Wettbüro Thread

LarsUlrich

Von LarsUlrich
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raumplaner

raumplaner

Vi besvarer din forespørgsel hurtigst muligt.
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wieso nicht? ich hasse es im fußball auf HC zu wetten weil die quotengeilheit bei mir zu 98% bestraft wird.

kann ich verstehen, ich hab wohl bislang noch sehr selten auf HC gesetzt, aber bei liefering habe ich schon das klare gefühl, dass wenn sie ins spiel kommen, dann auch mehrere tore schießen. aber reden wir gegen tagesende nochmals darüber.

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falls es jemanden interessiert,
hier eine super ligue 2 prediction

1-5


LENS

GK and defence

Remy Riou is an experienced keeper who will do a good job for Lens at this level. Their no2 GK is Alphonse Areola on loan from PSG. He’s a good young talent and may even challenge Riou for the starting spot. Lens have lost Coeff, Bergdich and the retired Demont during the summer but have replaced them well. Ahmed Kantari comes in from Brest and he’s a quality player who should be very strong for them. The only risk with him is a lingering thigh problem which can sometimes flare up and affect his performance. Lens have also signed Adama Coulibaly from Auxerre, another solid and experienced defender who has played for them in the past. Loick Landre is another addition and despite being young he’s not a bad backup option who gained decent experience with GFCO Ajaccio last season. Lens have loads and loads of depth in defence. On the left, either Baal or Nomenjanhary are quality options as well. The only issue is on the right hand side where they don’t possess a natural player of class now that Demont has retired. But overall this backline is very strong and when at full strength it’ll probably be the best in the ligue.

Rating 10/10

Midfield

Samba Sow is a departure from this area but he wasn’t really that important. Lens have 3 quality central midfielders on their books, Valdivia, Lemoigne and Ducasse. Valdivia was especially superb last season scoring 11 times, which is very impressive from midfield. They have a few other players who are capable of filling in centrally as well, an example being Ludovic Baal. His main position is left midfield though and Lens certainly have options if they prefer deeper wide midfielders as opposed to wingers. The good thing is that they have wide players who can tackle and win the ball which allows them this possibility. Antoine Koumbouare says he still wants to reinforce the midfield even more, Mounir Obbadi is a name thats been mentioned as a possible signing. If they could just add a little bit more depth Lens will be very strong in this area too.

Rating 8/10

Attack

Lens have a wealth of options up front this season and they’ve reinforced nicely in the transfer market too. Yoann Touzghar will lead the line and he scored 11 times from just 23 appearances last year. He could go close to scoring 20+ if he’s fit for over 30 games. Lens have signed the experienced Daniel Ljuboja who will also contribute goals, he’s a nice poaching option to have although also capable of playing in midfield these days. Youngster Edgar Salli comes in from Monaco (loan) whilst winger Pablo Chavarria is an addition from Belgian club Anderlecht. Both are expected to feature quite a bit this season, but Lens also have loads of other good young options who they can turn to if needed. If all that wasn’t enough Lens have even added Adamo Coulibaly who has been the leading scorer in the Hungarian premier league in the last couple of seasons. He could potentially tear Ligue 2 apart! A problem might be too much rotation and not a settled line-up, but there seems to be absolutely no excuse if they fail to score regular goals this season.

Rating 10/10

Coaching and other factors

The really big news this summer is that Lens somehow managed to capture Antoine Koumbouare as coach. This is huge for Les Sang et Or because he is far too good a coach for Ligue 2 level and will give them a huge edge on most of their rivals. He will have only one aim and thats promotion. There’s no doubt he will install an ambitious winning mentality into the players heads and the club has really been given a big boost by his arrival. Lens have had a couple of poor years in Ligue 2 since their relegation but now they can turn over a new leaf and start again. With Koumbouare now in charge they have a chance to turn Le Stade Felix Bollaert into a fortress once more. If the team starts winning matches regularly then fans will turn out in their numbers. Lens are also usually supported very strongly on the road because they have such a big fanbase.

Overall conclusion

Finally it seems that Lens have sorted things out off the field. They also now have a quality coach in charge which will help them enormously. Already some classy new signings have been attracted to the club and more will likely follow before the end of the summer. Les Sang et Or are strong in all departments and I think they could become a formidable force this season. They are far too big a club to be stuck in Ligue 2 and they will push as hard as they can to get promoted. Its really difficult to imagine someone like Antoine Koumboure failing in this sort of situation. Ultimately I believe he is sure to find a way to get them into the top 3. I see them finishing up as champions.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 1st

TROYES

GK and defence

Mathieu Dreyer will take over the no1 GK spot now that Yohann Thuram has left to Standard Liege, and he’ll be quite a downgrade. Thuram was an exceptional keeper last season and would easily have been the best in Ligue 2 if he stayed. The backline has lost centre back Jeremie Brechet, but this shouldn’t affect them too badly especially as he’s quite old now. The departure of right back Julien Faussier is more of a concern though because he’s been a consistent performer for quite a while now. Nevertheless, the rest of the defence has remained intact and they’ve also signed left back Lionel Carole, an ex Nantes player who’s move to Benfica never worked out. With the likes of Colin, Jarjat, Saunier and N’Sakala still here, Troyes should still be strong at the back. There are fitness concerns surrounding a few guys here though so much will depend if they can stay injury free. Mahamadou N’Diaye is the final addition to this defence, a signing from Portuguese club Guimaraes. He isn’t a player I know much about, but he’s been starting matches in the top flight in Portugal, so must be half decent.

