Putting aside the grim and heartbreaking realities that a)Nice, for the most part, have failed to show the necessary commitment for two of the last three matches, and b)Cyril #1 hit the bar with the PK that very likely represented his (and the rest of Nice’s old people’s) last chance ever to play in the Stade de France, Ben Saada’s goal was gorgeous, and is only going to make me talk more about how he needs to get a run in the side to show what he can do. Yes, he’s scrawny and not as consistent as he should be, but apart from Rémy, Nice have no one else who can change a game like Ben Saada can. Period. He can do magical things, whether with smart little touches (Exhibit A) or with determination and skill, when the team are dying for someone to step up (Exhibit B is above).

* * *

It’s fascinating to see how Antonetti’s is reacting to the loss, and how it’s affecting his approach to the Lyon match. Rather than doing what you might expect and downplaying the Vannes result as “just another loss,” and something that the team are already beyond, he immediately described it as something that could lead to a crisis (his word, not mine), and then, today, at the same time that he lamented the early non-PK call in the Vannes match and the damage it did, he also said Nice’s challenge going into the Lyon match is “To manage [the Vannes] failure. It takes great courage, great sacrifice. This will not be simple.”

In my experience, that’s a pretty unusual approach for a head coach to take after a devastating loss, and heading into a match against the league leaders, no matter what sort of form the leaders are in. Yes, Antonetti’s defending his team against the Great They in the media, but he’s also basically daring them to step up take some responsibility for their season, and the direction it’s been going to last two months. Me, I love it. I just hope they’re able to respond because, results aside, it’s going to be very, very hard for them to get their confidence back if Sunday’s is another bad performance.

[In other news, the team are under threat of disciplinary action because of the behavior of supporters during the Vannes match, and could find themselves playing a match behind closed doors following the Disciplinary Committee's meeting on the 19th. Man, and throwing stuff seemed like a such a good idea at the time, too.]

[First, I apologize for the infrequency of updates here -- I'm just too busy right now to give Nice the attention they deserve, but I'll do my best to post once or twice a week with the big news, such as it is.]

This week, that news is the arrival of defensive mid Julien Sablé (presentation video above) from Lens on a three-and-a-half year contract. He’s not young (28), but he’s tough as hell, and has a great relationship with Antonetti from their time together at ASSE, where he was captain for many years. And, even more importantly, after sitting on his butt in Lens for the past 18 months, he’s excited to prove himself, and make a difference at Nice (or, it sounds like, anywhere Antonetti happens to be hanging out).

I confess that I knew nothing about Sablé until his name started appearing in rumors last month, but reading through the forums, this move is getting a really positive reaction, primarily because of what a warrior he was at ASSE. Immediately, his main role will probably be slotting into the team for Cup matches as Nice try to survive in three competitions, but it’s generally accepted that, longer term, he’ll replace the ageless Chouf, when he either hangs it up, or physically isn’t able to keep himself in the first XI anymore (next season?).

Two pretty promising pick-ups in the winter transfer window isn’t bad at all, particularly given the prices involved (Sablé’s hasn’t been revealed, but there’s no way he cost much, considering how little-used he’s been at Lens.) — full marks to Mr. Ricort, and bonus points for the misdirection about the team’s total lack of interest in Sablé.

Two day to the (Cup) derby! I’ll try to at least post the squad list when it goes up.

For those of you who speak French and/or Portuguese or just like moving pictures, here’s Adeilson’s presentation. It’s hard to conclude much from those four-and-a-half minutes, but his words are optimistic and honest — It’s not often you hear a guy in his presentation at a new club say he’d never heard of them before they came in and made him an offer — which is definitely something.

If Ricort has his way, a very real side-effect of Adeilson’s arrival could be the departure of Modeste on loan, if Antonetti “gives the green light.” It’d be great for Modeste to play every week under less pressure somewhere, and if alleged possible destination Nancy can provide him that, awesome. More than anything else, it’s always seemed like Modeste’s biggest problem is a lack of confidence; hopefully some success elsewhere will bring him back to Nice next season with a little self-belief.

And, also, in a bit of unrelated transfer talk, it’s being reported that Gace could be headed out on loan to National side Rodez. Cripes, for real? I mean, I know he’s not playing and all, but damn, that’s a long ways down for a loan — or is this sort of move more common in France than I think?

