Gaëtan Laborde made a summer switch from Stade Rennais FC to OGC Nice and, during the World Cup break, sat down with us to talk about his first few months with OGC Nice - from how he has settled in to being reunited with former partner in crime Andy Delort.
How do you feel about your first few months at OGC Nice?
"I didn't have much success when I first arrived. I've hit the woodwork quite a lot and the goalkeepers have made some big saves, but in terms of content, I think it has been OK. I try to bring what I did at my previous clubs: a lot of running, generosity and a very good state of mind. In the last few games, I've been successful and I've found the net again. It's never easy to change clubs, to be in a new dressing room and a new context, so it took me some time to adapt. Off the pitch, everything is gradually coming together as well: I have found a house and my children have found a school. These are important things that, understandably, allow you to get better and better on the pitch."
How do you explain the fact that you didn't adapt as quickly as you did at Stade Rennais?
"It's so random... I was talking about it recently with Andy Delort. Since I arrived, I've hit the posts four times, and if they'd gone in, it would have been said that my adaptation was exceptional. I could also have made two or three assists but my team-mates also hit the woodwork... If all these opportunities had ended up in the back of the net things would have looked totally different. But that's football. Sometimes the shots that hit the post go in, sometimes they go out. So now I'm looking further ahead than that. My fortunes have changed a little bit and I have to continue on this path."
The team dynamic wasn't ideal either...
"It's obvious that when you come into a team that's having a few problems, you don't go and revolutionise the whole game. That's also part of the reason why my adaptation was more difficult than at Rennes. Over there, the dynamic was completely different, it's easier to get into a team where everything works well, where everything runs super-smoothly."
Considering the team's last matches before the break, didn't the break come at a bad time?
"Not particularly. We had played a lot of games during the first part of the season and we needed to rest physically. For some time now the team has been better; we have been able to give a better account of ourselves out on the pitch, so we have been able to have a slightly calmer holiday and come back with a positive state of mind - without being too far off the pace in the league (ninth with 20 points). I know that we can do better and that we have a lot of potential."
'The understanding with Andy will come back'
Are you frustrated that you haven't really been able to get your partnership with Andy Delort going yet?
"Yes and no. Everyone knows the bond I have with Andy on and off the pitch. We certainly want to play together because we know that we enjoy each it when we are both on the pitch. Unfortunately, his niggling injuries didn't help, and we couldn't get much playing time together. Moreover, each time we played together, there were always little accidents, like in the match against Angers (Nice found itself with ten men after ten seconds). After that, the few games we played together weren't that bad. Our partnership also depends on how the team is set up, but it will come back as we play more matches together."
Should we expect to see the cutting edge you showed in Rennes once more in the second half of the season?
"I hope so! I'm going to do everything to get my cutting edge back. I've scored five goals in the league so far [including two in Rennes], which is no mean feat. I hope to build on the same momentum as in my last few games, to keep it going and to score as many goals as possible, as I did in the last few Ligue 1 seasons with Montpellier and Rennes. We are judged a lot on statistics, but I also bring other things to the team. I make a lot of runs and I try to be the first defender for the team, but it's certain that what people look at first is whether I scored or not. It's a shame because I think I bring a lot more to the table than that."
This role of first defender seems natural to you...
"It always has been. But running for the sake of running isn't that important. What's important is to be able to do it efficiently and to coordinate with your teammates. In this case, there is a greater chance that my first press will benefit a teammate or the team. Then, I like to inject my energy, I think it's important to show the team that we have to move and that we have to misdirect defenders. A leader in a team has to talk, but he also has to lead by example out on the field."
So you aspire to be a leader in this team?
"It's something that comes naturally. It's not enough to say I want to be a leader for it to happen. I think it also comes from what you show on the pitch. But it's true that I'm at an age where I have a bit more experience than the younger players and it's easier to set an example."