Rating 8/10

Midfield

As of yet, Troyes have only lost Enza Yamissi from this midfield, although it looks like Granddi Ngoyi will leave soon. Guillaume Lacour has been signed from Evian and he looks like a decent acquisition, especially because of his wealth of experience. Troyes certainly don’t lack experience in the middle of the park because they still have Benjamin Nivet here. He might be 36 but was one of their best players last season and it seems age has yet to fully catch up with him. The versatile Quentin Othon and Thiago Xavier complete this midfield and they have a number of other players who can play in the middle too. In addition, ESTAC could easily employ a wide midfielders system because they have so many versatile players who aren’t specific to playing on the wings. Even if Ngoyi leaves then they will still have loads of depth in midfield and it looks to be one of the strongest in the ligue.

Rating 9/10

Attack

Troyes are loaded up in attack and have loads of options, both younger and experienced. One name I must mention here is Corentin Jean, and extremely talented young player who could tear Ligue 2 up this season if he stays. Troyes have signed Yoann Court and Ghislain Gimbert, both proven players at ligue 2 level and who will add to their general depth upfront. Marcos Dos Santos is still here and back in the 2nd tier he could be very dangerous again. ESTAC have plenty of wide players too, such as Stephane Darbion, plus all of the strikers can play on the wings too. I really dont see Troyes lacking goaIs this season, especially as they are likely to play so attacking.

Rating 9/10

Coaching and other factors

I am delighted to see that Troyes have kept faith with Jean Marc Furlan. He is totally the right manager for ESTAC and a legend of the club, he knows how this place ticks. Furlan is a very attack minded manager and likes his side to play proper football. Troyes will be one of the most exciting teams to watch this season and they should be involved in plenty of entertaining matches. Their home record in Ligue 1 wasn’t too bad last season and I’d expect them to be very strong at Le Stade L’Aube this year. There are a few more question marks about them on the road though and its what let them down in Ligue 1 losing a whopping 12 times out of 19. I think they will be much better away this season because a lot of clubs will just play defensive against them, enabling them to dominate matches more.

Overall conclusion

I don’t think Troyes were that bad last season in Ligue 1 and in some ways could count themselves unfortunate to go down. They wasted a number of winning positions and whilst their attacking tactics were very refreshing to see and won them many new fans, ultimately its not how you survive in Ligue 1. They showed some naivety but this won’t be a problem in Ligue 2. They can absolutely obtain promotion by outscoring teams and dominating matches in this way. ESTAC have managed to retain most of their side and have lost only a few key players. Without doubt they are the best equipped of the 3 relegated clubs to make an immediate promotion bid and I can see them finishing on the podium.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 2nd

LE HAVRE

GK and defence

HAC have a good young keeper in Zacharie Boucher who can only get better. Simon Pontdeme isn’t the worst of backups either so they seem alright in between the sticks. The backline needs to develop into something stable where everyone gets to know each other. Basically it needs an identity and cant afford to be chopping and changing like it did last season. Le Havre lack a star player in this department, although Zargo Toure is a pretty solid. They have lost the talented youngster Benjamin Mendy to OM and have yet to bring in a replacement. My guess is that Le Marchand or maybe even Jerome Mombris will be given the starting spot there. They have signed Florian Pinteaux from Monaco and it looks to me on the depth charts that he could be a starter. He’s a young player who gained plenty of L2 experience with Sedan last season, so could do alright. The more experienced Genton and Louvion will also battle it out to start at CDEF. The only certainty to start besides Toure is Rivierez at right back. New HAC signings in midfield Siass and Le Bihan can be called upon in defence as cover if required, they have plenty of depth. This defence definitely has potential, but it needs to become a settled back four.

Rating 8/10

Midfield

They have lost Julien Francois from DMID but he was getting older and his departure shouldn’t be felt too much. This was an area which Le Havre needed to reinforce and they have signed a couple of specialists. Romain Saiss from Clermont could start immediately and with him being only 23, there’s plenty of room for improvement. HAC have also brought in Sebastien Flochon, a kid from the Lyon academy who I don’t know much about. The talk is that he’s talented and could push to start at some point this season, he will add to their depth anyway. Of course, you would have to say Le Havre’s first choice duo in the middle of the park are Distel Zola and Jean Pascal Fontaine, but both are prone to getting injured, especially the latter. HAC have a very versatile squad and a number of players from other positions can also play central midfield (Toure, Louvion, Mesloub, Bonnet). Their wingers such as Le Bihan and Bonnet are equally adept at playing in a deeper wide midfielder role if required.

