Reims – MHSC: “You haven’t seen anything yet”, Tanguy Coulibaly confirms his rise in power at the end of the season

The Montpellier winger could be decisive in the last five matches of the season. Midi Libre – JEAN MICHEL MART

Holder and scorer last week in Clermont (1-1), Tanguy Coulibaly is slowly starting to make his mark in the Montpellier attack. The 23-year-old winger was at a press conference this Friday, April 19, two days before the trip to Reims.

How does it feel to score your first goal for Montpellier ?

It feels good, it's a lot of joy, a lot of effort made during the sessions, I'm very happy, plus it's an equalizing goal so it's ;is perfect. It’s a shame that there wasn’t victory in the end but well, I’m still very happy.

Have we seen the real Tanguy Coulibaly, you estimate yourself at 100%%?

It happens, I'm not totally 100%, but I feel much more comfortable. I am a player who likes to dribble a lot, who is into percussion, during this match (Clermont) especially in the first half, I was able to show what I knew how to do, now, I am able to show what I knew how to do. I still have a lot to show, you haven't seen anything yet, but I think it will happen before long.

I worked, telling myself that sooner or later it would come

Your adaptation took longer than expected?

Honestly, I knew. After this long period, I knew it was going to take time to come back. I worked, telling myself that sooner or later it was going to come, that it was going to take the time it needed. We don't doubt and we continue to work. I know that I have this desire within me, so no need to doubt.

You are a left winger in the Montpellier system, is this your preferred position?

It’s a position I can play in, it’s not the position I’m most comfortable in but I’ve played a lot on the left so I have my bearings, but this is not the position where I express myself best. I am more comfortable on the right side, but on the right, there is a client (Arnaud Nordin Editor's note), who performs well, who is constant. As long as it benefits the team, that’s the most important thing.

How is the competition with other members of the offensive sector ?

It's healthy, they're good guys with whom I laugh and talk every day. Whether it's Moussa (Tamari), Yann (Karamoh), Arnaud (Nordin) or all the attackers, we all need to push ourselves, that's what we do at first. ;training. Afterwards, there are periods of less good, and others will flare up.

I am aware of my qualities, if I am 100% I know that I can contribute much more

You say that we " haven't seen anything yet, can you be the strong man at the end of the season at MHSC?

I hope so. In any case, I will do everything for it. And when I say that "you haven't seen anything yet" it's because I'm aware of my qualities, if I'm 100% I know that I can contribute much more. After this match in Clermont, I had flashes at times, afterwards, there are things that I need to erase in my last gesture, I need to be more precise. That’s why I’m here, to work.

You arrived during the season, it was complicated to jump on the bandwagon?

Yes, it was. We don't train with a group, we train alone, it's not the same intensity and even mentally it's not easy, we see everyone playing, in his corner, we ask ourselves questions… Coming back feels good and in the first sessions we saw that I needed to work more to get strong, that's what we tried to do. Today I'm happy because I feel better and better, but it hasn't been easy.

The end of the season with the maintenance still to be validated, is this a motivating situation for an attacker?

Yes, the race to maintain is not over. If during this period, I can be decisive and perform well, even for me it will be beneficial for me in the future. We still have things to play for, so we must continue to make ourselves seen individually or collectively.

Ligue 1 is a championship with a lot of individual qualities

You had never experienced Ligue 1. How do you judge this championship, compared to the Bundesliga, where you previously played??

It’s a championship with a lot of individual qualities. It’s a tough championship, like all championships, already in Germany it wasn’t easy but here too it’s not. I don't think that one championship is easier than another, each championship has its specificity, in Germany it was more attack defense, here it's a little more technical, we take In our time, we measure ourselves a little, whereas in Germany we move directly forward.

Your position requires a lot of effort, which Michel Der Zakarian expects of you ?

When I spoke to him on the phone, he made me understand that he needed me and my percussion, which he had already been able to observe. He asks me to make the effort and then, it shows on the pitch, if you don't do it, you can quickly be caught behind, you can concede chances. He  you have to speak well with your side, and stay focused from start to finish.

Reims is eighth in Ligue 1, how are you going to approach this match, which could be decisive for maintaining ?

Even if Reims is higher than us in the standings, we are going to go there with our weapons. There there is quality in this squad and I think that this weekend we can maintain it, we will do everything for it. We have trouble being consistent, it will be up to us to be focused and stay concentrated from start to finish.