Suddenly, everything is better in Saint-Etienne. After an ugly series of three defeats in four games, including two straight setbacks at Geoffroy-Guichard, ASSE found some color by outclassing Pau (6-0) Tuesday evening during the 12th day of Ligue 2.
“I always wait for this energy, at each meeting, appreciated coach Eirik Horneland this Friday at a press conference. It’s a shame we didn’t show it more often. I hope we will also show the same enthusiasm this weekend (on the pitch at Red Star, editor’s note). It’s easier to erase the bad details when the energy is there. »
Against Pau, the Norwegian coach made strong choices by leaving Lucas Stassin and Zuriko Davitashvili on the bench, which allowed Irvin Cardona and Joshua Duffus to shine. “There is great internal competition for attackers, explains Horneland. Irvin Cardona is in very good physical shape at the moment. He had a great match against Pau. He was very dangerous and was very involved in defensive tasks. We have seven good players up front, there is a lot of competition, it’s an asset for us. No player is guaranteed to play but good performances give an advantage. »
Stassin has competition
We understand, despite his series of 4 goals in 3 matches in September, Lucas Stassin does not escape the competition. Mute for a month with his club, the Belgian will have to fight to keep his starting place, even if Cardona assures that competition is healthy in the offensive sector.
“We all have the same goal, we all want to go to the same place. There is no problem. We did a lot of good things on Tuesday with Joshua Duffus. He is a very good player, skillful in front of goal and hardworking. What struck me was the joy he had when he gave me the goal. He doesn’t calculate, he makes the team play. It’s important to have players like that. I get along very well with him, as with Lucas Stassin. The understanding between the players is great and the competition is really very healthy. »