Rating 8/10

Attack

Le Havre are spoilt for choice upfront and their attack force looks very exciting. They will be spearheaded by 2 key players, Walid Mesloub and Yohann Riviere. Both scored over 20 goals and had over 10 assists between them last season, so its clear to see how important they are. Mesloub is basically the team playmaker at AMID, but he can play on either wing too, or even sit deeper in CMID. Some ligue 1 clubs have been linked with him this summer, but HAC have continually stressed he isn’t for sale. Riviere is the main striker, netting 13 times last season and HAC have also reinforced the fact that he isn’t for sale this summer either. Le Havre have the useful Alexandre Bonnet who play will on the left and new signing from Sedan Mickael Le Bihan will compete for a spot on the right. In addition, they have youngsters like Mahrez and Malfleury who could easily break through this season. Finally, they have signed a futsal player, Moussa Sao who has been given the number 9 shirt! This signing could prove be a complete bust, but it could equally turn out to be a genius move. On paper, Le Havre should create lots of chances and score loads of goals this season. There is absolutely no excuse should they fail to deliver in this department.

Rating 10/10

Coaching and other factors

Le Havre’s season dramatically improved from the moment they sacked Cedric Daury last autumn. Interim coach Christophe Revault led them to 4 out of 5 wins and then Eric Mombaerts took over during the winter break. They picked up 32 points under him in 2013 which is fairly impressive because joining a club mid season is never easy. Mombaerts is vastly experienced and crucially is great at working with youth players which is key here in Le Havre. He was France U21 coach for 4 years and HAC definitely have a major weapon with him in charge. Le Havre’s first season playing at Le Stade Oceane ended with them having a 10-5-4 record, which wasn’t too bad. They would love to make their new home a complete fortress and improve on that record this year.

Overall conclusion

I think Le Havre have all the weapons required to get promoted. They dont have a weak area and only Lens have a better attack force in Ligue 2. Its now down to Eric Mombaerts, he just needs to make sure he gets his tactics right to sort out the team. There are still a lot of young players here who are talented, but who perhaps lack experience. Led in the right direction with right guidance then this team should definitely have a good chance of finishing in the top 3. I’m really very excited about how they line up on paper. They have a lot of potential its just a question of things all coming together.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 3rd


CAEN

GK and defence

Damien Perquis started in all 38 ligue matches last season and proved himself to be a decent shotstopper who can do a reasonable job. The backline will have to deal with the losses of Raphael Guerreiro and Jeremy Sorbon. Both were a big part of their team last season and each hardly missed a match. In all fairness to Caen, they’ve done their best to try and replace them, so they might not be affected too badly. Felipe Saad comes in from Ajaccio and should be solid. He’s always an injury risk, but finally managed to string together a healthy period at the back end of last season. He’s capable of playing either on the left side or centrally at the back. Caen have always been a team that gives youth a chance and Dennis Appiah from Monaco is the other addition in defence. He was a fall out of the new Monaco regime but is still talented and if thrusted into a starting role, could easily deliver the goods. Caen still have the dependable Jean Calve at right back who is a key player, and they will hope that the talented Molla Wague can stay healthy all year this time. He missed about a 2-3 month period mid season with injury last campaign otherwise he’d have been an ever present in the side. Jean Jacques Pierre is a solid backup to have, as is Montaroup. Caen have loads of players who can fill in at the back if an injury crisis hits them as well. Despite having lost two key players in defence, they still look very formidable at the back and should perform just as well.

Rating 8/10

Midfield

Caen were hit hard by the injury to Laurent Agouazi at the back end of January. He wouldn’t play again until very late in the campaign and was a big loss. They will hope he can stay fit for the whole season this time but at least they have more options in midfield this year. The Normandie side have pulled off a great move by securing Jerome Rothen from Bastia. He’s 35 years old, but has had a couple of terrific recent seasons with the Corsicans including a very strong previous campaign up in Ligue 1. He should be very classy at this level and also bring some extra experience to the team. Nicolas Seube is another player getting on a bit now in terms of age (33) but he’s still very good at this level and also a Caen man through and through. Faycal Fajr was great for them last year and comes into this campaign off a ‘career season’ in which he really broke through. He led the team in total number of assists, whilst also chalking up a few goals himself. Mathias Autret comes in on loan from Lorient, and he’s very versatile capable of playing out wide or in the middle, so Caen are again strengthened here. Finally, Alexandre Raineau is worth a mention because he’s another very versatile player, unlikely to be a regular starter but who could be relied upon if needed. The Normans have promoted some reserve team younger midfielders to the squad as well, I’m sure they have some potential and talent. This looks to be a very strong midfield to me, definitely an upgrade on last season and perhaps even the best in Ligue 2.

