“I told him he was going to be the reason we win tonight.” – Get French Football News

In a 1-0 win against Stade Laval, Saint-Étienne finally took home 3 points after going 5 matches winless. While the win does not move them out of last place in Ligue 2, it does put them back in the fight.

Head coach Laurent Batlles spoke about what the win means to the team explaining, “The group that won tonight, with the return of certain players, showed a lot of good things. There are definitely things to improve on, but we had an obligation to get results and we did that. It feels good to win against a team that is difficult to maneuver. We created a lot of chances despite everything, we were also solid defensively. We have to coast on that.”

One win against a team that is also fighting for their place on the table does not signify ASSE has turned things around and the French coach knows that. When asked if the win was reassuring he stated, “I don’t know if we needed to be reassured, we needed to experience victories…We are always behind, we needed success after the restart. These are only three points but of course, they will be good for everyone.”

Striker Jean-Philippe Krasso, who came in as a substitute, received praise from his coach stating, “I told him, that’s what I expect of him. There is competition, we need to get the most out of everyone. I told him he was going to be the reason we win tonight. He was efficient and decisive … he made a difference. That’s how you earn your place.”

Ligue 2 has not been easy for Les Verts, but the team has been competitive and is now only a few points away from getting out of the danger zone. The French coach is also somewhat of a rising name in the coaching world. If he is able to have success with Saint-Étienne he may be someone to keep an eye on in the future.

GFFN | Tony DesRois