Nîmes Olympique: from now on, it's all for the championship!

Doucouré et tout le secteur offensif de Nîmes Olympique vont devoir se montrer plus percutants en 2024. Midi Libre – Grégory Reis

Éliminés de la Coupe de France à Orléans (2-1), les Crocos vont pouvoir jeter toutes leurs forces dans la bataille du maintien.

It is Orléans and not Nîmes which will face PSG in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France. Monday January 8, Frédéric Bompard followed the draw from afar but the poster did not escape him: "At the time, yes, I had regrets, especially given the way in which we ;rsquo;is eliminated. This season, we really don't have good karma, there's nothing working in our favor. There, the Antonins stadium would have been full! But hey, with ifs, we would put Paris in a bottle…"

In Orléans, two crosses, two goals conceded

The crocodile coach has therefore turned the page, without forgetting to debrief the defeat in Loiret (2-1) and to return, Tuesday, with supporting video, on the two goals conceded. "We only concede two chances and we concede two goals, both in the same way, he laments. We didn't do the right thing at the start, by not preventing the opponent from crossing, and upon arrival, we lost two aerial duels. I told them my way of thinking and I explained to them the how and the why."

#football Les joueurs de @nimesolympique à l’entraînement. Sans Doukansy (genou) forfait pour @FCSM_officiel, Sy (cheville), Mbina (kyste), Nazih (malade) et Mendy (ischios, reprise). Les trois derniers normalement de retour demain avec le groupe. pic.twitter.com/JIXdcbxrvL

— Midi Libre Sports (@MidiLibreSports) January 10, 2024

Defensive solidity gone

Their solidity at the start of the season (9 goals conceded in eleven days) was shattered and now, the Nîmes are conceding too many goals, that's obvious. They have only managed one clean sheet in their last nine outings, it was against Saint-Etienne (0-1, 8th round of the Coupe de France). In the Championship, with 25 goals conceded, they only have the 14th defense, tied with Avranches.

"Be on task until the final whistle"

"When you are in a bad position, the slightest mistake is paid for in cash, notes Formose Mendy, who should resume collective training this Thursday (read elsewhere). Although we concede few chances, in the end, it is our opponent who wins… hellip; Defending is a collective job. It's up to us to be twice as focused, to make twice as much effort and not just do it for fifty minutes or an hour. It is by being on point until the final whistle that we will be able to reverse the trend."

Doukansy withdraws, Mendy returns

Absent in Orléans, because suffering from a small lesion of the external lateral ligament of a knee, Doukansystill hasn’t returned to training. He is already forfeited for the trip to Sochaux on Monday, announced Frédéric Bompard on Wednesday January 15.

Mendy, he, who is recovering from an injury to his left ischio, leftover from the last match of 2023 against at Goal FC, is on the comeback. "I'm on the right track and I hope to resume Thursday with the group", he assured yesterday at Midi Libre, after having increased the intensity of his land work and finally touched up with the ball (in the morning) and tested on sprints (in the afternoon).

Also missing Mbina, bothered by an ingrown hair in the armpit and hoped for this Thursday ( closed session like Friday and Sunday) on the field by his coach; Sy, still troubled by an ankle and ill to boot; and Nazih, similarly ill.

Monday January 15, in Sochaux (6:15 p.m.), the Nîmes defense will in any case be called upon since it will find on its way one of the two best attacks in the National with the Red Star. FCSM shook the opposing nets 29 times and four of its players scored at least four goals, Hoggas (6), Fatar and Zohi (5) and Michel (4).

Offensive effectiveness that remains to be found

In Nîmes, behind Mbina (5 achievements), it’s the desert. While waiting for the arrival of offensive reinforcement, which is not imminent, Frédéric Bompard will be able to rely on Mbemba and perhaps also on Laurens.

The first made a successful return to Orléans, playing just half an hour, enough to score a goal… denied for a questionable offside. "I’liked what he did. He wanted to, he was active. For us, he’s a recruit,” Bompard said afterwards.

The second, started for only the second time after Pavie (5th round), had a full match, and it was he who opened the scoring. "He showed activity on his right side, thus validating his good week of training. It was interesting, too, when we switched to 4-2-3-1 and I put him back in the axis, appreciated the crocodile coach on Saturday.

Mbemba, Laurens, who hopes to be "the revelation of the second half of the season", without forgetting Doucouré, who still hasn’t taken off (2 goals from penalties), and the too discreet replacements that are Ngakoutou and Thoumin (0 goals), it is an entire sector which must move upmarket to demonstrate, finally, an essential efficiency.

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