Coach, we imagine that, given the week you’ve had, this victory might have a rather special feeling to it?

I’m mainly happy for the players because, once again, they’ve shown just how good they are. We’re continuing to make progress, we’ve picked up another three points tonight, and we’re on a superb run of form that we’ll try to keep going for as long as possible.

Was it moving for you when, after the first goal, all the players gathered round you?

Of course, yes, naturally. Nothing was planned, I wasn’t expecting it. Now, it’s obvious that it means a lot to me, but I know that’s just the sort of team we are. We’ve seen it since the start of the season: it’s a united team that wants to do well. Naturally, we all support one another and you can feel that on the pitch. With the quality of players we have, it’s important to be able to count on that solidarity within the squad. It gives us an extra boost and, perhaps, helps us maintain this positive run of results.

Despite this third straight win, the players weren’t entirely satisfied. Is it a good thing to see this level of ambition in your players?

It's a good thing! We must always aim to improve. We struggled tonight because, given the fairly clear-cut chances we created, we would have liked to have put the game beyond doubt much earlier. Despite that, due to a lack of clinical finishing, we were never safe from a comeback by the opposition. It would have been a shame to let points slip away tonight, so we need to show much greater control. In the second half, there were still quite a few turnovers. We need to be quicker to win the ball back and perhaps be even more disciplined defensively to avoid giving the opposition too many chances.

Mohamed Abdelmonem came off at half-time – can you tell us how he is?

He felt a twinge in his hamstring and decided to come off himself. It’s a shame because he was really on a good run at the moment, this could mean a bit of a setback for him. I hope he stopped in time and that the injury isn’t too serious.

Jonathan Clauss scored his third goal of the season in fine style. Gauthier Hein had a good game. We also saw Mohamed Amoura provide an assist. Isn’t it great for you to have all these options in attack?

Yes, it’s important to recognise the players who remain committed. They aren’t just substitutes, they’re game-changers. When they come on, they make a real difference. Last week, Gauthier set up the fifth goal. We’ve got committed players, all of whom are keen to start matches. Even if they aren’t in the starting line-up, when they come on, they want to show that they’ve got what it takes to start matches. That’s what’s great about our team. This competition is healthy and lifts everyone’s game. I say this week in, week out, but it really is the case.

Does this also show the depth of your squad?

I’m finding it much harder than at the start of the season to pick my starting eleven, in virtually every position. In midfield too, we’ve got plenty of players – and some top-class ones at that. The same goes for defence. These are good problems for me to have.

You were just talking about the star players in midfield. What’s your take on Hicham Boudaoui’s performance?

He has incredible technical ability and a massive engine. He’s a very important player who struggled at the start of the season, but he's now back to his best. He’s really coming into his own at the moment, particularly because the team is clicking. That makes him even more determined to put in great performances, which is a real bonus for the team.

With Axel Witsel absent, Youssouf Ndayishimiye captained the side for a second match in a row. Are you pleased with him?

He’s someone who makes his presence felt, even in training, and who gives his all on the pitch. He had a bit of a difficult start to the season, but you have to bear in mind that he hadn’t played for a year. Now, he’s back to his ideal weight, he’s shed the excess kilos and he’s in top form. The fact that the team is performing well makes him even more motivated to perform. We’re very pleased. It seems perfectly natural to me that he should regain the captain’s armband in this squad.

There are some big matches coming up – do you feel strong enough to tackle them?

In any case, we’ve got nothing to lose. We’re feeling confident today. The next match against PSG will be different. It’s obvious that playing at home makes for a brilliant fixture for us. We’re in a very comfortable position and we’re going to hold on to it. After that, there’ll be other matches – Marseille, Lens… I might be forgetting a few. These are exciting games to play, especially as we’re in a fairly comfortable position.

What will happen during the break? Are there any matches scheduled?

An internal friendly on Saturday, yes. We’re going to be missing a lot of players. I think there are twelve players away on international duty, if I’m not mistaken. So we’ll have a squad made up of the remaining players – about a dozen of them – plus the youngsters from the academy. That will also give us the chance to look at a few of them and assess their level a bit with a view to the future.

A word on Elye Wahi, who came up against a fine Anthony Lopes…

I’m not going to take anything away from the goalkeeper, but I think Elye has the ability to do much better and finish off his chances, even if he didn't find himself offside and he often got in behind Kamara. We had a laugh about it at the end, but he’s scored six goals since the start of the season and I reckon he should have scored twelve, and he knows it.

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