Eirik Horneland: “Happy with this point”

A share of the points, but a positive result

I’m happy with this point. It was a tough away match against a team that’s been doing well at home. We could have performed better; we struggled to control the tempo of the game. We had to make some changes, particularly in midfield, with players who lacked match fitness. As a result, we lacked connection and mobility in that area. We tried to build relationships on the pitch, but it was difficult to push forward into the final third. We were missing something to unsettle Auxerre’s defense, which is of good quality. We had strong moments where we could have done better, but technically, we missed some key actions. Nevertheless, we’ll take this point—it’s important for us.

Room for improvement

I think, as a team, we could have done better, particularly in the physical aspect. Right from the start, I felt we weren’t very fresh. With the arrival of the new coach—myself—the players are having to adapt to a new method, different training sessions, and new physical and mental demands. However, I believe that over the coming weeks, they’ll adjust to the physical requirements—or at least, that’s what I hope.

The right mindset

It’s frustrating to keep conceding the first goal, but we can see that the team’s mentality and spirit are in the right place. Once again, given our position in the standings, it’s crucial to see these positive reactions. Over the last four matches, the overall record is good. We’ve had good phases of play, but we lack consistency, and that prevents us from achieving more. We need to be better organized.