Rating 9/10

Attack

They have lost Alexandre Cuvillier who goes back to Nancy on loan. He actually did fairly well for them last season, scoring 7 times which was enough to be their 2nd highest scorer. Mathieu Duhamel was the leading marksman netting 13 times and will obviously be a key player for them again. Caen have added a couple of players to their attack this summer, but I’m not convinced by either of their signings. Jonathan Kodjia is on loan from Reims, fresh off a decent year in the national division with Amiens, but can he do the business in Ligue 2? Caen have signed Ngolo Kante from National side Boulogne, reportedly a very exciting talent who is primarily an AMID but who can also play on the wings. He might be great, but for now he has to be classed as an unknown. Caen really need Livio Nabab and Lenny Nangis to properly break through this season. Nabab did perform ok last year, but considering the amount of game time he had, he didn’t really score enough goals or supply enough assists, more is needed. Nangis is an excellent young talent, coveted by some big teams across Europe. If Caen can keep him for another season then we will surely see him do a lot of damage in Ligue 2. I think this attack force is pretty strong, but they should’ve signed another proven more experienced attacking player this summer to upgrade them in this area.

Rating 8/10

Coaching and other factors

Caen do have an advantage in this department because Patrice Garande is an experienced coach who knows this club very well, This will only be his 2nd season as head coach, but he’s been with them since 2005 and knows the place inside out. I like his philosophy and calmness, he brings an aura of stability and discipline to Caen. Le Stade Michel D’Ornano can be both a big help, but also a hindrance to the Normans. Fans can really get behind the players during good times but equally can get on their back during a poor run. Traditionally they are strong at home though, so will be disappointed to have lost 5 times here last season. If they want to get promoted they can’t afford for that to happen again. Only 4 defeats were suffered on the road and Caen can be pleased about how they performed away last season, they need to maintain that.

Overall conclusion

Caen finished 4th last season and what cost them going up was as late run of drawn matches. They finished on 63 points though, which might even be enough to go up this season. What they need to do is improve just a little bit more and they will have a strong chance of finishing in the top 3. Without a doubt they will be a massive promotion contender and don’t look to have any weak areas. They have done well to replace key defensive players, and whilst I still think that *something* is missing in attack, they will possess a strong goalscoring threat. They have definitely upgraded in midfield and this could be crucial. The bookies have them as one of the favourites to be promoted and this is a fair assessment.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 4th


NANCY

GK and defence

They have lost Ndy Assembe but he wasn’t even their no1 keeper in the latter of last season. Damien Gregorini will remain as the starter in between the sticks, and whilst he’s nothing special. down at Ligue 2 level he’ll be absolutely fine. Nancy haven’t actually done badly this summer in the transfer market and have signed a couple of good defenders. Francois Bellugou was a key man in Guinagmp’s promotion but he’s decided to stay at this level and join Nancy. He can play in the middle of defence or even DMID if needed. Joffrey Cuffaut is another new addition, from recently relegated Le Mans and he should go fairly well for them. Joel Sami and Muratori both remain but sadly Nancy have lost key man Sebastien Puygrennier. It would’ve been a massive boost if they’d managed to keep him, and at one point it looked like they might. But his departure comes just a week before the start of the new season so will be seen as a blow. Jebbour and Loties have also gone and youngster Jeanvier. Nancy should be reasonably solid here at the back, but the loss of Puygrennier really hurts them.

Rating 7/10

Midfield

This is a slightly more problematic area for Nancy because they’ve lost 3 players from this area and yet to replace them. The key loss is Salif Sane, a DMID rock who sat in front of the defence. Jordan Loties has also gone, although he was mostly playing CDEF in the 2nd half of last season. They have also lost the promising Ziri Hammar who would’ve gone well at Ligue 2 level. Despite these departures, Nancy still have plenty of quality in midfield. Karaboue, Mangani and Ayasse should all be able to impose themselves at Ligue 2 level, although Nancy will hope some of their youngsters can also step up too. They have plenty of depth but could perhaps do with at least one more proven quality player in this part of the field. Nevertheless, they will remain pretty competitive in the middle of the park.

Rating 8/10

Attack

Djamel Bakar has left the club and his departure is a blow because he’s been a key part of Nancy’s gameplan in recent years. Paul Alo’o Efoulou has also gone and he did start to play well at the back end of last season, so it was a shame they couldn’t keep him. On the positive side, Benjamin Jeannot comes back following a season long loan at Chateauroux where he scored 10 times. Nancy will be counting on him to hit the back of the net this season too. They will also hope that another returning loanee, Alexandre Cuvillier can fire for them. He did well at Caen last season so I see no reason why he cant. Nancy still have Moukandjo, Louis, Grange and the promising young Zitte on their books so they should be able to do alright in attack this season. Maybe they could do with signing an absolute proven quality goalscorer but overall I think they should be quite dangerous upfront.

