"Everyone is working hard!"

girondins.com: Hello Jaro! During the international break you were in action against SD Eibar, how are you feeling? Jaroslav Plasil: Good! It's good to get back on the pitch. A lot of the boys hadn't played yet, or not as much as they would have liked. So it's good for everyone to get a run-out! The match was decent, it was just lacking in goals. It was a tough physical game, and we had to be on form. It's always good to measure yourself against other teams, especially Spanish teams. girondins.com: How do you feel about the way Bordeaux have started the season? Jaroslav Plasil: The draw with Angers was a shame. We should have won that one. Other than that, everybody is working hard, putting in the effort, and I think that shows on the pitch. They're already mature. girondins.com: Where do you think there is still progress to be made? Jaroslav Plasil: When we get chances, we need to score. Sometimes we miss opportunities to tie up the result, and end up making things harder for ourselves. But even if we have to work for it, we know how to win! That bodes well for the future, and we want to keep improving. girondins.com: This is your 9th season with the Girondins de Bordeaux, which makes you the longest-serving member of the team. How does that feel? Jaroslav Plasil: It feels great! Most of the players were here last year, and the coaching staff are doing an excellent job. But we also signed quite a few players over the summer who are already up to speed. They've hit the ground running and you can see that on the pitch. [...] I think this team is capable of winning anywhere. girondins.com: Over the summer Jocelyn Gourvennec brought in two new defensive midfielders, Otavio and Lukas Lerager. You've played in over 470 matches at the top level: what can you bring to these promising youngsters? Jaroslav Plasil: They've already got a fair amount of experience, that's clear to see. They're consistent, that's a great quality they bring to the team. And they're already mature. It's down to us to help them develop their confidence, that's what a team is all about. I think you can see the results in the way they play. Boosting that confidence is good for the team, it's good for the club and it's good for the supporters. girondins.com: This Friday the Girondins take on Lille OSC for the 5th game of the Ligue 1 season. What do you make of this Lille team? Jaroslav Plasil: I don't really know. They have Marcelo Bielsa now, and I know he has a very physical style of training. He makes his players run a lot. He also brings in new ideas. Playing in Lille is never easy, but I think this team is capable of winning anywhere. We just hope the international lads don't come back too tired. We're going to Lille to get a result. Thanks Jaroslav!