant a lot to him, and he stepped up when it mattered. He’s a player who can score at any moment and is a real threat to the opposition. I hope this gives him a boost and that he goes on to score plenty more.

Did you feel that he was doubting himself in recent weeks?  

I had a conversation with him, and it’s true that he was putting a bit of pressure on himself because he’d arrived at Nice, with certain expectations of him given the six months he spent here last year. Even though he scored against Le Mans, he was eager to score again.

Did this match come down to individual mistakes?

For the first goal, I think, we need to show much greater discipline in the penalty area. It was avoidable. The second came from a quickly taken free kick, and we were caught out because we weren’t tight enough on the player delivering the cross. Our defensive line also reacted poorly, leaving significant gaps that allowed (Tanner) Tessmann to pick up the ball.

Do the 20 minutes with the extra man leave you with some regrets?  

It’s true that we had a strong presence in their penalty area during the final 20 minutes, but we started causing Lyon a lot of problems right from the beginning of the second half. It was during that spell that we hit the crossbar and the post. That shows that even with 11 men against 11, we did some really good things.

Do you feel that you are on the right track? 

The mentality is there. Our playing principles are starting to become well established. I think there’s still a little doubt in the players’ minds, and that’s what the first half was down to. We didn’t dare to play, and perhaps we were a little too cautious against this Lyon side. I hope this game, and the second half in particular, will give us that extra bit of confidence going into the matches ahead.

How do you explain your late changes?  

It’s always difficult to come into a game. Last week, I thought the substitutes had made a real impact. This time, I felt the players who had started still had plenty left in the tank, so I decided to keep them on the pitch for longer. Then we tried to change things, taking defenders off to give us more attacking threat. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.