Rating 8/10

Coaching and other factors

Patrick Gabriel did a superb job when he took over at the helm back in January, nearly achieving the impossible and keeping them up. Burt I wonder if this was just a freak honeymoon period? He doesn’t have much experience at head coach level and there will be plenty of pressure on him to make a quick return back to Ligue 1 this season. So far, he’s done little wrong but I have a feeling some of his weaknesses might be exposed at some point. Compared to some other teams who will challenge for promotion, Nancy don’t have such a strong manager and this could be crucial. Nancy aren’t renowned for having a particularly strong home record and Le Stade Marcel Picot isn’t much of an intimidating place to play. They do however have a potential advantage in that the surface here at Nancy is artificial. Despite this, they are typically a much stronger road team and actually had the 10th best away record in ligue 1 each of the last couple of seasons.

Overall conclusion

Nancy have a nicely balanced squad and have strength all across the board. On paper they should definitely challenge for promotion, but something tells me that they’ll fall short. Is Patrick Gabriel good enough to take them up? I’m not so sure and he could be their weak link. But he has all of the tools needed to make a good push for the top 3 and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them go up. What must be remembered is that its never easy for any relegated club to adapt quickly. Despite relatively few changes having occurred here, that is a factor which could work against them too.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 5th



6-10


DIJON

GK and defence

Baptiste Reynet is a solid keeper and Dijon now also have a strong back-up option because they’ve signed Florent Perraud from Sedan. He’s possibly the best no2 keeper in the ligue and would be good enough to start for many teams. Dijon haven’t made any new additions to the defence so it will stay mostly the same as last year. On paper, it should be pretty solid but they conceded 49 goals last season, which was a lot. They had few excuses so I’m expecting a response this season because they are definitely capable of better. Varrault, Souprayen, Diallo, Diabate and Bamba have all played at Ligue 1 level and there is enough experience for them here. Perhaps Dijon lack a real ‘star’ defender but on paper they have quality and plenty of depth.

Rating 8/10

Midfield

Sekou Baradji will be a key man for Dijon this season. He’s clearly their best midfielder and will operate as a lynchpin for them just in front of the defence. They have signed Johan Gastien from Niort, which was sensible because they lacked options in the middle of the park. Gastien did alright for Niort last year in Ligue 2 and may well improve now that he’s going to be surrounded by better players. Florian Berenguer can play in central midfield too, but he’s better suited to wide areas, which leaves the rest of this department pretty raw. The likes of Pape Paye, Ousseynou Cisse and Jordan Marie all have potential, but compared to some other promotion contenders this midfield looks slightly lightweight to me. Dijon are likely to employ wingers rather than deeper midfielders which is a good thing because their wide players are better operated in more advanced positions. Typically, they are only going to start a couple of DMIDs, but if injuries and suspensions kick in they could be left a little exposed.

Rating 6/10

Attack

Dijon will be strong in attack as long as everyone stays fit. Cape Verdian Julio Tavares was a revelation last season, scoring 10 goals from just 23 appearances! If he plays a whole year then who knows, he might double that mark. There will be plenty of supply for him too with the likes of Berenguer, Guerbert and Mollet in the team. Dijon also have Koro Kone as an option along with Romain Philippoteaux. They have lost Brice Jovial and could maybe do with signing a new central striker, but in general I like the look of this attack force and I think they should score plenty of goals.

Rating 9/10

Coaching and other factors

This will be Oliver Dall’Oglio’s 2nd season as head coach. I would just say he’s an average Ligue 2 coach who is nothing special. He should’ve arguably gotten more out of a decent team last season, although did ok. Some other teams will have an edge over Dijon because they have more experienced and better coaches. Dijon had the 2nd best home record last season and they only lost 3 times at the Gaston Gerard. Defensively they had no problems either only conceding 18 times, which was in complete contrast to their away problems. A 4-9-6 record on the road simply wasn’t good enough, conceding 31 times was unacceptable too. If Dijon are to challenge for promotion then improving on their away record is an absolute must.

Overall conclusion

Dijon look to have all the ingredients on paper to challenge for promotion. They should be especially strong at the back and upfront, although are maybe slightly below par in midfield. The squad is very settled and there haven’t been many new arrivals or significant departures. This should work in their favour although I do feel it might’ve done them good to sign some extra reinforcements in certain areas. If the coach can get the most out of this team and if they can improve on the road then they’ll have every chance of finishing in the top 3. If they had a proven and experienced manager in charge then I’d strongly fancy them to go up. It might be that Dall Oglio is their weakest link and they fall just short.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 6th


BREST

GK and defence

Alexis Thebaux has remained as the no1 keeper and at this level of football he should be pretty strong. Johan Hartock isn’t the worst of backups either so Brest look fine in this department. The backline itself doesn’t look too bad either despite them having lost Paul Baysse and Ahmed Kantari. When fit, both of these guys were key players but Baysse is coming off an ACL tear and Kantari often has thigh problems, so at least they’ve managed to get a couple of injury prone players off their books. With Mendy, Ferradj, Traore Lejeune, Coulibaly and Makonda still here, Brest should have a decent defence as long as everyone stays fit. They haven’t signed anyone new at the back, but they didn’t really need to because they have so many options already.