There’s allegedly football being played in the first part of this clip. I have my doubts.

Arras 1 – 3 Nice
Buts: Bellatrêche (52è) pour Arras; Ben Saada (48è), Modeste (110è), Bamogo (113è pen) pour Nice

Arras: Lambenne – De Barros, Daval, Lombard, Delépine – Bellatrêche (c), Duchateau (Diarra, 99è), Luyssen (Lamourette, 109è), Hadjal – Catelet (Bellaredj, 63è), Robail

Nice: Letizi – Apam, Hognon, Cid, Rool (c; Gace, 115è) – Jeunechamp, Traoré (Hellebuyck, 71è), Ben Saada – Quansah (Bamogo, 58è), Modeste, Mouloungui

* * *

I was going to wait to write up the Arras match until I’d watched it, but since the official site seems to have decided there’s no point in uploading something no one can see, it looks like I’m not actually going to be able to do that.

So, to sum up what everyone probably already knows, conditions where shocking (frozen pitch, crazy thick fog), so much so that that referee briefly stopped the match, and only allowed it go to on after Antonetti and Captain Cyril #1 — who was apparently just immense for the 115 minutes he was on the pitch — unleashed their legendary powers of persuasion on him. It was literally almost impossible to see what was going on throughout most of the 90 minutes, but both teams scored (so we’re told, anyway), and it wasn’t until the fog lifted in added time that Nice were able to really assert their superiority, in the form of two more goals, and secure a place in the next round.

A next round in which they will play — wait for it — Monaco. Sweet. The match will be played away, at the end of this month.

ETA: Ok, the match has been uploaded now. If I find some patience, I’ll watch it and write a more detailed response tomorrow.

* * *

In other news, you may have heard Nice have quietly snapped up a new striker. His name is Pereira de Mello Adeilson (that’s just Adeilson to us, because he’s merciful like that), he’s 23, cost €1 million from Brazilian club Ipatinga and, if you believe the French press, the club beat out at least Bayer Leverkusen for his signature; they’ve secured his services for three-and-a-half years.

According to Roger Ricort, Adeilson wasn’t even his target when he went to Brazil to scout, but he played so well that Nice turned their attention to him and totally forgot about the nameless opponent they had traveled to see. As you’d expect, there’s a lot of optimism about the guy in the Nice camp, from his size and ability — there’s a pretty sweet goal here — to his personality, and the way he carries himself (Ricort compared him to Ederson, which is high praise indeed), but obviously he’s got everything to prove.

Right now, by Adeilson’s own admission, he’s behind on fitness because he’s coming off a three-week vacation, so it’ll probably be a while before we get to see him in action.

Who does he think he is, Gerd Müller?

ASSE 0-1 Nice
But: Echouafni (20è) pour Nice

St Etienne: Janot – Andreu, Benalouane, Varrault, Sauget – Machado, Hautcoeur, Dernis (Payet, 73è) – Ilan (c), Gomis (Gigliotti, 82è), Mirallas (Matsui, 64è)

Nice: Letizi – Diakité, Apam, Kanté, Rool – Echouafni (c), Coulibaly (Jeunechamp, 73è), Faé, Hellebuyck – Bamogo (Modeste, 58è), Mouloungui (Cid, 94è)

* * *

There’s not really much to say about this match, apart from that it was just the sort of ugly win that makes you really proud of a team. The three points won were nothing to do with ability, and everything to do with desire, organization, and fight; points that have to be gutted out if Nice are dreaming of an extend stay within shouting distance of where they are in the table right now.

Conditions were dreadful and, for essentially the whole match, it was 10 men behind the ball and a whole lot of running from everyone in red and black. Ugly or not, it was awesome to see how hard everyone worked — Bamogo did nothing but defend for long stretches, and Hellebuyck, who must be the fittest man in the world, was all over the pitch, particularly late when legs were going and no one else could get forward. He was immense.

