Nîmes Olympique: after the slaps, there was finally something that clicked

Sané and the Crocos sometimes fall, but they manage to get up, like against Cholet. FREE MIDI – MiKAEL ANISSET

Nîmes is 10th after 24 days of National. The Crocos won but were not convinced against Cholet (2-1), Friday March 8. But they hang on and move forward.

The scenario of Friday evening made us think again of the late René Marsiglia, coach of the Crocodiles in 2014, who died in 2016 of cancer. "Victory and defeat are the two biggest cheats in football" was one of his favorite maxims. There are others of crooks in football, but it's true that these two are often deceptive, and Frédéric Bompard, another wise old man, did not say the opposite: "Sometimes you're good and you don't win. And there, we won by being below our opponent".

If winning while being bad is a sign of progress, then the Nîmes have made some hell of it…

If winning while being bad is a sign of progress, then the Nîmes have made some hell of a success… We believed for a long time, the day before yesterday, that they would achieve the feat of losing twice at home in the same season against the red lantern, after the setback against Epinal on November 3 (1 -3). While they were generally dominated, they equalized with an opportunistic goal (Mexico, 80th) and took the advantage with a magnificent goal (Mbemba, 84th), all in four minutes .

Tao “baraka” Paradowski (another post, 63rd) sums up the general feeling that inhabits the crocodile group at the start of the year: "This match, we would have lost it or matched zero at the start of the season. We won mentally, not in the game, where we were not famous (sic). For me, football starts from the head, not the legs. In 2024, after the slaps in the first part of the championship (Epinal, Versailles, GoalFC, Orléans, Editor's note), we had a mental click. And there, our strength is that we didn’t give up, we pushed to the end".

First victory in the league by conceding a goal and going behind

The change is noticeable. And the results too. The Gardois never scored at the end of the match ? From now on, they always end up scoring. And they now know how to achieve valuable successes. Moreover, it is the first time, in the championship, that NO has won by conceding a goal and having been behind. The first six National victories were all accompanied by a clean sheet.

Coach Bompard: "We came down because I had marshmallows!"

"It’was more than far-fetched, it’s off-the-wall, confirms coach Bompard.We got eaten up in the duels, we were technically poor. But playing maintenance, and I haven't played it often in my coaching career, requires having mentally strong boys. I had some when we escaped with Guingamp in Ligue 2. I also have some today. On the other hand, last season, I tell you, we went down because I had marshmallows! We'll talk about all this again one day, you'll see…"

After the hold-up, the robbery ?

The 2024 maintenance mission is therefore on track. While waiting for Niort's match at Dijon on Monday, Nîmes regained its place as co-leader of the return phase, with 14 points taken in 7 matches (4 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss), tied with Niort and Martigues. That's almost as much as during the 17 days of the first leg (16 pts)!

The mark of 30 is reached ten days from the end. Enough to take a little pressure off Mendy's partners before going to the chamois dauphin next Friday: "We made a hold-up against Cholet, image Paradowski. In Niort, we're going there for the robbery!"

Behind the scenes of the Crocos

INJURY If Sané, little in sight for his first tenure, was é replaced &agrav; half-time, it was because he was suffering from an ankle injury. "I had two uncertainties after Thursday’s training, Revealed; Fr&déric Bompard : Sané who had hurt himself the ankle and Mexico who complained about the adductor. I made the decision to make them permanent at this time. heating. But Abdou’s (San’s) pain got worse. and I took it out. He will be arrested all week." Mexico held on, and held on well!

FIRST GOAL And the croc midfielder scored his first goal with N&imes, by blocking a clearance from a Choletais defender: "It’s a lucky but important goal!"

NIORT Due to faulty lighting at the René-Gaillard stadium, NO should play Niort next Friday March 15 à 15 hours. Without Sbaï nor Diallo, suspended for accumulation of yellow cards. Expelled in addition against Cholet, Diallo will not come back straight away…

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