Jordan Teze: “The aim is to remain consistent throughout the season”

He once again showcased his versatility in the UEFA Conference League. Deployed at centre-back alongside Sadibou Sané in the 3-0 win over Freiburg, Jordan Teze put in a solid performance and played a full part in AS Monaco’s clean sheet. The versatile Dutchman therefore faced the media to discuss, among other things, this new role and Sunday’s clash with Lille (3 p.m.) at the Stade Louis-II. Here are the highlights.

Defensive set-pieces

We have conceded a lot of goals from these situations, that’s true, but we need to work on it and improve by watching videos to see how we can get better, because there are several factors involved. It’s a combination of things. We talk about it among ourselves because these situations can give our opponents a chance to create an opportunity.

Playing at centre-back against Freiburg

I’ve already played as a centre-back at PSV a few years ago. I was even trained in that position before becoming a right-back. I like playing in the middle because I get on the ball a lot and I know my qualities can make a difference, so I feel very comfortable there. (On getting a run of games) Of course, my aim is to keep getting minutes because it can sometimes be difficult to remain consistent if you don’t play regularly. I want to maintain a certain rhythm and play a lot of matches, as I did last season, with my versatility being a real asset. In any case, I feel good at AS Monaco. I know I’m not always in the starting XI, but when I’m at 100%, I give everything in training and during matches. I know I’m capable of being a starter.

A back three against Freiburg

We often play with three at the back, especially when we’re further up the pitch. We’re very flexible, although I think it mainly depends on the opposition. If they press with two players, we’ll have three in the middle of the defence, whereas if they only have one striker, our defensive line will consist of two players. It’s up to us to adapt. Personally, against Freiburg, I wasn’t sure at first whether I had the freedom to move into midfield, but I did so more as the game went on. We had a good understanding with Chris (Mawissa), Lamine (Camara), who dropped into the middle, and Sadibou (Sané). We communicated well and moved dynamically to make life difficult for Freiburg.

The clash with Lille

Against Freiburg, especially after the defeat in Lorient, it felt like a little bit of revenge. We need to keep improving and playing well. We have to be ready for Lille. It will be a good match because they are a very strong team too. They beat us twice last season, on both occasions by a 1-0 scoreline. So it will be a chance for revenge, but we’ll be playing at home and we have to win. We’re capable of doing that, especially as we have a lot of confidence.

The UEFA Conference League

It’s a difficult competition because you don’t necessarily know your opponents or the atmosphere in their stadiums, which makes away games even more challenging. They’ll also be more motivated against us because we’re a big team in Europe. (On going all the way) I’m here to win any trophy, but the aim is to remain consistent throughout the season and win our matches, which we weren’t able to do last year. There’s no point talking about it now. We’ll see where we stand around April or May.

Is the squad stronger this season?

It’s difficult to say because at the start of last season we were also top of the table. But this season is completely different because some players, such as Paris (Brunner), weren’t playing then, whereas the opposite is true at the moment. The same goes for other players who have taken their opportunities to get more playing time. So we can’t compare the two seasons. The most important thing is to remain consistent, because I know Ligue 1 is a difficult league.