Agen: facing Rouen, Armandie must once again become a fortress
Already beaten four times at home in the first leg, the SUA must execute this to hope to finish in the six. Bernard Goutta refined his action plan during the truce and hopes that it will work against Rouen, this Friday January 6 (7 p.m.), on the occasion of the 16th day of Pro D2.
If Agen is the best Pro D2 team on the outside, the four defeats conceded to Armandie (Grenoble, Colomiers, Oyonnax, Béziers) weigh down its balance sheet (8th). On the return phase, the Agenais authorize eight times for seven trips . There is therefore an obligation to become sovereign again at home to hope to play the final stages.
During the truce, manager Bernard Goutta did not cut much. With his staff, he tried to find solutions to the evil that paralyzes his team in Armandie. She who can’t kill the matches and finds herself forced into a money time where, feverish, she cracks each time.
“We must no longer accept defeat in Armandie. This reception of Rouen to launch the block and the return phase must be a small turning point for us. “The Catalan would have liked to talk about his Aimé-Giral era, the pride of the jersey, the pride. “When we lost at home, we no longer dared to leave the week. »
“The new generation is asking for something else”
But times are changing. “Pride, pride, that’s the old days. The new generation is asking for something else: the right words, the right organization. We have to take him differently to home games. So we changed our approach strategy. »
The Lot-et-Garonnais coach did not, of course, go into detail. But we can expect a big start to the match, where intensity and aggressiveness will be the watchwords.” The pressure we can have playing here with our previous results, we have to take it on board, not to suffer, and to reflect it on our adversaries.
The sector of the key, at bay during the third failed block of the SUA (four defeats), was reviewed and thought out by Bernard Goutta, who came to adapt Dave Ryan in this sector: “Changes in the organization to, above all, regain trust, an essential factor in this complicated exercise. »
“The first note is the one that sets the pace for what follows. It must therefore be fair, delivers Captain Arnaud Duputs. We absolutely must send another image, especially to Armandie for our supporters. To re-enter the top 6, the SUA must absolutely triumph tonight and drive out their demons against the Rouennais who can be eye-catching if the game is tight. The objective will therefore be to do everything so that it is not.
Afterwards, it will be time to go and test yourself at a direct competitor, Vannes, before another cut. “We’re going into commando mode for these two games,” says a determined Goutta. He will field the same team for these two meetings, the best of the moment in his eyes. Probably without Elton Jantjies, not ready yet.