Rating 8/10

Midfield

They’ve lost 3 players here all of whom played regularly last season. Sissoko is probably the most notable departure whilst Licka and Chafni wont be missed as much. They have signed Johan Ramare from Reims and this looks to be a sensible addition because DMID was one of their major needs. Other options in the middle of the park are Ousmane Coulibaly, Andre Auras and Bruno Grougi. They have brought in Manuel Perez from Grenoble but whether or not he can step up to Ligue 2 level remains to be seen. Diallo Guidileye returns from a loan spell at Chateauroux and might get some more game time for Brest now that they’re back in Ligue 2. Overall I think Le Brestois are at least one player short in this midfield and are generally lacking a little bit of depth. They will be competitive enough here but compared to some other bigger name teams its lightweight.

Rating 6/10

Attack

The main fundamental problem for them in this area is the lack of a proven goalscorer. Brest have useful wide players such as Ayite, Khaled Soumah and Lesoimier. They also have a couple of decent AMIDs in Grougi and Dernis. Youngster from Monaco, Dominique Pandor has come on loan and he’s another who will add to their depth. But yet again his best positions are out wide or as an AMID. They lack goalscorers, something which was a massive issue for them last year too. Nicolas Verdier has been signed from GFCO Ajaccio, but he only scored 4 times in the previous campaign so can hardly be relied upon to hit the back of the net. Until they can find at least one decent striker then Brest won’t be able to fully utilise their attack force. Alex Dupont tends to be quite a negative coach as well, so scoring goals could be their achilles heel this season.

Rating 7/10

Coaching and other factors

Brest have made the surprising move by appointing Alex Dupont as manager again. He was harshly sacked by them just before the end of the 2011/12 season, although it was eventually a decent decision because they survived. But it was Dupont that took them into Ligue 1 against all the odds and also a man who managed to keep them up in their first season back in the top flight. He is well respected by fans and knows the club inside out. However, there is an old saying ‘never go back’ so it remains to be seen whether his return is a wise choice or not. Dupont will hope that he can turn Le Stade Francis le Ble into a fortress again. During the two seasons in which Brest survived in ligue 1, they only lost 8 times at home in total which isn’t a bad record. They aren’t particularly renowned for being a strong road team and haven’t enjoyed much away success in recent times.

Overall conclusion

Brest take absolutely no momentum into this season after they lost their last 11 games of the previous campaign. They will have to go back to the drawing board and start again, a year of stability would be a decent outcome for them in my opinion. Of course, fans will hope that they can launch an immediate promotion bid. This can’t be completely ruled out, but overall I’d say there are about half a dozen sides who are all better equipped than the Bretons to challenge the top 3. A slightly lightweight midfield in addition to lack of potential goals are likely to be their downfall, but they should be a top 10 side nevertheless.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 7th


NIMES

GK and Defence

Nimes have a solid GK in Cyrille Merville who is experienced at Ligue 2 level and has a proven track record. They have a completely unproven backup though, Mathieu Michel who has been promoted from the reserves so if Merville goes down injured there could be some potential problems. The backline looks to be slightly improved upon last season. Boche and Poulain are capable and should do a good job. They have signed Romain Sartre as competition in this area, and he’ll also add depth. Sartre was once a classy defender for Lens but has somewhat lost his way in recent seasons. At least he finished the season well at Chateauroux last year so he could perhaps be a useful addition. Jean Alain Fanchone is a strong starter at left back although there is less certainty about the right back slot now that Moussa Sidibe has departed. Coming in as a replacement is Jeremy Cordoval from National side Creteil. He was a key player for the Parisian outfit but can he make the step up to Ligue 2? Promising youngsters Benyahia and Bensaid are the cover players for the full back positions, and with the likes of Satre and Bouby also capable of playing in defence, Nimes look to be well covered in this area.

Rating 7/10

Midfield

Nimes definitely have a very strong looking central midfield line-up for this season. Only Yacine Haddou is a notable departure, and he wasn’t particularly important anyway. Pierre Bouby is a key man for Nimes in this part of the field, he hardly missed a game last season and his presence is vital. He should line up alongside new signing Kovacevic who returns to France following a spell abroad. Kovacevic proved at Lens that he’s a capable midfielder and should go well in Ligue 2. Nimes also have Amewou, Hsissane and Parpeix as defensive/central midfield options. In addition, Robail, Ogunbiyi and Gragnic are capable of playing in the middle as deeper lying playmakers if required. Nimes really look like they have a solid backbone through the middle.

