After an ideal end to the year 2021 and prestigious successes in Monaco and Villeurbanne, Limoges CSP puts its feet back on the ground at the start of 2022. Following their success against Paris, Massimo Cancellieri’s players suffered two heavy defeats in Strasbourg (97-66) and Saturday in Gravelines (72-53). The BCM of Romuald Morency who after his rout of the first leg at Beaublanc (100-48) succeeded perfectly by imposing a defensive intensity at all times. “It is their trademark. That’s how they beat us at home in the first game. We knew that if we beat them at their own game, we had a chance of playing a good game and taking this victory. We worked on it all week. Put a lot of intensity, glue them, try to mess with their systems early on. We did it 40 minutes” rejoiced the northern interior after the match.
We weren’t able to make a pass – Massimo Cancellieri
A defensive intensity against which the Limougeauds have never been able to adapt. Like Demonte Harper, they have most often favored solutions that are as individualistic as they are ineffective. To the chagrin of their trainer Massimo Cancellieri. “We have 21 bullet losses. This is unacceptable. We weren’t able to react to their aggressiveness. We even fed this aggressiveness. Because when you’re like that, when they’re pressing and fear is on your face, when you’re wondering where to put the ball, you feed them. We came here and we didn’t do anything in attack. We weren’t able to make a pass. In attack, we played like shit. We have to play together. We need 5 players. Not one at a time. There it’s mine, then it’s yours, no!” fulminated the Italian coach in a press conference just after the meeting.
It’s not one or two defeats that will change everything – Hugo Invernizzi
Without real collective play, there is no salvation this season for Limoges CSP! This defeat in the north serves as a wake-up call. “We know it’s tricky when everyone tells us we’re the most beautiful and the best. We must not listen, focus on us and stay as a team. We see that when we each try to do the thing on our side, it’s never good“commented inside Hugo Invernizzi a few minutes after the match. But in his eyes, there was no question of panicking or sounding any alarm bells:”it’s not one or two defeats that will change everything. We played two away games against two good teams, well ranked. We have guys who have their heads on their shoulders. I don’t think there will be any problems.“But we now have to get back to winning ways on Saturday against Nanterre by updating the ingredients that have made Limoges CSP so successful this season. A strong defense and an unfailing team in attack.