Zapping Goal! Football club UNFP Trophy: players of the month
“This last match against Dijon (1-0 defeat) is disappointing. It’s a wrong note. This DFCO could be taken. As it has been all season by all the teams. Saint-Etienne had to stand out with this defeat to avoid finishing in the Top 10. This match is a reflection of the season. ASSE was capable of great things like against Lille and against PSG. But also the worst against teams like Brest, Metz, Dijon …
“They ended up like clowns”
I understand that there is frustration without an audience but I would have liked the players to put themselves more miserable to end on a good note. They ended up like clowns. Of course, we do not ask them to push a team that was already condemned to Ligue 2 but it is not very professional to have made such a match. Saint-Etienne had the opportunity to prove that this season was accidental, to send a good sign for next season … ASSE did not do it. 2020-21 will remain as an exercise where Saint-Etienne was tough.
Since last week, we know that Mathieu Debuchy and Kévin Monnet-Paquet will not be kept. Romain Hamouma is a special case. He will get something. Will he accept it? For at least two of them, we will never see them again in the green jersey. It’s like that. Is it a lack of respect as some think? For me, just because a player is excellent – I’m thinking of Mathieu Debuchy – doesn’t mean you have to do anything.
“Debuchy – Monnet-Paquet? The club has shown pragmatism ”
Today, budgetary considerations must be taken into account. They go beyond the sentimental. Clubs are on the verge of bankruptcy. ASSE is doing less badly than others but still has to be careful because of its heavy debt. In a choice like that of renewing executives at the end of their contract, this should not be overlooked. Given what Debuchy and Monnet-Paquet did, the leaders would have rewarded them for their loyalty a few years ago. No doubt they would have gotten an extra year or two. Today, we must show pragmatism and that is what Saint-Etienne did for them. It’s like that. An era is ending, with respect for both sides.
For me, the Romain Hamouma case should be seen as separate. If it were not to be extended and not receive an offer worthy of the name, that would be a huge mistake. Everyone knows I adore him. He is a football player like there are few in Ligue 1. In case of departure, his technique and his enthusiasm will be lacking in Saint-Etienne. Today, it’s up to the club to decide. We hear things, we will see what the club will offer him. I hope ASSE will bring down the card of practice on a player who has been there for a long time. Of course, Hamouma is more at the end of his career than at the beginning, but he still has a lot to contribute. If there is only one left, it must be him ”.
“They ended up like clowns”
I understand that there is frustration without an audience but I would have liked the players to put themselves more miserable to end on a good note. They ended up like clowns. Of course, we do not ask them to push a team that was already condemned to Ligue 2 but it is not very professional to have made such a match. Saint-Etienne had the opportunity to prove that this season was accidental, to send a good sign for next season … ASSE did not do it. 2020-21 will remain as an exercise where Saint-Etienne was tough.
Since last week, we know that Mathieu Debuchy and Kévin Monnet-Paquet will not be kept. Romain Hamouma is a special case. He will get something. Will he accept it? For at least two of them, we will never see them again in the green jersey. It’s like that. Is it a lack of respect as some think? For me, just because a player is excellent – I’m thinking of Mathieu Debuchy – doesn’t mean you have to do anything.
“Debuchy – Monnet-Paquet? The club has shown pragmatism ”
Today, budgetary considerations must be taken into account. They go beyond the sentimental. Clubs are on the verge of bankruptcy. ASSE is doing less badly than others but still has to be careful because of its heavy debt. In a choice like that of renewing executives at the end of their contract, this should not be overlooked. Given what Debuchy and Monnet-Paquet did, the leaders would have rewarded them for their loyalty a few years ago. No doubt they would have gotten an extra year or two. Today, we must show pragmatism and that is what Saint-Etienne did for them. It’s like that. An era is ending, with respect for both sides.
For me, the Romain Hamouma case should be seen as separate. If it were not to be extended and not receive an offer worthy of the name, that would be a huge mistake. Everyone knows I adore him. He is a football player like there are few in Ligue 1. In case of departure, his technique and his enthusiasm will be lacking in Saint-Etienne. Today, it’s up to the club to decide. We hear things, we will see what the club will offer him. I hope ASSE will bring down the card of practice on a player who has been there for a long time. Of course, Hamouma is more at the end of his career than at the beginning, but he still has a lot to contribute. If there is only one left, it must be him ”.