Slowly but surely Francesco Guidolin is picking up the debris at the Stade Louis II and rebuilding a house that resembled little more than a pile of rubble when Didier Deschamps stormed out of the principality in September.

Disputes between the former France captain and Monaco’s top brass had trickled down to the training ground where tensions among the players ran so high caretaker boss Jean Petit said at one stage: “If they want to fight each other, I’ll be the ref.”

On Sunday, Monaco presented a united front at the Parc des Princes, taming Paris Saint-Germain with a battling display and finishing the goalless draw by far the stronger of the two teams.

Leading by example was Monaco’s wholehearted defender Gaël Givet, whose exemplary performances over the past three years have seen him emerge as one of Ligue 1's leading players. Having kept Pedro Pauleta quiet for 90 minutes, the France international spoke to channel4.com about the post-Deschamps era and life under Guidolin.

How satisfied were you with the draw against PSG?
It’s a good point for us. Not many teams will take something from the Parc des Princes this season. We grew in strength in the second half and had some good chances to win it. Maybe if we were surer of ourselves in the final third we could have got the goal we deserved. But when you play a team like PSG you know that you can concede at any moment because they have quality individuals. So while we maybe deserved a better result, we should also be satisfied with our night’s work.

How do you think Monaco compare with PSG this season?
We saw tonight there’s not much between the two teams. They’re going through a rebuilding phase just like us and we’re both trying to make up lost ground on Lyon, who are certainly the best team in France right now. [PSG] bought some excellent players in the summer and made a great start to the season, but it always takes a certain period of time for a new team to gel.

Do you think Monaco will challenge PSG for Champions’ League qualification?
I hope so. That’s got to be our aim, although we are still closer to the middle of the table than the top. The important thing is that we are finding consistency in our results once more. If we continue to improve at this rate then I’m confident we can start challenging the top teams again.

What has changed since the departure of Didier Deschamps?
There haven’t been wholesale changes, even if Francesco Guidolin is starting to impose his style. I think we are making progress under him. The most important thing he has done has been restoring the team spirit. When he arrived the club was heading towards disaster. But he has quickly made us face up to our responsibilities and he has got us playing like a team again.

Monaco’s next two games are against Saint-Etienne and Marseille. November promises to be a pivotal month.
We’ve got some big games coming up and we need to try to gain some momentum. The crucial factor could be keeping everyone fit because when we have everyone available we have a formidable squad. Unfortunately that’s rarely been the case this season. Things were looking better but Gerard [Lopez] seems to have picked up a serious injury. That’s a great shame for him and also for Monaco because he was becoming a valuable player for us.

How do you feel about travelling to the West Indies now to play a friendly match for France?
I’m delighted to be involved in the France team again. With the qualification campaign over everybody is thinking about the World Cup and I need to do everything possible to make sure I’m involved next summer. Travelling to Martinique is a long trip and right now my legs are feeling pretty heavy. But we’re going in a good cause and, in any case, once you pull on the France shirt all of the tiredness disappears.