"I am convinced that we will not lose the championship tomorrow".
Thomas Tuchel came to distribute the messages of confidence at a press conference on the eve of the shock in Lille, Sunday evening (9 p.m.).
Faced with the leader of Ligue 1, PSG is "ready" to try to regain the lead in the standings, said the German coach.
Do you have the impression that PSG scares other teams less than in the past?
THOMAS TUCHEL.
I especially have the impression that others understand that we are in a more significant state of fatigue, mentally and physically.
It gives them more strength to fight with us.
We have a lot of injuries, absences.
We have to manage the situation after the Champions League.
We can feel that we are tired.
That's not an excuse.
It is reality.
We lost too many points than normal.
Tomorrow (
Editor's note: Sunday
) is still a big challenge.
Lille is very strong.
Playing there is always a big challenge.
But I feel like we're ready for this.
Do you want to continue in 5-3-2 in Lille as was the case during the last outings?
I do not want to give the structure of tomorrow.
The reasons for 5-3-2 are the same
(sic)
.
They have not changed since Lorient.
It depends on the number of defenders too.
We had a lot of changes, tired players.
In the other championships, we also observe that no team dominates completely.
Everything is tighter.
We must accept this situation and not start to find too many problems.
We must be more constant, fight even more.
Ultras were present at the Camp des Loges this Saturday morning.
Do you consider their presence important?
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It's essential for the players, for everyone.
We lack supporters.
They give energy.
This is also why there are strange situations in Europe.
Teams are mentally tired and fans are missing.
They are always behind us.
Can you describe for us the state of mind of Angel Di Maria after his last difficult weeks?
Maybe it's also related to the situation with his contract (
Editor's note: which ends in June 2021
).
I can't say for sure.
He is sensible.
He needs my support, our support.
I like its impact.
He lost easy balls, was not free enough, decisive as usual in recent weeks.
There is a great possibility that it will start tomorrow.
He has my full support.
It won't change.
Do you see Lille as an opponent for the final title?
Again, the situation is similar elsewhere in Europe.
The level is similar.
The big teams that have played in the Champions League, which have internationals, are mentally tired and others are taking the opportunity to come closer.
I expect a tighter ranking than last year.
But Ligue 1 is not a sprint, it's a marathon.
Each point is decisive, each match requires seriousness.
There are also games against Lorient where we need a little luck.
Lille is the leader.
We have the possibility of taking this place from them.
We have the right to be confident but we know it's difficult to play there.
Do you think the changes at the head of Lille can disrupt?
For me, it has no influence.
Neither on them nor on us.
What are the main qualities of Losc?
They are strong collectively, on the counter-attack, to recover the ball.
They always counterattack with four attackers.
The key points: you need possession, a very aggressive counter-pressing, vigilant and not to lose the ball too quickly after recovery.
If we can't stop their counterattack before it starts, it will be difficult to defend.
They are very fast.
Do you want to show that PSG remains the boss?
I have the feeling that we had two good training sessions yesterday and today
(Editor's note: Friday and Saturday)
.
Gianluigi Buffon explained in an interview that general fatigue exists after major competitions.
I'm not saying it's impossible to have a great game.
But it's more demanding than usual.
We adapt.
The best thing is to accept reality.
We prepared the team, the offensive and defensive strategy.
We will talk about it again tomorrow in Lille when we arrive.
In England, it is often said that during this period you can lose the league title.
Is this the case for PSG this season?
I am convinced that we will not lose the championship tomorrow.
January, February are decisive months.
Without the Champions League, it will be easier to focus on the championship.
We have a lot of games in January, February.
We need a little vacation before that.
I believe we are strong enough to win this title.
Have you already established the vacation schedule?
We will start again on January 3.
There will be nine days of vacation.
