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“Sunday, Saint-Etienne bowed in Lorient (1-2). With the Greens, the problem is unfortunately recurrent and has been going on for years. This team fails to take its important turns. This weekend, there was plenty to switch to the good side and breathe some fresh air. The Greens did not. The pressure to maintain is there and nothing will be easy with the reception of RC Lens on Wednesday. A match which is far from won for ASSE.
As much we did not expect Saint-Etienne to take points in Nice and Rennes but we could think that this team would be able to beat Nantes or Reims at home. Things are reversed. We could imagine that in Lorient, facing an opponent who has not really succeeded for them historically, it would be complicated. Already in the time of Gameiro and Pédron, the Greens were already in a hurry against the Hake. This was again the case on Sunday with Armand Laurienté’s double to respond to Harold Moukoudi’s opening scoring. For me, sharing points would not have been a big deal at Moustoir.
What bothers me above all is to have seen the Greens give in in the last ten minutes. After Lens, there are other knife games to play, against Nîmes, Dijon, Monaco or even at the Park against PSG. Now everything will depend on how lucky others are. Saint-Etienne toasted a lot of jokers, even if the clubs did not really take advantage of it behind. Be careful though with some awakenings. Lorient is coming back well, Nîmes had its good streak. Even Nantes, which, without being brilliant, has not lost since the arrival of Antoine Kombouaré. ASSE is not saved, we must be well aware of it.
“Do not stir the knife in the wound with Mostafa Mohamed”
In the content, there are some disappointments. Starting with Anthony Modeste. The striker on loan from Cologne will have to start scoring goals. When you take someone on the Winter Mercato, that’s still why. Last week, people said with a smile that Charles Abi was the winter recruit, but Anthony Modeste’s silence is starting to be a concern. Even if we are not on the same player scale, we can only be disappointed when we see what Arkadiusz Milik is doing in Marseille for example … For me, Anthony Modeste must at all costs score against Lens for do not let the discomfort set in.
Seeing Modeste struggling is all the more difficult because, at the same time, Mostafa Mohamed explodes in Galatasaray. Of course, you shouldn’t mix everything up. It is not known if the Egyptian would have adapted as well to Ligue 1 as to the Turkish championship, but it is certain that a player of this quality could have done good in Saint-Etienne. It could have been a real good pickaxe. Today it is no use wiggling the knife in the wound. Mostafa Mohamed will probably never be a Saint-Etienne player. Its market value is exploding and that is ancient history. You have to do with the means at hand and the means at hand, this is Anthony Modeste. I was happy with his coming and I will not change my speech. I hope he will find the solution soon.
“Puel – Moueffek, a false problem”
A word to end on the criticisms affecting Claude Puel after the entry then the exit of the young Aïmen Moueffek. It should be borne in mind that this is a change in the order of tactics and not a sanction. I had already seen him do that in Lille with Peter Odemwingie, released 15 minutes after coming into play. This does not call into question the quality of the player and I am not one of those who think that it can upset Moueffek. It’s a coach’s choice. I think Claude Puel will explain himself with his young player. Even if it is not very pleasant to live that, Aïmen Moueffek will understand it very well. I don’t worry more than that. For me, this is a false debate. “