Vladimir Petkovic (Bordeaux) : « Il ne faut surtout pas broyer du noir »
“What have you put in place in this short time to bounce back?”
We have done our best. It was very important to talk about the game we had the other day (defeat 1-2 against Brest, Sunday), but it is even more important to focus on the upcoming match (Wednesday in Strasbourg), because we don’t have a lot of time.
How did you proceed concretely with the group? What did you tell them?
Things said in the family should remain so. Football is like a family. The things I say and the way I say them should stay between us.
What is the priority: leave it open and work on it or the reference very quickly?
It is important to look at the curious points that went wrong during the game. We can’t take a single point out of two matches that we scored, where we had a lot of chances. It is very important to be more concrete in the marking and more realistic in front.
“If we are talking about a crisis, there has been one since I arrived”
Is the word “crisis” too strong today?
If we talk about a crisis, there has been one since I arrived. There is a new project with an ongoing process. We are certainly going through a crisis in terms of points, but we must not only think about our position in the Championship.
Your leaders had strong words after the defeat against Brest against the players, whose attitude was singled out. Do you agree with this observation?
There might have been this problem for 15 or 20 minutes but it is not the only one. You have to try to take advantage of the opportunities you have and especially not to be in the dark when you are in difficulty. You have to be mentally stronger, try to put in contrast to come back to difficult times.
Some, including yourself, have spoken of arrogance. But what is it really about? For fear of losing or lacking confidence?
When all is well, we sin a little out of lightness. There, we start to make mistakes in passing and marking as well. There is a definite lack of confidence in negative times.
Have you discussed with your leaders since Sunday?
Not especially. We always talk, after or before a victory or a defeat. We collaborate all the time.
“We have already seen other teams in great difficulty come out of it”
Are you going to make strong choices in Strasbourg to shake up the group?
Maybe not strong choices, but definitely necessary. I still have to do an assessment today but there could be changes. I also have to take into account the demands of the present moment and think of the longer term. You have to know how to manage energies.
Do you plan to change your strategy?
What I saw in the goals we took is that they are responsible for individual errors. You have to be more focused and present in the action for the team. You should not enter this vicious circle after one mistake that leads to other mistakes.
Do you think about the prospect of relegation?
It’s too early to think about it. We have to concentrate to do better. The victories bring other victories. We have already seen other teams in great difficulty come out of it. The situation is serious, it must be taken as such. “