Even if he "feels very good" as he makes his come back, the OM captain regrets that Marseille have not seized "the opportunities" which have presented themselves. Before the matches against Ajax and PSG, he gives us his point of view.
In the starting line-up against Valenciennes for the first time since his return from injury, Lorik Cana played the full 90 minutes. The player is starting to get his match fitness back. «I’m tired, but that is normal the day after a match. When you come back after a two month absence and give everything you have, it’s normal to suffer a little fatigue. But I’m feeling good and my knee feels fine. I just hope that everyone comes back fit and at the same time. Especially Mamadou Niang, who is as far as I’m concerned, our main strike weapon. When Mamadou is in form, things tend to go our way. I have faith in him, he is the ace up our sleeve » he explained on Sunday in front of the Press.
If he is personally satisfied, the captain regrets that OM at the moment «have trouble turning games» as the draw at the Vélodrome against Valenciennes showed (0-0).
«In this type of match, if we do not score when we have the chance things become more complicated afterwards , he continued, paradoxically, at the moment, we are very difficult to score against when we shipped quite a lot of goals beforehand. But, we’re finding it difficult to get goals, we are lacking a little bit of luck which could turn games in our favour.»
The trouble that OM have a the present time is that they do not concretise the chances they have and this is something that has to be dealt with quickly according to the captain, especially at home : «We are missing out on the chances which have presented themselves to us to take three points and step up a level. It’s frustrating as we have the potential and the qualities. We have our backs against the wall even if we are still well placed in the league but if we still want to fight for the top spots, we have to find the solution to make the difference at home. One thing is for sure, we cannot continue in the same way. We have ridden our luck twice, I don’t think it will happen a third time.»
For the time being, the next test to face OM is Ajax Amsterdam in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup. «The context and the matches are totally different in Europe and we are up against a prestigious opponent who really play football. I think it will be a good thing for us » he states when introducing a Dutch side he considers «very competitive.»
«For a team like ourselves, who hope to make it to the last four or the final, it is an opponent that we will have to get by » he adds.
All of this, before the trip to the Parc des Princes on Sunday. An encounter that is always special for the captain who learnt his trade at PSG: «This year the game is important on a sporting front as well (Paris are 2nd with a three point lead over OM ). It will be a lot more interesting and special. We can’t wait to play this match, but for the moment we are focused on the UEFA Cup.»
