Cathro plays down ASSE's first defeat at Dunkerque, Greens remain leaders

AS Saint-Étienne suffered its first defeat since the start of its good run, losing 2-1 at Dunkerque on Saturday evening. The streak of five consecutive wins ends, but the Greens remain top of Ligue 2 with a three-point lead over Reims and four over Montpellier.

Facing the media after the final whistle, Ian Cathro chose restraint. The Scottish coach immediately refused to dramatize the setback, preferring to point out the collective shortcomings observed throughout the match. “It’s a strange match in which we have a lot of things to improve. We will review it, go through it, analyze it calmly. Did we play with the ideal rhythm? Were the connections as fluid as they should be? No, I don’t think so,” he acknowledged.

The manager was keen to place this defeat in a long-term perspective, refusing to let the evening’s result change the method put in place over recent weeks. “Our work remains the same after a defeat as after a victory, it is to improve. Our objective is really long-term. It won’t stop at the end of May,” he recalled, alluding to a possible promotion to Ligue 1.

Cathro also ruled out any reductive explanation focused on offensive efficiency. Despite a recent impressive record on paper, he believes his players must above all learn lessons from a performance below their usual level. “I don’t really want to talk about efficiency. What matters is managing this situation and moving forward. I don’t want to be swept away by this feeling, it would be unfair to the players.”

On the tactical front, the Saint-Étienne coach refused to concede clear Dunkerque dominance, while praising the opposition’s display. “If we look at the statistics, we will see which team really dominated the match. But that wasn’t the case over the entire game. We must also pay tribute to Dunkerque who did very good things. We didn’t deliver our usual performance.”

With their lead preserved at the top of the table, the Greens approach the rest of the season with the same demands shown by their coach: progress week after week, regardless of results.