How can Benoît Tavenot go about saving Metz’s Ligue 1 place? | OneFootball

Benoît Tavenot has replaced the sacked Stéphane Le Mignan at Metz, who sit bottom of Ligue 1. According to L'Équipe, the 49-year-old aims to rebuild belief while tightening discipline. Metz have conceded 40 in 18 league games.

His first game is against Lyon on Sunday at 17:15. He knows Metz well after assisting Frédéric Antonetti and Vincent Hognon from 2019 to 2022.

On Wednesday and Thursday he held one-to-ones with every player to speed up the diagnosis. He felt there were no major dressing-room issues and sensed commitment, and does not see confidence as broken.

The returns of Habib Diallo and Cheikh Sabaly, African champions with Senegal, lift spirits, and he expects a good performance from them. He also accepts the squad needs a mental reset because it crumbles too easily at setbacks.

He has signalled a move away from his predecessor’s expansive approach, starting with the first line of defending. The block will sit deeper and require heavy running, and he is unsure they can sustain it for 45, 60, 75 or 90 minutes against Lyon.

Gauthier Hein stays captain despite recent unease, and remains Metz’s most decisive player with six goals and four assists in Ligue 1.

Seeking further leaders, Tavenot is likely to restore Benjamin Stambouli, 35, after an impressive training week. He values the midfielder’s straight character and top-level know-how, while accepting the recovery is far from assured.

Source: L'Équipe