EXCLUSIVE: Lens' Haise says the club and team are most important

After two admirable seasons since their return to the top flight in 2020, Lens have achieved a historic season (63 points after 30 games), coming close to their 1998 record of 68 points.

Just a few hours to go before the clash between Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain and runners-up RC Lens, Ligue 1 is still very much up for grabs with eight games to go.

For Franck Haise, interviewed by Flashscore News, there is nothing to be nervous about - quite the opposite.

Lens, with a two-point lead over Marseille (and five over Monaco in fourth), are in an excellent position to reach the Champions League for the third time in their history.

FS: A few hours before the clash with Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, what is your first impression of the current season?

FH: "From our first 30 games, we can see that the club and the team are continuing to progress. For a coach, this is very satisfying. We've already broken last year's points record with eight games to go. We also have more balance and solidity in our game than in other years. So there you have it, these are positive points. After that, 30 games is a big part, of course, but it's only one part of the championship and we'll take stock at the end of the 38th day."

The year 2023 started for RC Lens with a 3-1 win against your opponents on Saturday night. Last year, you managed to snatch a draw there (1-1) in the 88th minute. This year, the form and the standings are different. Is there room to get the three points in Paris and will we see your team conquer at the Parc?

"For me, in every match, there is room to get the three points. Even if we know that when we play Paris, it won't be easy. But we play every match to win them, in any case, we start the matches with that in mind. Now, against them, we will try to implement our principles of play, as we try to do every time, whatever the opponent. Of course, our principles are also defensive ones, like getting the ball back. Inevitably, we know that we'll have a good chance of having the ball less than our opponents. But in the end, for me, possession is not the most important thing. Far from it - although I like my team to be in control. What remains essential, at the end of the day, is to create chances, to have shots, to concede as little as possible, and all that has nothing to do with possession."

We've seen PSG struggle against the big teams in the league... against LOSC (4-3), where they took control. Isn't this Lille team an example of what is possible to do there from a possession point of view?

"Our possession must be used to hurt the opponent, and we can do that in a way like making them run, because that's also the best way to defend. But we also need to have the ball to finish our actions and potentially look score goals. Of course, our idea is not to play only on transitions, but we will have to be able to do a set of things in a very good way with ball, without ball, after recovery or even after loss."

RC Lens, this season, against the top five, have 15 points out of 15 possible (4-1 against Monaco away, 2-1 against Rennes at home, 1-0 against OM away, 3-1 against Paris, and 1-0 against Rennes at home). What is the formula for knocking off the big boys? 

"To take the example of Strasbourg... Of course, they are playing for survival, that's a fact, but it's a team with a squad similar to that of last season - very good, by the way - which finished ahead of us last year... Yes, they're having a tricky season, but they're far from being a small team. They have a lot of qualities and they didn't cause us problems offensively, because they didn't have many chances, but they did cause us problems in the game. Because we lacked a lot of accuracy, especially in the beginning of the game where we were not up to the task. Fortunately, things improved as the game went on. You mentioned the good results against the top teams, and yes, we are also able to offer other weapons that we have against teams that are certainly more interested in possession, opening up and creating. I'm not going to say that it's easier, because that's not the truth (laughs). But in any case it makes for matches that can potentially be more open."

You went through a complicated period between January and February with specifically a series of four matches without a win (Troyes and Lyon). You managed to get back on track, with four good wins against Clermont, Angers, Rennes and Strasbourg, after, in particular, a change of system (switched to a four-man defence against Clermont and Angers). What was the trigger?

"Even if we had a period of ups and downs, with two draws and two defeats, which was the only negative mini-series, I wasn't overly concerned about this series because the content, the statistics and the athletics data were always at a good level. In the face of this, we all remained quite calm, taking as an example that there was not a single team in the championship that had not had a hole, more or less, even in the leading teams. I showed it to the players shortly before our series, saying 'we've just drawn two and lost two in four games, but all the teams - Paris, Rennes, Lille, Monaco and Marseille - have done that at some point in the season'. The important thing was to remain calm, to continue to work well, to keep our confidence and to look as objectively as possible at what was going on, asking ourselves whether we were far from the level or not. And I thought we were not far off. We lacked attacking efficiency, the chances that the opponents had, we always took a goal. But in terms of content, I was rather reassured. So we had to stay on course and keep moving forward."

You are known for being a team that plays ball, offensive football, not wanting to suffer and being an actor of the game. So, one could say, 'okay, there are disadvantages to playing like that'. Especially defensively, you expose yourself more. And yet, when we look at the figures, you are the best defence in Ligue 1 (21 goals conceded so far). What has been the key, from a tactical point of view, to succeed in finding a balance between this attacking football and an ability to concede so few goals?

