Just three days after a sad draw conceded on the Lorient pitch (1-1), PSG already continues, this Saturday (5 p.m.), with the reception of OGC Nice at the Parc des Princes. A meeting which should both allow the European champion to relaunch in Ligue 1, where he is still leader, and prepare for the shock against Bayern Munich on Tuesday in the Champions League. Present at a press conference, Luis Enrique recognized that his team could do better and demonstrate more regularity.
Nice have won their last two Ligue 1 matches at the Parc. Is this additional motivation in preparing for this meeting?
LUIS HENRY. Of course, it’s motivation. It’s not normal for us (to lose so much), we’re not used to this type of results at home. This is clearly motivation for tomorrow. It will also be very difficult, because they are in a positive moment. There is no other team with such a good record against PSG.
You spoke after the match in Lorient about a lack of rhythm, Vitinha highlighted a lack of intensity. How complicated is it this season to find consistency and determination in the league?
It’s life, it’s football! Don’t be concerned, we have plenty of games to improve this. Compared to the Champions League, the results are so different from last season. It’s more rewarding to have these results. We try to win every match. In the end, the team that wins L1 will be the most consistent team, not just in the first ten matches. At the moment, we are first, we must not forget, but of course we can improve our performance.
“If you think about not getting injured, you can’t be a professional player”
Does Désiré Doué’s injury invite you to be more careful, particularly with Ousmane Dembélé?
There are no problems for Ousmane. We are concerned every day about the health of players, but injuries are part of life as professionals. Players can do their job, but injury is part of life. It (Doué’s injury) was a shame, because it’s not pretty to see a player injured. At the moment, I think we are recovering players and that is very positive for us.
Do you sense any worry among your players?
No. You have to accept that (the risk of injury). If you think about not getting injured, you can’t be a professional player or a professional athlete.
“You made a controversy out of it as usual”
You rested Achraf Hakimi several days after the match in Brest. Do you plan to reproduce this pattern with other players?
Of course. I seek to improve individual performance, I am open to resting players. If he needs a little rest, that’s no problem. We have a different mentality. Players can speak with the staff to try to get some rest. We can offer them these moments. It depends on each person. This happened in previous seasons, with Kylian, Ousmane. You made a controversy out of it as usual. I like the players to arrive with a smile, to want to play football. It’s not a problem for me to give them some rest.
How do you anticipate player injuries?
It depends on a lot of things. We look to plan things, but there are a lot of different circumstances. You try to take a path, to manage, but you have to change your plans all the time because it depends on the match, the physique of each player, the age as well. It’s not easy but it’s the job of all coaches.
“We improved defensively”
What is your opinion of Franck Haise?
It’s difficult to play against him. I remember we played against him when he was not in Nice. I hope to motivate my players to overcome the difficulty of the match and win the three points. This will be the best way to arrive before the Champions League.
How do you judge your team’s defensive performance?
I am happier this year with the defensive work than last year. In football, there are times when you don’t get the results you deserve. We improved defensively, even if we conceded more goals than we deserved. We are in the process of improving this. I hope that our number of goals conceded will be less than last year. But I’m happy at this time of the season.