Really, it’s hard to think of much to add to Anonetti’s postmatch comments, particularly the bit where he said “I [take my] hat off to our defense that was heroic.” Damn right. This team have given up one goal (against five scored) in their last four league matches and, apart from some lapses against Lorient, the defense — including Letizi, who doesn’t get many style points, but is there when he needs to be — has looked nearly impenetrable. I don’t care who you’re playing, those are impressive numbers. After a preseason spent leaking goals, I don’t think anyone would have guessed a Lloris-free Nice would be defending this convincingly, even by late November.

* * *

I also don’t think anyone actually believes Nice will stay this close to the top of the table for long, but it’s fair to say that, in the last seven matches — starting with Bordeaux and including Créteil — the team have really shown us something. Apart from periodic, inspired stretches, the football isn’t petty, but they’re smart, they’re hard to play against, and they believe in themselves. Those three things, even without Rémy, and without the still-missing killer instinct, have made Nice a force to be reckoned with and, most importantly, a team that can tough out wins, even when they’re not playing well. If they can keep their wits about them moving forward (and adjust successfully when Rémy comes back), they’re going to make this interesting.

And, finally, while digging through ASSE forums yesterday, in amidst the “OMG NICE PLAY ANTIFOOTBALL!11!!!” rants and debates on whether they should moon over how much they want Antontetti back or just move on, I found this post, which I thought was a pretty perceptive summary of where Nice stand and how they play (forgive the Google translate garbling, I think you can still get the gist):

Nice still lost 4 best players in the offseason (Balmont, Kone, Lloris, Ederson) does not have a staff of Cador championship (an attack Mouloungui-Bamogo-Modeste, we saw more impressive) and was moving last night without his main striker (Remy). One can therefore understand that this team has not proposed football-champagne, outside what is more, and also in a relegation (kind of wounded beast that must be wary because it is always susceptible to rebel) .

Nice done with its resources and for now that they succeeded fairly well. They seek to maintain them as soon as possible and once the first goal achieved, they will seek the highest possible. They are not flamboyant in the game (how many teams are in France?), They know very well that they will be very difficult to maintain their current pace of 38 days but offset by a state of mind of combatants and not drop anything. And the points made are no longer taken.

Finally, Antonetti yells perhaps on the edge of the button, but he is at the root of this desire that we see on the ground and that made her a commando team on which many training just break your teeth (when they appear above Nice on paper). If Etienne had half the commitment and willingness shown by the people of Nice on the first 15 games, it would not be the 20th this morning.

(I’m generally a pretty cynical, irritable football fan, but having Nice described that way by an opposing supporter made me feel almost embarrassingly proud.)

Ability + vision + audacity + 10 pounds of muscle = legitimate future #10

I’ll have some sort of report up about the match tomorrow whether you like it or not but, until then, watch the above clip. Then, watch this one, which is even better, but is crappy when embedded. Next, sigh happily. Repeat as often as necessary.

When you’re done, take a minute to read this article about the newest of the blood at Fourth Place Nice, specifically new kids David Ospina and Abeiku Quansah. The Quansah quotes are particularly charming, he’s just overwhelmed that supporters not only know who he is, but also actually cheer for him.

Also, add Mouloungui (Gabon) and Fae (Ivory Coast) to the list of people on international duty this week. Fingers crosses no one come home from the friendies hurt.

And, finally, good news regarding to the Coupe de la Ligue quarterfinal against Le Havre: It’ll take place at the Ray. Huzzah!

I’m traveling and working and won’t be able to get a report up until Tuesday (which is probably just as well, since if I wrote it now, you’d get a long piece comparing Italian and French referees, mixed with a lot of mooning over Cyril #1 and being sent off on principle), but until then there’s this, which hurts a lot but is worth watching to see Cohen melting down, and Letizi being epic class at the end.*

Or, if you prefer your video with less football and more disgust, you’ll find Rool here, doing everyone’s heart a bit of good.

*I say that based entirely on Letizi’s expressions and body language, since I can’t understand a damn word he says. If he’s swearing a blue streak and threatening violence, do let me know.

The baby Bleus made easy work of Malta yesterday, demolishing them 5-0 to stay in contention for a spot in the playoff for a place in the U-21 finals. The first goal was scored after just five minutes by none other than Loïc Rémy, who happened to be in the right place at the right time and ripped a rebound into the roof of the net.

The longer he can keep up this form the better, no matter what shirt he’s wearing. Even if the current France one is just hideous.