Rating 8/10

Attack

Vincent Gragnic scored a whopping 17 goals last season, mostly from an advanced attacking midfield role. He will do well to get anywhere near that sort of figure again so Nimes can’t afford to rely on him as much. This could be a problem because they have lost star youngster Nicolas Benezet to Evian. The young kid was really really impressive, especially in the 2nd half of last season, he weighed in with 9 goals and 8 assists so will be missed. Nimes at least do have 2 or 3 versatile players to go along with Grangic. The likes of Robail, Ogunbiyi and Nouri can play in a number of different positions in attack, although neither is anything special and lack the ‘X factor’. Nimes have signed Samir Benmeziane form lower ligue Uzes. He has a tremendous goalscoring record in recent seasons but it’s anyone’s guess whether or not he’ll be a threat for them in Ligue 2. He’s also a fitness risk because he suffered a season ending knee injury back in February, although will be reportedly fine to play at the start of this campaign. Nimes have a couple of young strikers on their books too, Thibault and Ripart, so who knows one of those might turn into the new Benezet? Their final signing is Anthony Koura from Le Mans, but again he’s not an established player and only raw with potential.

Rating 5/10

Coaching and other factors

Nimes actually have a very good coach in Victor Zvunka who is exceptionally experienced in French football. He won the Coupe de France sensationally for Guingamp in recent years (when they beat Rennes in the final). The man has real pedigree and a big strength for Nimes, it also helps that he’s now been there for one full season so isn’t starting anything from scratch. Les Crocos had an 11-3-5 record at Le Stade de Costireres last season and their stadium is one of the more intimidating in Ligue 2, its sure to help earn them a few extra points each season. They only suffered 2 losses at home after Christmas last season (one of which was to Monaco). Nimes have to be respected in front of their own fans. On the road they finished with the 9th best record with stats of 6-4-9. Losing 9 times on their travels was a fairly high number and they will hope to improve on this.

Overall conclusion

Nimes surprised everyone by finishing 8th last season and becoming promotion contenders. They had a superb run after the winter break which included them winning 7 out of an 8 game stretch. Despite tailing off towards the end of the campaign, I feel that they can definitely take some momentum into this season. Their biggest strength looks to be central in the middle of the park, both in a defensive and attacking sense. The defence should be fairly solid too and they could be hard to break down. My concern about them is in the attacking areas.. Can Gragnic get close to his 17 goal tally again? How will they cope without Benezet who gave them so much energy and flair in attack? I just dont see them being as much of a threat up front this year, but they might not need to score that many goals if their defence and midfield is strong. Nimes will be a top 10 side, the question is exactly how high they can end up.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 8th


ANGERS

GK and defence

Angers are still sticking with Gregory Malicki in goal, despite him being 39 years old! I know GKs can play longer than most other positions but his physical attributes will have naturally deteriorated. Even though he’s very experienced, I’m not a fan of old players and I think its time they switched to a younger custodian now. The backline has lost 3 players and gained 3 in return. Right back, Matar Fall is perhaps the most notable departure, especially as he’s been with the club for such a long time. However, Angers have signed Gael Angoua as a replacement who should be more than adequate considering that he’s dropping down from Ligue 1 level. Malik Couturier is another who’s departed, but again they have replaced him adequately through Djibril Konate, who comes in from Laval. The best two defenders in this backline along with Angoua will be Fabien Boyer and Ibrahima Diallo. Boyer is considered a very bright prospect and probably would’ve left the club this summer were it not for an injury he sustained at the back end of last season. The first choice defensive lineup is fairly solid for Angers and they have reasonable back-up options too.

Rating 8/10

Midfield

This will be fairly similar compared to last season, if not slightly upgraded. Angers will often play a 4-4-2 system so its less important for them to have a lot of DMIDs. Nevertheless, Auriac and Frikeche along with Manceau will offer solid if not spectacular options for them. Ismael Keita has been signed from Nantes and he will offer some extra depth, even if he wont be an automatic starter. Angers will often use wide midfielders as opposed to wingers. They have a wealth of options available to them here including Charles Diers, Diego Gomez and the newly signed Ludovic Gamboa. What Angers lack is a real ‘star’ individual in this midfield but maybe someone like Frikeche will turn into that, he’s the one with the most potential.

Rating 7/10

Attack

Claudio Keseru scored a whopping 17 goals for them last season from just 31 appearances! He was a complete stud for them in attack but sadly for Angers he’s moved to Bastia this summer. For now, they have kept playmaker El Jadeyaoui who led the Ligue 2 assist table with 10 last term. However, most of the talk and expectation is that he’ll leave before the end of this current transfer window. So, assuming he does leave, Angers basically have 2 huge holes to fill in attack. They have signed Jeremy Blayac and Ludovic Gamboa, both of whom are solid Ligue 2 players but nothing special. Ferebory Dore has left them as well which means the likes of Socrier and Ayari will have to step up more. I suspect that Angers are far from done in the transfer market, but they will do very well to replace Keseru and potentially El Jadeyaoui. They should try their absolute best to hang onto him at least, but it seems unlikely. Obviously Angers will be downgraded upfront this year and are unlikely to score as many goals. They are still ok-ish I suppose, but compared to what they were, it’ll be a letdown.

