This Break is an Opportunity to Prepare the Team for a Successful Return
The Press — If the Blues have ideally completed the first phase of the championship by defeating JS Kairouan and AS Soliman, Tarek Jarraya's team will still have points to take when they return to play, knowing that the Usémistes had previously stumbled against CA, USBG, ASG, and ESM before regaining success. This means that the return to play will not be easy for the Ribat team, with two major challenges: one against ST at the Hedi Ennaifer stadium in Bardo, and the other against EST at the Mustapha Ben Jannet stadium in Monastir. Five points behind leaders EST and CA, USM can no longer afford to drag their feet if they want to stay in touch with the top of the standings. In this regard, as he announced a few days ago, coach Tarek Jarraya is working to refine his team, particularly by relying on young local players, such as U17 midfielder Mazen Slama, who recently participated in the U17 World Cup. "We will have time to raise the level during this break to improve the team even more. I have spoken to the management to talk to the players who are not retained in the group, while on the youth side, we have already strengthened the team with two elements from the elite team. During this break, there will be new young players to launch, and I myself am following the youth teams with great attention," said Tarek Jarraya.
Developing Affinities
Another aspect that the Usémiste coach is thinking about is the activity of the midfield players and the search for the best possible combination, in other words, the perfect complement to the indispensable Moez Haj Ali and Yassine Dridi, whose presence in the starting lineup has not been constant for some time. To finish this overview of the staff's priorities during this period, the search for more stability in defense is also highlighted, namely defining the clear holders of the positions for the entire second phase, or at least focusing on it. There, if the axis pair Raed Chikhaoui-Fabrice Zerguei seems unavoidable, even if Aboubaker Benga and Nour Zamen Zamouri are available, the two flank players must also establish themselves in the long term.
