Ahead of the trip to Lyon, Habib Beye discusses the state of OM’s spirits, insisting on OM’s determination to “never give up”. Words from the captain.

LEAGUE STANDING

“In terms of the standings and our objectives for the season, being 10 points off second place is tough scene. 11 matches from the end of the season, it’s a deficit that s=looks hard to make up in that many games. 3rd place is only 4 points away and would give us the chance to qualify for the Champions League through the preliminary rounds. So why not? In life anything is possible, but it will be very complicated. We have to try to do our best to make the most of the opportunities we still have, like the Coupe de France. And then, we still have a chance in the league and we have to keep pushing until the very end.”

ANALYSING THE LOSS

“In terms of how we played, I was more disappointed against Toulouse than against Lens. Even though we felt like we could have played for two hours without scoring. It was a really closed match. There weren’t many chances for either side. There was a certain balance but we didn’t put them in any danger in the final 25m. And then Lens got a penalty to open the scoring. A dubious penalty. In the end, the more mature team won.
We had clearly defined intentions, but were faced with a good team that, like many teams who come to the Vélodrome, came to defend and close down the game. That turned the game to their favour. We couldn’t make the difference and find the right pass or the right overlap.”

TEAM MORALE

“When you rack up several defeats, sooner or later it takes its toll. Doubt sets in. But you can’t stop there. If we stop now, that means we have no more ideas as to how to defend, that we have no more to offer. We don’t want to give up because it’s not in the philosophy of our club or our players to let things go. Even though reaching 2nd place is almost impossible, 3rd is still attainable. But to do that, we have to give ourselves every chance by giving everything we�ve got.
As for my captaincy, I will play my role to the hilt right up to the end and not shirk any responsibility.”

THE BATTLE IN LYON

“It’s a great game to play. In a way we can say that we’re going through a rough patch and that it will be really hard to play against Lyon, but it’s also a way of showing the character of the team. Even though it’s true that we haven’t shown the real character of a team 11 matches out from the end of the season. At any rate, it will be a reference point for the rest of the season. Lyon will be out for revenge for the elimination we handed them in the Coupe de France. They don’t have a lot to prove, but in terms of self-respect and as part of their campaign towards a 6th title, it will be important for them to beat OM. It’s up to us to make the difference in this match.