OM-Montpellier (5-1): Coach's reaction
What's your take on the game?
It wasn't an easy match given the period we've been through. The first half wasn't great; sometimes emotions get in the way. I'm very proud of my players. You have to give them credit when they do well. We've been second pretty much all season. We've had some bad results, but we're back in second place and the players deserve all the credit. We conceded a silly goal, but tonight we have to talk about Rulli's saves and Greenwood's goals. I'm proud of them tonight.
Will you be going on a training camp until the end of the season, as reported in the press today?
Well done to L'Equipe because they're the ones who got the information first. Yes, we've thought about doing everything, together with the club, to achieve our objectives. We need to work on our mindset and unity. Pablo Longoria, Medhi Benatia and I have thought about spending a few weeks together to achieve what we want.
It's a beautiful thing, people should appreciate it. The club has done everything to make it possible, and the players have agreed, even though some of them have families. For a month, we'll be completely focused on football so that next year, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we'll be playing football.
You're back in second place. Your destiny is in your own hands...
If we beat Brest, Lille, Rennes, Le Havre... We have to win all our games. We have to be willing to give everything for the Champions League, we have to give our all to achieve it.
Tell us about your changes...
Amine Harit came on because I wanted him to get some playing time. He's an important player for us who hasn't had much playing time. I did it in Monaco and I did it again tonight. I didn't want to take Greenwood off because I want him to reach 20 goals. Adrien Rabiot also played as a wing-back tonight.
How did we concede the goal tonight? Was it because we played with four or five at the back? If it's not a problem with the number of defenders, then maybe it's a problem with superficiality. We have moments of slackness, sometimes we get stuck, the ball weighs heavily. The drop in intensity and concentration are problems. Without goals like that, we wouldn't have 55 points, we'd have a lot more.
A word about Mason Greenwood and his performance...
I work all year round to help the players. Mason Greenwood is very young and he's had two years without playing. Last year, he was playing for a club fighting to stay up and the season was cut short. He has a wonderful family and his father helps him a lot. He has a lot of opportunities and it can seem like he's wasting his talent. We need to embrace him, encourage him... I help my players to progress because if the players progress, it's easier to achieve the club's objectives.
Ulisses Garcia had a good game, notably winning the penalty. With Leonardo Balerdi back, who would you like to see playing alongside him next week?
He can play with Balerdi. There are some irreplaceable players, like Balerdi, who has unique qualities for the team. There are other important players for us, such as Kondogbia, who has hardly played in his position. It would be great if the club could extend his contract. There's Rulli, Rongier, Maupay, Bennacer... Yesterday I told Bennacer he wouldn't be starting and he reacted like a man. Everyone is pushing for the good of the team.
The Orange Vélodrome broke its attendance record. How do you feel about all the love from the fans?
I've made mistakes in my life, but the best decision I ever made was to come here. When you live for football, like I do, you can't not come to Marseille. I'm at a big club and sometimes the media look for problems where there aren't any. When you leave the training ground with the goal in mind and you arrive near the stadium, you see the atmosphere and it stirs up emotions. It's really special for us.
