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Ursea: ‘Regrets and frustration’

Adrian Ursea spoke in the post-match press conference after the Gym were beaten in Paris (2-1).

Adrian, you must have some regrets after this loss…

Regrets and frustration. Despite the things we did well especially in the second half, despite the fact that we might have deserved a draw tonight football is a results business and tonight unfortunately it’s another defeat for us.  I would like to speak about the team’s improvement, we’re improving and changing bit by bit. We saw some good things against a very good Paris side. We hope to carry on what we did well notably in the second half to prepare the upcoming games. We’re not through the tough period yet but I feel like we’re gaining confidence and that’s what I’m interested in.

What gives you more hope?

I think we’ve got a good balance now. Both centre backs (Todibo and Saliba) bring a lot of calmness and give us stability. You can see that they know what they’re doing. Playing like that against such quality strikers and bringing the ball out like they did is a massive positive for the future. It makes the rest of the team play better. When we’re good in that area the whole team plays better. Defensively I think we were solid with a compact block and a good presence at the back. It’s good to see for what’s coming up. When we play with those two at the back our midfield works well too.

Is it not tough to expect that after the past few weeks?

With the way we play there are a lot of positives. But once more we’re disappointed and frustrated, we know deep down that we do things well it’s now up to us to transform them into concrete things. We’re going to use tonight’s positives but we need to be consistent and be a bit wiser, know when not to commit the silly fouls. Against Monaco we played well but we were punished by a set piece that we need to deal with better. Tonight it’s a marking issue and we were punished.

Why did you not make any changes?

I felt the team was doing very well. I didn’t see anyone getting worse. Everyone was doing their job. I need to look after everyone’s game time. It will give me the chance to rotate against Marseille to prepare the game after that.

Do you think you’ve found your best eleven?

I’m counting on everyone. In periods like these it’s tough to find the balance quickly and how to make it work. What’s really important is that everyone, no matter who’s playing takes on board the way we play. We could say that that worked tonight and that there are some positives to take from the game. But it was also good in the cup with different players. What I’m focusing is that everyone focuses on the same way of playing and gain confidence by taking risks and their responsibilities.  I would like us to play well from start to finish.

Does Alexis Claude-Maurice seem freer in the middle of the pitch?

Yes. But confidence comes with game time. He’s been lucky to have had a run of games. Alexis is starting to find his spot and his position. He’s someone who thinks a lot and asks himself a lot of questions. We’ve spoken to him a lot and tried to tell him to be more instinctive. When you think too much you in be slow in your decision making. The goal is to free him up a lot more because he’s someone who has a lot of potential and can bring a lot to the team.