Metz-OM: Press conference

replay of the press conference on Twitch

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Arthur Vermeeren: ‘Here, we try to play beautiful football.’

The first few months in Marseille

I'm very happy to be here. It all happened very quickly at the end of the transfer window. I needed some time to adapt, to learn the coach's style of play so that I could feel comfortable in the team and in the game. Against Ajax, I was able to show what I can do, and I think that's what happened. I hope I'll have other opportunities to do so.

OM-Ajax

Anything can happen in a Champions League match. Ajax weren't bad, we didn't play our best game, but we were decisive. It's the little things that make the difference. We executed the plan.

Contacts before 2025

I can't say much about it. I had the confidence of Medhi and the coach before this summer. That gave me confidence. I made that choice and I'm very happy with it.

I'm going to give my all this year in Marseille. The future is not in my hands. I want to perform well, play well for myself and the team. We'll see what happens after that.

The midfield

We have a very good midfield, competition, different options, different qualities too. During the match, we saw that I got on well with Matt O'Riley. I won't have any problems getting along with everyone. We have good players and we can all play together.

Metz-OM

In the dressing room, we're all focused on the match. We could have an accident and lose points, but everyone knows it's an important match, so we're 100% focused. No one is saying it will be easy.

Sources of inspiration

There are different players in the team who complement each other. My qualities? My vision of the game and my understanding. With the ball at my feet, I'm calm and confident. I win the ball back. Andres Iniesta is my inspiration. I take each match as it comes. I want to play. There's competition and everyone wants to play.

Playing at the bottom of the table

We have a lot of confidence in the team. That's where it all starts. We've all been there: we're all focused on the big games and sometimes we lose concentration for the other games. We learn from our mistakes and we know how to deal with them.

Integrating new players

It went well. I'm happy to be here. OM is a big club, well organised on and off the pitch. That has helped.

The fierce competition

At this level, it has to come from the level. We understand that the team is the most important thing. The coach makes choices so that the team wins. Everyone works towards that and tries to prove themselves. The players understand that the team comes before the individual. I'd like to play, but the coach makes the choices.

His view of Ligue 1

In Spain, I didn't play much. In Germany, it's very physical. Here, I feel like we play a lot of football, with a high intensity. The match against PSG was the highest level. Every competition is different. Here, we try to play beautiful football.

Roberto De Zerbi: ‘The new signings have brought enthusiasm’

The state of the squad

It will be a big effort tomorrow because Metz have lost games at the end of matches. It will be difficult, especially away from home. We will have to play well, not take any risks, and be cynical in attack. The matches are coming thick and fast. I have to see if Balerdi can play or not. Apart from Medina, all the players are available. Medina will be out for a while. I rotate the squad to give everyone the right amount of playing time, so as not to overwork the players and risk injuries. Every match will be important.

Igor Paixão

Sometimes, with certain players, you have to invest in their physical and mental condition beforehand. I try to play him all the time, and when his performance drops, I replace him. We are suffering from Traoré's absence. Against Ajax, Gomes played in a position he is not used to. Paixão is getting back to the level we knew him at.

Traoré and Kondogbia

After the break or the week before Le Havre. October is a pivotal month, with Angers, Le Havre, Lens... Very difficult matches and Champions League matches against Sporting and Atalanta. All the players must be ready to play these matches. We should be happy, from the morning, to play during the week. We could watch the matches from our sofa...

The sequence of matches

We try to make as few mistakes as possible. Balerdi could have played against Ajax, but there was a risk. We can't praise Medhi for building a great team and then take risks. We look at the sequence of matches for the players, like Højbjerg, who had played three matches in a row. We have to rely on everyone. Vaz came on against Strasbourg and made a decisive contribution. They too are ready to play.

Amine Gouiri

I see Gouiri as always being in good form. He's calm, he knows he can play, come on in the second half. He asks himself fewer questions than you do. There are so many matches that everyone plays. It's simpler for me. I don't like to test players. Gouiri is a strong player, he has nothing to worry about.

Metz, a united team

It will be a different match. When you have a closed team with physical midfielders, it's difficult to play against them. All the big teams have to face this kind of match. You have to have qualities such as fighting spirit and competitiveness. Without desire and sacrifice on the pitch, a top-level team can't make a difference.

Amine Gouiri

He has different characteristics from Vaz or Aubameyang. He's a player who likes to play and make others play. He's not always in the box. He's never scored 20 or 30 goals in a season. But his qualities are what we want. Against PSG, he helped the others, which is why he played. I try to find the best solution depending on the match. This year, it's not about saying ‘I played’ or ‘I didn't play’. Players will play 90, 70 or 45 minutes, but above all they must look at what they bring to the team.

Arthur Vermeeren

Yes, he will undoubtedly play other matches. He is the present and the future of the club. We are also working for the future of the club. He has a lot of room for improvement. On the pitch, he needs to be more of a leader in his surroundings. If he becomes less shy, he will be able to increase his performance on the pitch. As a player, he is very strong, as you have seen.

Midfielders

Rongier and Rabiot are great players. They've left and are doing well where they are. We've signed some very strong players. The team is strong. These players are even stronger once I've seen them. They have different characteristics. We've raised our expectations. Our ambitions are greater, as are our expectations. We've raised the bar. We beat PSG. Our players played a very big game against Paris.

The new signings and the revival of the team

August was a difficult month in terms of results, defeats and the transfer window. We haven't done anything special, we're working in the same way. Strong players have arrived, all together. They are good people and they have brought enthusiasm. The match in Madrid helped us understand certain things about football and about ourselves. But this is not the time to take stock.