Sébastien Mahé – 2 years later (part 2)

After the first part of the last week, here is the continuation of my interview with Sébastien Main coach of Carnac.FC (DSR 56) in this second part that we mention together and more in detail the end of last season with the horizon of the descent, but also the last summer with the renewal of this start of the season. Sébastien tells us about his journey and what he could draw from this difficult situation from a result but rewarding the point of view of his life as a coach. We learn how he faced the negative spiral and how he continued to get out of it

With hindsight, there were key moments that led to this descent? Things you have lost or that you have not evaluated? Or on the contrary; What managed to manage your group despite your work?

Yes, completely. First of all, the start of the season begins with a draw and 3 defeats. The thing that puts you in the entrance hole. There were many new players and several absent, suddenly we played with a bri team. In addition, it has automatically passed to the B which started with a draw and then 4 defeats. Almost 50% of the workforce was missing. So the two teams reacted to the chain series of 6 games without defeat. In January, the B was therefore second and stuck it in the middle of the table.

Only, the truce was long with bad weather and we played many friendly games. This long period of synthetic has penalized us because we lost several key elements to restart 2014. However, we beat Chartres before receiving the Vitrea reserve to come. They were more recent with more than 10 points behind the first non -Rertation! By winning this game, we can get on the podium. The season is played in this game! The vitre year old aligns an unlikely team with many elements of CFA 2. I don’t have a rational explanation to give about this game. I still wonder why Vitré gave us this blow! We are denied the goal from 2-2 to 85 ° for an offside! That day, some players guilty of great individual errors left their minds there. Too few elements continued to pull the group upwards. However, this drop in the regime will have had the merit of seeing the hatching of some players. We chained the defeats before taking 4 days from the end, but it was too late. A season is played on the details! If we win this game against Vitriano, it is not the same lemonade because we are in an unexpected place and behind everything it can be connected. On the contrary, the defeat stopped the group’s dynamics and when you have a very limited group, it is very difficult to find solutions. Now, I am proud of what the players have reached because they have never abdicated even in difficulty. We fought with our weapons but against some opponents it could not be enough.

This is to say?

Last season we did not fight for the same weapons. We beat all the teams of the reserves during the pool of rpm, but on the way back we collected 4 defeats against half of the CFA or CFA 2 teams .. it is frustrating to go down due to clubs that distort the championship by aligning two 11 other than weekend to the next. The worst part is that these reservations have not taken points against our competitors aimed at maintenance. Only Stade Rennais played the game and saved honestly!

What solutions did you set to stop bad passages?

You have to consolidate the spirit of the group. It is often more a mental than technical problem. We must refuse to accept the defeat. But the solutions are minimal. There is no miraculous remedy! You can put 5 weekly sessions, that’s not what will push the players to go to coal on Sunday. It is necessary to put the result in perspective and rely on the content by making players understand that it becomes vital to break the dynamics. You have to try to enhance your boys, to admit them that the only possibility of survival comes from a total investment of the entire group not only 5 players or even 11.

After the start of the catastrophic season, Bbourg’s reception launched our season. Reduce to 10 after 20 minutes, we are guided 1-0, then 2-1 before equalizing and even having an combination ball. Something happened that day. Behind we chained two and a half months without knowing the defeat. All the elements were in our favor, the posts had returned, the objectives in the stops for us … there was this feeling of being invincible and players played! All the setbacks encountered during the top 4 meetings seemed balanced.

In short, to stop a negative series, I think you have to rely on humans as on the player and provide concrete. You can rely on a players’ base or a strong sector but it is more random.

In the end, what are the main things you learned?

I have an observation that will undoubtedly shock, but Hey is a personal point of view that will be shared by some, not by others.

Last season we played football. We tried to provide games to all games, mark goals … sometimes successfully, sometimes without! We have never left the field without having had the desire to produce games. Sometimes we lost it but it happens to everyone. In addition, some teams rely on an iron defense and win 75% of their matches on interrupted kicks. We have often played athletes and non -footballers.

So I learned that we could win a football game without playing football! Some opponents recognize themselves but I don’t care because it is the truth! I don’t see where the pleasure of defending yourself on two lines of 5 is to oscillate to death and launch pressure to win touches or corners.

