The period of frinedly matches is over. The OM squad, Edouard Cissé included, are working hard to be ready for a long season that promises to be thrilling.

How do you feel after your first few weeks at OM?
Everything is going great. It was difficult at the start as there was a lot of physical work to be done, I don’t necessarily like that. We need that to be ready for the season though. My integration has gone well, the welcome was great. La Commanderie is superb. The atmosphere is good and we know what we have to do to keep it that way.
I already knew the coach and a number of players  ; They are cool and I quickly felt like I had been part of the team for a long time.

You already knew Didier Deschamps. Has he changed?
He has a few more grey hairs maybe (laughs). No, he is still the same, with a lot of ambition. That’s good because we do as well. He knows where he wants to go and who he wants alongside him.

Do you feel that you are ready?
We’re getting better. The objective is to be ready for the first match and then to grow in strength with each game.

What still needs to be worked on?
We need to continue working on our passing and physically we are not yet at 100%. We also need to fine tune our closing down of the player on the ball, also our animation as there are a lot of new players. Our tactics have changed and we need to adapt. But our automatisms are coming along with each training session.

"No one is guaranteed a starting berth nor are there any automatic substitutes. When I start on the bench, I still won’t consider myself a substitute."

The squad is full of quality. Places in the starting line-up won’t come along easily …
Didier Deschamps has brought in some quality players with a lot of experience. We have to be in form, for the good of everyone. No one is guaranteed a starting berth nor are there any automatic substitutes. When I start on the bench, I still won’t consider myself a substitute. We’re part of a great club and you have to accept that there is a squad made up of 20 quality players. We also know that the 11 who start the match won’t necessarily be the 11 who finish it. Competition for places will be there throughout the season, but in good spirit as everyone wants to pull in the same direction. Players will have to acknowledge when they aren’t playing so well.

In Lens you had a good example of the OM supporters fervour, with them being present in number at the airport and in the stadium …
I experienced that with Besiktas. They are everywhere, wherever we are, in Saint-Jean de Luz or anywhere else. They are waiting for us everywhere and are behind us 100%. It’s the most popular club in France and it feels good to be playing here.

"We’re like school kids on the first day of class. We want to see everything."

The match against Lens resembled a real L1 match. Was it a good rehearsal?
Right from the start we knew it was different, it felt like a L1 match. There was everything, the television, the public, a good quality opponent. It was great preparation.

Are you looking forward to the start of the competition?
We can’t wait! We’ve been in training for a month now. We’re like school kids on the first day of class. We want to see everything.

Do you already have the title in mind?
We are looking forward to playing the season together. That’s what is going to be important as we know the season is going to be long. We’re going off on a crusade to win a maximum number of matches. We’re not going to say it yet even if we are all thinking about it and want it. We’ll start off by saying we want to win a maximum number of matches.
With the recruitment we have made, which on paper is of great quality, we have great ambitions. On the pitch we will do all that we can to achieve the objectives which have been set us.

"A lot has been said aout the OM squad but our rivals have good squads as well and the league campaign is going to be passionate."

Who will be your principal rivals?
Bordeaux have kept pretty much the same squad, there is Lyon… They are great squads and the difference will be made with how the different squads work together. We saw Bordeaux win 11 matches in a row and that made the difference. A lot has been said aout the OM squad but our rivals have good squads as well and the league campaign is going to be passionate.

Bordeaux, haven’t made many changes, is that an advantage?
At the start of the season, the fact that the Bordeaux squad have been together for 2 or 3 seasons and that they have made so few changes is important. But that will change over the course of the season, but at the start yes it is an advantage.

You seem to be very calm on the eve of the new season …
It’s my age … Sometimes it’s good to be the old head with all the experience. I have faith in the squad, I believe in it. We will take some knocks over the course of the season but we wil have to face up to the storm an things will turn out right. There are a lot of reasons to be calm.