France Ligue 1 Season Preview - Part One

This is the first article of the French Ligue 1 season preview, and we take a look at the teams we believe will be placed in the bottom half of the table and in danger of relegation. Ligue 1 is starting on Friday 10th August, continue reading to get all the basic information about the teams!

Ligue 1 season preview: Stade de Reims

This mythical club (6 Titles from 1949 to 1962)  is back among the top of French  Football for the first time for 33 years. Obviously,  Reims will not play anything else than assertion this season. To achieve this goal it is going to be necessary that this team rather offensive ameliorates its defensive solidity considerably as opposition will be much stronger in Ligue 1. Moreover, they have lost 2 key players:  Fauré (best scorer of last championship) and Amalfitano.

The coach, Hubert Fournier is pretty confident his players will achieve a good season if they are not scared to play their game like they did last year in a fluid passing style.

Before his arrival in Reims,  Hubert Fournier only spent 6 months ahead of a professional team (Gueugnon) in his carreer. However, at the end of his first season, he already has got very  promising results (10th place)  with one of the  lowest budget  and he managed to finish on the second place of the championship last season playing one of the most attacking Football of the championship. 

The fight  to remain in Ligue 1 will be pretty tight this year and I doubt Reims has enough quality and experience to avoid the relegation into League 2.

Possible line-up: 4-2-3-1 with 4 real offensive players

Agassa-Signorino-Fofana-Tacalfred-Glombard-Devaux-Krychowiak-Ghilas-Ayité-Fortes-Toudic

Ligue 1 season preview: Bastia SC

The smallest budget of League 1 with Troyes for the last year ‘s League 2 winner. The club is still in reconstruction and is expecting  a pretty  difficult season,  the number of players  is restricted and will not be reinforced (25 players). However, the team remains a good mixture of young talented players (especially Khazri in midfield) and very experienced players which are familiar with Ligue 1 (Rothen, Maoulida, Ilan). The dynamic of the club is positive as they got promoted from National to Ligue 1 in only 2 seasons and they are undefeated at home for 2 years. Although the primary objective remains the maintenance, I see the Corsicans doing much better this season and it won’t be easy for any team to get some points at Furiani.

The Coach: Frederic Hantz

It is not easy to succeed in Corsica. Since he arrived in Bastia in 2010, Frederic Hantz achieved that goal the nicest of ways. It imposed its philosophy of game which allowed to its team to go up of National in League 2 then from League 2 to League. As a result, he is one of the most popular man in Corsica.

Possible line-up: 4-2-3-1 but Hantz usually switch to 4-3-3 depending on opponents.

Novaes-Harek-Choplin-Mary-Angoula-Rothen-Cahuzac-Ilan- Plamieri-Yatabaré-Maoulida

Ligue 1 season preview: Troyes

Like Bastia, Troyes will play this year with almost the same team than last year in Ligue 2.

Indeed, for economical reasons, this club was unable to recruit and is going to be based on knowledges of last season. The players state of mind has been a key of Troyes’s success last year and should remain positive if the season starts well.  According to the coach, it’s a good thing that they could not recruit as  " the teams which succeed in the very high level, it is those who have a stable and coherent squad, like Montpellier last year."

The coach: Jean marc Furlan

Furlan came back to Troyes in June, 2010 already having trained this team from 2004 till 2007. Back then, the club is relegated in National and, thanks to young players exits of the training centre,  they managed to get promoted in Ligue 2 in 2011 and in Ligue 1 in consecutive years. He usually keep faith with players and doesn’t change his team a lot during the season.

The lack of experience of this young team will be very hard to manage on a higher level. They are my favorite for relegation.

Possible line-up: 4-2-3-1 with only 1 real striker. 

Thuram-Nsakala-Saunier-Rincon-Faussurier-Thiago-Ngoyi-Othon-Obbadi-Nivet-Grax

Ligue 1 season preview: Stade Brestois

Everything has changed in Brest over the summer: a new coach, a new staff and a new philosophy. They will try to score much more goals than last year and to play an attractive football. Last season , this team has never conceded more than 2 goals in the whole season except one game against Nancy (0-4) but it was also the team with the worst attacking record on the league (31 goals scored). Recruitment has been massive to replace several departures (Bigné, Daf, Elana, Ewolo, Gentiletti, Jemaa, Poyet and Zebina), with players like Dernis, Chafni and Grougi, the attacking side looks strong enough to achieve the season’s target of the coach: Try to do better than last year (15th place) but more than anything else to maintain the earlier to avoid the scenario of the last two seasons when they were still not guaranteed to be maintained until the last day.  Steve Elana’s (goalkeeper) replacement will be challenging for Thebaux as he had an amazing season last year and saved many crucial points for Brest.

