Mamadou Sakho talks about the important influence of Antoine Kombouaré and Claude Makelele on the squad ahead of the visit of Nancy this Saturday at 19:00.
Mamadou, how do you judge the start of PSG’s season and your own performances?“We were expecting a few more points, but the spirit is good. We all get along well and that’s positive. On a personal note, my performances haven’t been out of this world, but they’ve been good. I try and give my maximum. I know that after the promise of last season, I really have to prove myself this year. I work very day to be as good as possible come the matches.” After Lyon and Lorient, is there not a slight consistency problem?
“We were disappointed by the way we played against Lorient, but that can happen to even the best sides. It was a tough game for us. Every game is different and we know that we didn’t play a great game. But we got back to training at the start of the week looking forward to working hard and preparing for Saturday’s game.” Did Antoine Kombouaré lose his cool a little after the Lorient game?
“Yes, and so he should have. He spoke like a coach whose side didn’t play well. He quite rightly said he was satisfied and that we couldn’t be happy with the way we’d played and that now we had to focus on the next match. He’s got a lot of character and says it the way he sees it. I like that. I’ve always had straight talking coaches so I think it’s a positive thing for the team but also the players as individuals.”
How does the team feel ahead of Nancy?
“We’re going to play for the three points and we’ll do everything we can to get them. The result will be what it is, but when we start, we’ll be aiming for the win. We have pride. We were embarrassed after Lorient. Nancy are a good side with some good individuals up front like Djamel (Bakar) who plays with me in the Under-21 squad. It will be a good game.” What does Claude Makelele bring to the squad?
“All his experience of big matches, his concentration and his competitor’s mentality. He’s good for the squad. He’s very demanding, and that’s a positive thing. I’m here to listen to the older players, to watch and learn. I prefer to take a back seat and work hard.”
Tools
Ranking L1
| Pos | Team | Pts | Diff | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full table | ||||
| 5 | Marseille | 14 | 4 | |
| 6 | Lorient | 14 | 2 | |
| 7 | Paris Saint-Germain | 13 | 4 | |
| 8 | Rennes | 12 | 6 | |
| 9 | Nancy | 11 | 2 | |
