Bordeaux (AFP)

The two losses conceded in front of Saint-Etienne (0-1) and Lille (0-3) have not changed the plans of Bordeaux (8th) and his coach Paulo Sousa, convinced that his system and his philosophy will lead to results.

Since his arrival in Gironde last March, his speech has not changed a bit. "We are in a process, with positive and negative cycles," repeated the Portuguese at regular intervals, as the weeks of victories that the night of defeats, more numerous in recent times, especially against the "big".

"We did not get excited after a series of games without defeat, so we will not dramatize after two defeats," said goalkeeper Benoit Costil after the setback in the North.

For him as for his coach, Sunday reception of Nantes (2nd), hermetic leader of a pack of eleven teams wedged in four points, will be especially a new test of reliability during which Sousa will want to see "the mentality, the desire to win by setting up a positive game, having control of the ball and being present in the zone of creation and finishing ".

Sometimes it works like in Amiens or Toulouse (3-1 both times). Sometimes not, as against the Greens, "one of the most beautiful matches since I was here, during which we completely controlled our opponent, with ball, without ball," said the technician after the defeat against the course of the game.

In Lille where his men have fallen tactically under the pressure of the opponent, without finding a parade, he had raised "a large margin of progress." "This kind of match will help us grow," as if he had taken Nelson Mandela's quote: "I never lose, either I win or I learn".

- Membership of all -

Internally, everyone adheres to this discourse, to these methods of work that jostle habits. "When a new coach arrives and wants to set up the principles of play, especially with this flexible system (3-4-3 asymmetric), it takes time, says the striker Jimmy Briand He had said, we, We know that teams are ahead of our project, but we have a group listening and slowly we start to assimilate and we will improve. "

"We have a group that works very well, players who only want to progress, we have a top staff, abounds Costil.Every day, it's a pleasure to work.We will continue like this and I am convinced that 'we will live pleasant matches'.

The Portuguese football's vision also conquered the outside, supporters and observers, who could have doubted the choice of the former coach of Fiorentina to replace Ricardo after six consecutive losses in the spring.

Sousa has never departed from his convictions in this storm. Explaining, inculcating, building loyalty.

Fourth at the end of the 9th day, Bordeaux fell four rows two losses later, but did not change goals. "We have no expectation of ranking, only the hope of arriving as quickly as possible to have a team capable of achieving results at the height of the history of the club," continues the Portuguese.

Nothing like a good Atlantic derby to get off to a good start.

© 2019 AFP