For the new coach Landry Chauvin, it will be his first experience in Ligue 1 after 3 years in Sedan and 1 year in Nantes. He wants to change the way Brest was playing for the past few years under Alex Dupont’s management. Landry Chauvin has a reputation as a coach making his teams play well, and he needs from his team to take control of the ball but against stronger opposition they will focus on recovery of the ball, remain compact to defend better and find easier short passes when they regain possession.

I see Brest really struggling until the last match day to avoid relegation this season, the start of the season will be difficult with a lot of new players to integrate, a new cohesion to find..I don’t think they will finish higher than 16th place. 

Possible Lineup: 4-2-3-1

Thebaux-Lorenzi-Kantari-Baysse-Mendy-Grougi-Culma-Lesoimier-Chafni-Dernis-Benschop

Ligue 1 season preview: FC Lorient

Summer has been very quiet in Lorient it is the best news ever for them. The coach Christian Gourcuff is quite satisfied with the summer preparation and the main word is stability. The team is pretty much the same than last year + the main recruit from summer 2011 Julien Quercia who is getting finally fit (he only played 3 games last season before to get seriously injured). 

Retaining the best (Ecuele Manga, Mvuemba), by hosting a young talent (Alain Traore) and an experienced player (Giuly), it seems that past mistakes have been taken into consideration looking at their recruitment.

The coach Christian Gourcuff is the real star of this team which he has coached for 23 years in total. “The teacher” (he’s a former Mathematical teacher) has always been faithful to his  tactic: to defend energetically from the front, and press all over the pitch oriented around a classic 4-4-2.

Avoiding relegation is the first target of the season off course but I see Lorient having a much better season than last one where they had to wait last match day to ensure their place among Ligue 1. I think Lorient might be one of the good surprise of the season 2012-2013n they can finish on the top 10.

 Possible starting line up: 4-4-2

Audart-Mareque-Lautoa-Ecuele-Baca-Monnet Paquet-Romao-Mvuemba-Jouffre-Traore-Quercia

Ligue 1 season preview: Evian Thonon-Gaillard

Often criticized for his lack of stage or when the club made from scratch by the firm Danone, Club Evian-Thonon-Gaillard was the best club promoted from last season. The club finished ninth, ahead of Marseille. Not sure that a similar season is possible this year.

The club lost Jerome Leroy, a key player despite his strong character.  The defense remains fragile and Yannick Sagbo, a major player with 10 goals scored, might be going to the Marseille before the end of the market. The four recruits do not allow a mad ambition, far from it. Preparation either. Losing Poulsen and Kahlenberg, the club loses an experienced player who had a very good six months. 

It is hard to see what is the philosophy of game of coach Pablo Correa as he adjust his team in almost every game and how his group will react over an entire season? It will be important to see how players like Berigaud, Wass or Mongongu will progress. They'll have to deal with important issues such as success in keeping a score, or win away.

Moreover, Evian-Thonon-Gaillard has unquestionably succeeded the worst preparation in Ligue 1. 4 friendlies, 4 losses, no goals scored, eight of which received a 4-0 against newly promoted Bastia. Far from encouraging for the future, I don’t see at the moment how Evian will avoid relegation.

Possible line-up: 4-4-2

Laquait-Ehret-Mongongu-Angoula-Dja Djedje-Sorlin-Rabiu-Wass-Sagbo-Khlifa

Ligue 1 season preview: FC Valenciennes

12th in Ligue 1 last season, the Valenciennes Football Club attack the 2012-2013 season with the desire to maintain a seventh consecutive season in Ligue 1. To do this, players will rely on their loyal fans, who always padded the new Stadium of Hainaut, full as an egg at each meeting, last season. Opened last year, this new stadium magnified Valenciennes’s perfomances, they won 11 times  for only 5 losses. And as a symbol, only 2 of the 6 best teams in the past year, there are imposed (Bordeaux and Paris-SG). 

But to do this, leaders must VAFC surely find a replacement for Renaud Cohade , the playmaker, who had left, to go AS Saint-Etienne. This season might as well be one of the confirmation for some young potential bombastic elements, such as Isimat-Mirin, Abubakar and Marco Da Silva.

