Last press conference of the year 2021, this Friday morning for Olivier Dall’Oglio, the coach of the MHSC, who receives Strasbourg, Sunday at La Mosson (4 p.m.) in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France. The opportunity to talk about Covid, a winning streak, memories of the Cup and the joy of playing. The MHSC is in its bubble and intends to stay there.
Olivier, the Covid is sweeping again in Europe and Ligue 1. Do you have any concerns
We are very, very vigilant. We do what we can and we do it as best we can in terms of medical monitoring. We know that we can easily lose, two, three or even more players, that could quickly impact the group, as we see in other clubs. Already, all our players are vaccinated, that’s a good thing, we are doing everything we need to. There is a whole general context but we wish to be spared.
Especially since Montpellier has been unstoppable since December (5 successes, 13 goals scored, 2 conceded). There is a dynamic to be preserved …
Absolutely. We stopped for six days for the break, I think we really needed it. The dynamic is still there, there is always this determination and this state of mind that we have praised from the start. The Coupe de France is another competition but it remains very important.
“We’re really into it, all the players are ready. The motivation is already there”
Is the memory of last year still present (elimination on penalties against PSG in the semi-finals)?
Last season was a huge disappointment but after that, it’s still a very good course. Competition is in the DNA of the club, which has had some great adventures. The speech is not complicated, they (the players) know that it is part of the history of the club, they also know that they can enter this history through the Coupe de France. We’re really into it, all the players are ready. The motivation is already there.
Your players have been in high demand. Is there the temptation to run on Sunday?
I can make some changes, but there will be no upheavals. You have to know how to keep the balance, the changes will be done sparingly.
MHSC-Strasbourg is also the duel between the 5th and the 2nd attack in Ligue 1 …
We meet a team that looks a bit like us, which relies on very efficient, fast and athletic attackers, good headers on set pieces. Strasbourg came to draw with us (1-1, 9th day on October 2), so this match will allow us to see if we have grown up, if we have evolved compared to that period. We must expect that it will not be easy. We will have to contain this team.
“Somewhere, we come out of the woods thanks to our series”
The sequence of performances will increase your media coverage. The MHSC is more expected …
Obligatorily. Somewhere, we come out of the woods thanks to our series. In this tightened championship, as soon as we do a series, we are at the top of the standings, so we talk more about ourselves. It’s part of the game, it’s up to me to manage it. We know our objectives, we know where we started from and what our projects were but, little by little, we put things in place. It’s still fragile, we need to confirm in the second half of the season.
To have a good season, you need a “tip”. Does MHSC have the “trick”?
The thing that comes up again is that we are in a very positive state of mind in terms of competitiveness, the group wants to work together and that’s huge. This group has gradually balanced itself, in the locker room, on the field, with well-defined leaders, boys who are solid to support the young people. These little extras can lead us to something different this season.
“We have a lot of fun, we have to keep that”
Health of course, but what can we wish you for 2022?
Indeed, health. We need to have peace of mind about the Covid, it is our priority. Otherwise, we want to stay in our continuity. What we hear, what we see, there is a lot of pleasure in what we do. We train with determination and seriousness, as staff we have a lot of fun, the group too. We want to keep that as much as possible. If we have that to the end, we will have done a full season and given pleasure to the public.
