If the match this Sunday (6 p.m.) does take place in Beaublanc against Boulogne-Levallois, Limoges CSP will certainly be diminished by the absence of at least one player and perhaps also coach Massimo Cancellieri, also affected by the covid this week. In this particular context, it was assistant coach Romain Chenaud who responded to the local press before this meeting. The opportunity to come back with him on the last weeks of the team and to talk about this match against the leader of the championship.
Romain Chenaud, shouldn’t it be easy to prepare for a match against the leader under these conditions?
It is not easy, especially since we can think that they will recover from the world. Michineaud is still uncertain but we think Hornsby will be there. And they are coming out of a match (defeat in Belgrade in the Eurocup) after which they will surely be keen to bounce back quickly. The opposition we will face is likely to be very strong.
The coach, sick, was not there this week. How to prepare for a match without him?
The advantage is that we are reaching a stage in the season where even if we discovered each other at the very start of the season, we have now generated very solid staff work. Honestly, we know where he wants to go. We are in direct contact with him. It’s not that difficult. Maybe for the players through training because it’s true that it’s different, but at least in terms of content, we’re continuing what we’ve been doing since the start of the season.
Defensively, we had lost the course
In terms of continuity, you are good with three straight league wins. What do you think ?
Indeed, this series does us a lot of good after the previous one. We really feel like we’ve picked up the thread, maybe not of our season because it’s too early to say, but in any case the thread of what we knew how to do and the way we wanted to play . It already involves stopping the opponent. And on the offensive level, we found a little fluidity that we had lost. But I think it was mainly linked to the fact that defensively, we had lost the course. Even if there was a defeat, we felt that during the second match at Bourg-en-Bresse. Since then, we’ve been on this course and we feel that the group, in terms of cohesion and even structure within the group, has found what we knew how to do.
After your victory at Portel and 40 minutes in the zone, you will have to adapt to Boulogne-Levallois, which is a very different team…
A very different team with a lot of weapons. Whether on the outside lines or inside. They present so much versatility and things to look forward to and counter that the game plan isn’t straightforward. The central point for us in the approach to the match is that we are at home and that we will try to put them in a situation of discomfort by being aggressive.
It is a very complex racket to defend
With a player like Halilovic and his particular shot at mid-range, is it an area neither close to the circle nor outside that must be difficult to defend?
For me he is a very atypical player especially for our interiors. In what we do, it’s not always easy even if we spend time presenting the players. This one, it goes a bit out of frame. And even Hunter is a bit atypical. It’s not quite the same technical register but it’s someone very mobile. It’s almost a position 3 who plays at position 5 and from time to time at position 4. And in his technical register, he too has particularities. Not to mention Ginat who is also a 4 with a lot of tools in hand who can shoot and attack very well. It is a very complex racquet to defend.
Their general manager Alain Weisz announces very concentrated players despite the possible fatigue of their European match of the week. What do you think ?
Rather, I have the feeling that after what they have experienced this week, motivation will take over from any fatigue. I expect more a reaction of pride and therefore it is up to us to be ready in the first minutes to contain this reaction.
We know that in all the other matches, he is present and he is very involved
CJ Massinburg, who is back for this match, had to be saved several times this season following muscle problems like last Saturday at Portel. Is it always in the same place?
No. What must be taken into account is the fact that he is a player who commits a lot physically, who does not count his efforts. You see it in matches but we see it every day in training. And he’s a young player. He is not in the economy but above all, he is not yet in perfect knowledge of the situations. So sometimes there is a bit of over-commitment and he pays for it like last weekend. For me, it’s not such a bad sign on the scale of his career. It’s frustrating to have had to do without him during a few matches, but at least we know that during all the other matches, he is there and he is very involved. He engages on both sides of the field. And it still has real value.