The coach Daniel Sanchez will also set up a competition among the healthiest in defense, where Loris Nery joined Mater, Bong and Ducourtioux. 

Meanwhile, the VAFC will try to win some points outside Stade du Hainault if it wishes to ensure a decent season.

Possible line-up: 4-4-2

Penneteau-Bong-Gil-Issat-Mirin-Mater-Gomis –Danic-Camara-Saez-Dossevi-Pujol

Ligue 1 season preview: OGC Nice

This team suffers from an image of the hardworking team game based on the physical impact and defensive solidity. Not really attractive to attract the best in Ligue 1. The last years were also marked by a certain chaos administrative. President Jean-Pierre Rivère recently arrived, after the club's future was particularly shaken by rumors of takeover. 

The arrival of Claude Puel sounds like the time of redemption. The obligation of result is reinforced by the arrival of the great stadium next year.

Emerging from a sabbatical year outside of Football, Claude Puel lands in Nice with a superior experience than its predecessor. Certainly a gain for the team when managing difficult times a season.

The bad news for the coach is the departure of Anthony Mounier (Montpellier), from far the best player of last season. And it is not the only one to leave. The stricker Eric Mouloungui (once followed by OM) took the lead in the UAE while the experienced Julien Sable left the club too. Departures that will hurt. 

In terms of arrivals, it should be noted the signing of Eric Bauthéac, coming straight from Dijon. Very explosive and good dribbler, he will have the difficult task of forgetting Anthony Mounier. The upcoming season will be complicated again but Puel will bring a new mentality and I really think they will manage to avoid relegation.

Possible line-up: 4-4-2

Ospina - Monzon, Pejcinovic, Civelli, K. Coulibaly - Anin, Bauthéac, Abriel, Digard - Cvitanich, Dja Djedje

Ligue 1 season preview: AS Nancy Lorraine

Since the long passage of Pablo Correa at the head of ASNL, Nancy is cataloged as a team working to defend well first before producing the game often rightly. By attracting Jean Fernandez , Nancy President also hoped to improve the attractiveness of the game for their team without much success during the past season... For its second season in Lorraine, with a group that could shape, rather than on the raw results, it is also this aspect that will be considered the contribution of Fernandez. 

The quality of the defensive organization of Nancy is a reference for many seasons. With the return of Sebastian Puygrenier in January, ASNL found a rock-solid during the second half of the season, him and Andre Luiz were one of the best pair of central defender of the league. This strength was even impressed Carlo Ancelotti , who had confessed to having voted for Jean Fernandez in the election of the coach of L1.

The other key player of 2012 who stayed in Nancy this season is Yohan Mollo, with his 3 goals and 6 assists its especially, has met the challenge of making Nancy a fun team to watch. Great dribbler, very good shot of free kick, he brought the key technique he lacked. The arrival of those two has benefited the entire group.

Possible line up: 4-4-2

Ndy Assembe-Haidara-Puygrenier-Andre Luiz-Sami-Managni-Sane-Mollo-Karaboue-Moukandjo-Bakar

Ligue 1 season preview: AC Ajaccio

After a terrible start of season last year, the Corsicans, including through the reinforcement winter Eduardo have recovered the bar against all odds and have avoided relegation in Ligue 2. But again this season,  they will likely fight against relegation. To achieve this, the recruitment team have taken certain risks that may be good picks as they can be like a mess: Sigamary Diarra, just recently returned from a long injury, Chahir Belghazouani, Corsican by birth but failed player mentality. Moreover, even if the arrival of Eduardo winter will have done well at the front of the attack, the Brazilian is no longer young and finds himself lonely in attack. 

New coach is Alex Dupont (former coach of  Brest). He is a coach who used to deal with small team fighting to stay in Ligue 1 while showing a strong character, which corresponds very well to the ACA. 

I see Ajaccio struggling all season to win some points but I think there is enough character in this team to maintain among the Elite. 

However, they must be careful about  the two point penalty inflicted (because of some incidents at home last year) by the disciplinary commision, it may well prove decisive in their final ranking.

Possible line up: 4-2-3-1

Ochoa-Lippini-Medjani-Bouhours-Diawara-Faty-Mostefa-Diarra-Cavalli-Andre-Eduardo

End notes

This concludes the first part of our Ligue 1 season preview article series, and we hope you have found it informative. Stay tuned for more the next article, and remember to check us regularly for daily betting previews and tips!