"There are several things to consider. First of all, the fact that our three-man defence know themselves perfectly well. The players, who are those who play the most, with a fourth who is Massadio Haïdara, have been there for several seasons and have played together for at least two. Sometimes more, for some. Then there is the fact that they know each other well and work a lot, which allows them to gain in solidity. Obviously, there are two arrivals that cannot be forgotten in this defensive quality and balance. Salis Abdul Samed, who is an important element of our balance and of our work in front of the central defence, and Brice Samba who arrived and who gave us a lot of confidence. So obviously, there are individualities, there is collective work and then there is the fact that we have found a better balance and, I think, a better reading of situations. There are moments when we can press very high, moments when we must quickly reform and be very dense from a block that must be a little more median - even if we always try to defend by moving forward - moments when we find the right balance when we are in possession and we can anticipate certain transitions. Of course, it's a long-term job, which allows us today, to play a football which is rather offensive, but also, at the same time, to be the best defence. And that's not insignificant."

You talk about arrivals and I would like to come back to those of Fulgini and Thomasson in winter. We feel that there has been a qualitative leap in the team. Fulgini has an excellent technical quality and Thomasson too. They fit in perfectly with your tactics, your strategy and your vision of the game. Before them, last summer, important players left (like Clauss, Doucouré, Ganago, but you also recruited, notably Loïs Openda, Brice Samba, Salis Abdul Samed, among others). And despite the changes, the new faces that may arrive, you are getting better and better. The recruitment seems to be well thought out, the sporting project is well mapped out. We have the impression, seen from the outside, that RC Lens make few if any mistakes ...

"We make mistakes like everyone else (laughs)! And in any case, even without making mistakes, when you have a squad of 20 or 22 players, you know perfectly well that you have everything to go in the right direction. Even if there are some very good players who have arrived, but who don't play, because we know that there are others who are even better and that the competition is there. It's part of the life of a squad not to have room for everyone. But what is certain is that the recruitment team, with whom I have worked very closely since the beginning, is doing a great job. That's for sure. We know very well the profiles we want, both player profiles, but we also attach importance to the human profile when we do our recruitment. It's important not to make a mistake about the player. But not making a mistake about the man is just as important. You need competitors and here you need players with character. And I have players with character, otherwise we wouldn't be where we are. But they also have to be intelligent and they have to understand that the team is above all else."

Can you name a player with character?

"I can name 50! Brice Samba, Jonathan Gradit, Facundo Medina, Kevin Danso, Salis Abdul Samed, Flo Sotoca, Loïs Openda, Angelo Fulgini. These are players with character... Jimmy Cabot, too, who is recovering from his injury. I have a lot of players with character, but they know that at Lens, that's what I defend every day with my staff, it's the club and the team that are more important than anything else."

You were talking about a recruit earlier. Lois Openda, you got him for 9-10 million euros from Bruges. 29 games, 15 goals... He's a cracker, isn't he? Does he meet the requirements?

"Objectively speaking, 30 matches and 15 goals means a lot for a first season in Ligue 1. For a player who is very young at a new club. He has progressed, but still has a lot of room for improvement. So I am very satisfied, but at the same time very demanding, because I know his qualities... We're behind him, I'm behind him because he mustn't and won't stop there."

To conclude, after 30 games in Ligue 1, Lens have 63 points. We know that Racing's record dates back to 1998 with 68 points... and 1998 echoes the French championship title... I'm not going to ask you if you 'dream' of winning Ligue 1 this season, because I know you're not a dreamer. Only the facts count for you. Cartesian thinking... But precisely, when you think from a rational point of view, RC Lens is a candidate for the title. You can't deny it. In terms of form, opponents, etc. Anything can happen, of course. But despite everything... are you thinking about the Ligue 1 title?

"Yes, it's true (laughs)... I'm not a dreamer. To come back to Paris, factually, they have been in first place since the first day. They are six points ahead of us today. And we don't know what will happen in three days' time... If it will be six, nine or three. I don't know, but in any case, Paris only has the championship to play for this year. They've been ahead from the start. They have a schedule that is, compared to the rest of the top teams, the most affordable. So I can hardly see another champion than Paris, but that's not going to stop us from going to Paris with the ambition of causing them problems."

Very good. So, we wish you at least - or at best - the Champions League next season (laughs).

"(Laughs) We'll get what we deserve!"