Even in the coupe de France, against the citizen of Cov, we were faithful to our principles. In addition, irony, their first two goals are scored on counters. We left the cup in the 5th round, but a smile on the lips that they managed to develop games against such an opponent. Isn’t it better than going out at 7 playing 9 behind to finish to take a goal on the corner and lose 1-0?

We went down but at least we went to the end of our ideas!

The low season with the descent comes, how did you imagine the second season and above all how did you prepare it? Do you change things compared to the first pre-stuagional preparation? Group constitution? Group management?

It was already out of the question that I leave the adventure. I had the trust of the president and leaders. I had to be worthy of all these brands of sympathy. Our captain had the opportunity to return to play in CFA. He was 26 years old, he was not allowed not to try his luck. For the rest of the group, things were clear. From a human point of view, we had a great season. The boys wanted to be together, play in a team of friends. This mood was obvious and I can assure you that he made he was a lot of players. The recruitment was simple because the guys I met wanted to come even if it was only DSR (3^th regional level). So it was easier to manage for me. It was not a project but only adjustments. I did not change my habits with a preparation prepared in August, but fun because you have to make the players want to come. The concern for preparation for our level is that the boys arrive at the dropper and are absent in the middle. It takes many weeks to put the entire group at the same level. For the group, I had ten safe values, so we recruited 6 players. 16 This is not enough for a season, but taking more guys who would have blocked some B elements that have potential and can explode during the season. The direction is no longer complicated, the new arrivals have the mood of the players who were there last year. There is no concern about coexistence and competition between them is healthy. I have players who are at the service of the team but above all at the service of the club and it’s fantastic!

Is self -criticism essential?

Obviously ! When you get pissed off several complicated games, you are forced to question certain principles. The coach always has his part of responsibility when the team crosses a negative spiral. You can question everything: training, conferences, tactical choices, group management … it is not easy to find what is wrong! If you start from the principle according to which only players can move and bring out the team from its harmful dynamic is that you are resigned. It is up to you to find the words, re -motivate, give confidence to your kids. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s not enough.

At a certain point you tried to doubt yourself, to devalue yourself, in this case what made you regain confidence and believe in you?

The interrogation is an important thing on the other hand, I have no doubts about anything. I trust my players and myself. Do not believe that it is a lack of humility, but doubt is not a very promising feeling when you are looking for a second breath. I assure myself to always give the best, both in the preparation of sessions and games and I know that my group likes football and competition as much as me. When it is less good, we need to react.

After 4 months of this season, what have you changed compared to the first season?

We were on the same driving line. We recovered the profiles of the players who were missing last season. Several players with a particularly defensive vocation. We quickly reached a balance. Being more complete in all areas, we continue to develop our game foundation. Offensively, we provide many opportunities. Everything that remains is to convert them. From a mental point of view, we have not changed anything. When you have 95% of the workforce that remains despite a descent it is that everything should not be launched.

What are your first buildings?

We are progressing from week to week now that the group is homogeneous athletic. Our salient points are increasingly oppressive for our opponents. As for the weak times, we manage to keep the ball well so as not to suffer too much. We collect a few goals: 10 official games in 15. The group lives well together and a group of fifteen players stands out. It is a luxury that we have not had last season. A is at the top of the ranking, also the B!

Now, we will have to gain regularity to be able to maintain this dynamic, but the signs tend to make us rather optimistic.

In two years, we managed to build a team that corresponds to the club project. We have rejuvenated the workforce. Among the players regularly summoned to DSR, the oldest has just celebrated his 29th birthday! We also play with an U19 goalkeeper. Young people gradually establish themselves in this group and the interactional coexistence is going very well. There is a great team of friends who are very promising but can also create difficulties. In the game, the boys are united as during the Derby in Quiberon, where we are reduced to 10 shortly after the interval. We manage to prevail by marking inferiority. On the other hand, this great atmosphere can sometimes be a negative factor. In training, where a lot is and where you often have to bring the group to work tactically. In a game, against as a Plouhinec where from the heat -I did not feel the guys who prepared for a great game. Now, I prefer to have this type of concern to manage the opposite with the guys who take the command at all