MHSC – Nice: “At home, the public pushes us, they bring us something extra,” says Enzo Tchato, the Montpellier defender

Enzo Tchato monte en régime en enchaînant les rencontres. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

The Montpellier right-back has taken on another dimension in recent weeks, just like his team. A progression that he believes is due to the arrival of the new staff. But he believes that his team can do even better.

Enzo, we have the impression that since Jean-Louis Gasset arrived, you have been gaining strength and confidence. Is that also the impression you have ?

I would say yes. It's true that since the new coach arrived, I've had a lot of playing time. I've had the opportunity to play matches in a row and gain confidence. The coach talks to me a lot, as does assistant Printant. I think that Vito's (Hilton) contribution brings something extra. I feel good and it continues.

Is that what you're also missing at the start of the season? Continuity, not starting every match?

It's certain that you feel better when you can play several matches in a row. Playing a match while playing, a match on the bench, it's more complicated to have continuity. It brings a lot of things to the progression. It's also better, I think.

We feel you are focused defensively, but perhaps less visible offensively. Is that part of the instructions or do you prefer to be cautious for now ?

Afterwards, it all depends on the matches. Afterwards, I remain above all a defender. The most important thing is to do my defensive tasks. Afterwards, when I have the opportunity to contribute offensively, I try to do so. For the moment, I try to combine with Mousa because I often play with him. I think that over the course of the matches, over the course of the automatisms that we will create in training and also by chaining the matches, it will be better. I hope to make assists for the team.

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You conceded few chances against Lille or Lens. Do you feel that the defense is improving and that it is finding its bearings ?

I think that beyond the defense, it is especially the defensive block of the whole team. It is true that we work a lot in training on this aspect. Afterwards, the problem is that we also concede goals that are unfortunately on set pieces. This is also a point that we must work on. But it is true that we feel more solid and it is better to win matches by having a solid defense, by having a compact team, it gives us more certainty when starting matches.

You were talking earlier about Vito's (Hilton) role, what does he bring you concretely on a daily basis ? You knew the player, you see him there with you as a coach. What does he bring you on a daily basis ?

What's good, as you said, is that he was a player. He was also captain. He brings his experience, his calm. For us, as a defender, he gives us a lot of advice. Especially as a young player, I think it's important to take advice from a player like that. It's always with kindness and a lot of calm that he comes to talk to us.

How do you explain the difficulties you have away from home while at home you have found a certain continuity ? Is it a mental problem away from home or is it something else ?

Frankly, I won't necessarily have the answer to the question. We try, whether at home or away, to put the same ingredients. Afterwards, it's sure that at home, there is the public who push us. It brings us something more, I think. But for the second part of the season, it would be important to take points away from home if we want to stay up. But no, it's true that for the moment, we haven't found the solution yet.

Do you have the feeling, precisely, to come back to the refereeing, that it's been a bit tricky recently. We remember in Saint-Étienne where last week, there was a foul a priori on Nordin at the start before the goal. How do you experience that within the group, precisely ?

During the matches, it's true that it's quite frustrating. I said in Saint-Étienne that what was frustrating was above all the lack of communication with the referee. Afterwards, we have the impression that at the moment, there's a bit of nothing going our way. We don't necessarily have that kind of luck.

If we had more luck, maybe the referee would have whistled for the foul against Lens. But afterward, we can't hide behind that. We have to deal with it. Because in all cases, it's us and ourselves who are playing. We have to ignore the refereeing to win matches, quite simply. We shouldn't say every time that it's because of the referee that we lost. It doesn't matter. We have to deal with it and play, quite simply.

The two matches against Brest and Lille at La Mosson, did they actually outline the path to follow at home??

Yes, I think that these are two matches that we have to build on. Because we had two positive results. We took points. We will try to do the same against Nice, to put the same ingredients, even more. Because we can do much better to bring home the victory this weekend. But it is certain that these are two matches that we have to build on and rely on for the matches to come.