Deprived of competition for a month, the Crocos, who play in Fos-sur-Mer (N3), this Friday in a friendly, are working hard to get back on track.
Last season, after twelve days, Nîmes Olympique was 10th in the National with 16 points (3 wins, 7 draws, 2 defeats, 12 goals for, 12 against). He is now 12th with three points less (3 wins, 4 draws, 5 losses, 9 goals scored, 12 conceded). Before the 13th day when it will be exempt, the crocodile club is only three units ahead of the relegation zone…
The National ranking
“We’re going to start looking back”don’t hide Waly Diouf. If the crocodile defender recently considered going “rub shoulders with the leading teams”he now sees no further than the next two matches, the last of 2024, Le Mans and Paris Atletico: “You have to set short-term goals.”
A physical work plan in place
After two defeats at Bourg Péronnas (2-1) and in front of Quevilly Rouen (0-2), the forced one-month truce has in any case fallen well. “We need to question ourselves, we need to work harder to get back on track.”insists Diouf.
“Given the last two matches which did not satisfy me and we had difficulty finishingexplains Adil Hermach, I’m happy to have time on my hands. We have put in place a physical work plan to bring some people up to speed.”
Echoes of the Crocs
Injury. Cozzella was injured Thursday morning. After an exit and a fist clearance, the Italian goalkeeper fell badly, his crampons remaining buried in the ground. He collapsed, screaming in pain. Affected in the left ischio, he left the field on crutches and had to go for exams in the afternoon.
Dias (knee) and Ichalalen (fingers) out, Ngapandouetnbu in selection, it is Clément Masse, reserve goalkeeper, who appeared during four pre-season preparation matches, who will keep the cages against Fos-sur-Mer.
Groupe. Doukansy (ankle), Akkal (foot kick) and Amara (foot) will not participate in the friendly match against Fos-sur-Mer. Adil Hermach also decided to leave Beneddine, Mendy, Picouleau and Mexico to rest. Were summoned: Masse, Sbaï, Labonne, Diouf, Iafrate, Paviot, Laurens, Bouaoune, Lemaangr, Marcel, Camara, Abdeljelil, Khalid, El Hamri, Osei, Badu, Ali Abdallah.
Studious week with five workouts
The week was studious. In addition to the “improved cleaning” added to the program last Saturday, Mendy and his partners had five training sessions. “We worked hard but this is not the week where we will work the hardest.”warns the croc trainer who reminds: “The game I recommend is very energy-intensive. He asks to have guys ready (he repeats it three times). And there, I have the impression that there are two or three who are no longer really ready… So we are working to make things work. It’s going to be hard for some. If they let go, it will make it easier for me to make team choices.”
Hermach: “Learn to hate losing even small games”
Monday afternoon, while waiting, because he wanted to be “shocking”Adil Hermach took complete control of the intense hour and a quarter session, as he sometimes does, and he was (a lot) vocal.
“Waly, you’re too low too fast.”“Dagui, there were fewer touches to do than that”“Hamza, this is shit! Go hard, make him bang!”, “Alignment, alignment!”, “there is a lack of solutions when the piston has the ball…”the thoughts and advice have not stopped flowing. And the blue bib team, which found itself at minus 11 at the end of an exercise, was entitled to a little physical refreshment… “We must already learn to hate losing even small games”insists the Nîmes technician who is looking “other levers” to get his team to do more and better.
Facing Fos-sur-Mer, surpassing oneself
The week was therefore studious and to finally face Fos-sur-Mer (N3, 3rd in group J), this Friday, November 15 at 6:30 p.m., and not Grasse (N2) as initially planned (too long journey and lawn synthetic, argue NO), “we won’t have much freshnessannounces Adil Hermach. You will have to draw on resources, surpass yourself to last in the match and repeat the races and efforts. We will remain consistent in our organization but it is the physical aspect that will be put forward first.”.
