Montassar Talbi: "You always have to keep building on your strengths to get better"

At Lorient, the leader of the defence is Montassar Talbi. The Tunisian defender snuffs out opposition attacks with remarkably clean defending. So much so that his team-mates call him Monsieur Propre (Mr Clean). He is so clinical in his challenges that the Merlu did not receive a single yellow card in 38 Ligue 1 games last season. It is the same this season, with no booking yet after 4 Ligue 1 games. "The nickname appeared a little while ago. From the second half of last season, whenever the stat about me not getting a card came out, several people started calling me Monsieur Propre. It does the rounds a bit in the dressing room and I take it well. For me, defending cleanly is always a positive ", the Carthage Eagle told Ligue 1's media. He also won 67% of his duels last season.

However, that does not mean he shies away from a duel. Far from it. Montassar Talbi is simply putting his accumulated experience to use. "People shouldn't think I don't go into duels or that I refuse contact! On the contrary, I'm a player who likes to be close to the striker, make him feel my presence, and who likes to win as many duels as possible. I think I've simply matured and gained experience, and that allows me to defend more intelligently than in the past ". He then added: "Before, I used to commit a lot of fouls and pick up a fair number of cards, but now I'm more about anticipation and, above all, reading the game. I know there are areas where you must not foul and where it's better to let the attacker with the ball play it back. In that case, it's as if I'd won a duel! It's over the years and the games played that I learn from my mistakes. "

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Becoming even better

The 25-year-old therefore appreciates how far he has come. The Tunisia international (31 caps, 2 goals) also thinks there is one specific area he has fine-tuned since arriving at Lorient in the summer of 2022. "We're lucky to work with a coach and a staff who allow us to progress in several areas. I feel I've improved in analysing the game in real time, in the way I understand it, adapt, and in my ability to find solutions to the problems the opposition pose. On the pitch, that shows in my choices when playing out from the back, or in the way I defend depending on how the opposition attack combines ", Montassar Talbi said plainly.

So does that mean the Lorient man is content with his current level? Absolutely not! Asked which aspects he wanted to improve, Montassar Talbi answered bluntly: "All of them! I think you always have to keep building on your strengths to get better. As for my weaknesses, I'm not necessarily going to mention them in an interview, otherwise strikers will target them (smiles). With the coach, we're focusing more and more on details: positioning on the pitch, body positioning… Aspects that can help me progress and become even more effective in build-up play. Anyway, here, the development of every player is paramount. We have everything at our disposal. If you want to progress, everything is in place to do it! You can't make excuses! "

Read also: Lorient: Montassar Talbi, the indispensable man