Rating 5/10



Coaching and other factors

This will be Stephane Moulin’s 3rd season in charge as head coach. He’s been with the club for a long time in various coaching roles so knows the place inside out, which can only be a good thing. Finishing places of 11th and 5th respectively have been impressive, the question now is can he take the next step which would ultimately be promotion? Angers have a good coach anyway and this area is a positive for them. Last season the western outfit had a very balanced record both at home and away, it was the same a couple of years ago too. The good thing is that they dont rely on home form unlike some other teams and they are capable of playing on the road. But I’ve always said if you want to get promoted then you simply have to be strong at home and not lose many games in front of your own fans.

Overall conclusion

After coming quite close last season, Angers will hope that they can really push for promotion this year and make that step up. However, they have lost their key goalscorer and also look likely to lose their main playmaker. These couple of blows could be very hard to recover from. Their defence looks solid and the midfield will be competitive but they are unlikely to be as dangerous upfront or have as much explosion. Angers will still be a very solid top 10 team and easily safe in midtable. But there are some better sides around than them and it’ll be difficult to maintain their place in the top 6, let alone make a bid for the podium.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 9th


TOURS

GK and defence

Tours have a very good keeper in Benjamin Leroy. He will be the undisputed no1 although his backup Bertrand is rather unproven. TFC have lost right back Stephane Tritz but have upgraded in this area by signing Fousseni Diawara from Ajaccio. He’s a quality defender and should be too good for Ligue 2 level. Left back, Wilfied Moimbe has also departed, but once again they have upgraded this area by bringing in Samuel Bouhours who is really a Ligue 1 quality defender. Schwechlen, Thomas, Fontaine and Fabre are the CDEF options and whilst neither of them except maybe Schwechlen are anything spectacular, they do have some capable players. Once this backline gets to know each other well then they should be fairly solid in defence.

Rating 6/10

Midfield

Two of their key CMIDs from last season have both departed – Prince Oniangue and Thomas Gamiette. Pascal Berenguer stays, but for now they are lacking options in the middle of the park. I’m sure this will change because Tours are definitely going to be signing a number of players soon, the question is exactly who. Julien Cetout is the other decent player who remains in this midfield and he should be fairly solid again. Tours’s wide players are better suited as wingers so they are unlikely to be used so much in a deep role. Olivier Pantaloni typically likes to employ a couple of DMIDs, so as long as they reinforce soon then they should be alright in this area. Obviously for now though, its very thin on the ground.

Rating 5/10

Attack

Tours look to be in reasonable shape upfront this season. The experienced Bryan Bergougnoux topped both their goalscoring and assist tables last season, he will spearhead the attack again. TFC have signed Andy Delort from Ajaccio, a talented attacker if he can stay fit. He’s too raw and not quite good enough for Ligue 1 but he could do well in the 2nd tier and I expect him to score goals. Bergougnoux can play anywhere in attack and on either wing, but ideally they could do with some proven quality out wide. The likes of Chevalerin, Ketkeo, Kouakou and Biancardini are all raw youngsters with potential, but one of those needs to break through fully this season. This this could happen and at least Tours will have some pace in their side along with younger legs. TFCs attack force isn’t anything spectacular but should be fairly competitive nevertheless.

Rating 6/10

Coaching and other factors


Tours have had a turbulent offseason which has included a takeover. At one stage there was a possibility they’d be forced out of ligue 2 due to financial problems, but they are secure now. Tours have a new coach for this season, ex Ajaccio boss Olivier Pantaloni. He’s someone who I respect a lot and he did a great job with the Corsican outfit in both obtaining promotion and then keeping them in the top flight. He’s had a year off now to recharge his batteries and should go well. I like his style and for sure he’ll be an asset for TFC. Last season they had pretty average records both at home and away. They don’t rely upon home form unlike some teams but could do with improving in both areas if they are to progress up the table.

Overall conclusion

It could take some time for Tours to settle down and they may well sign one or two more players soon. They might not start the season brilliantly but should definitely improve. They’ll likely end up having a pretty balanced and stable squad in most areas of the field. TFC will have their good and bad days and could be potentially difficult to predict. I don’t see them having enough to challenge for promotion but equally they should be too strong to get sucked into any relegation battle. I think they will end up comfortably in midtable, maybe a little higher if things work out well.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 10th



11-15


ISTRES

GK and defence

They have kept Denis Petric which is good news because he’s a pretty good GK and performed well for them last season. His backup this year will be a new signing, Romain Lejeune signed from the French lower leagues and is an unknown prospect. The backline has to be considered upgraded this summer. Istres appear to have been sensible in the transfer market when thinking about their defence. Eric Chelle has left the club which is probably a good thing because at 34 he wasn’t getting any younger. Damien Moulin is also a departure, but he was only a bench player and wont be missed. Istres have signed the powerful CDEF Mamadou Doumbia who used to be with them a few seasons ago. Back then he was a massive player for them, and although I doubt he’ll be so key now, I can definitely see him adding a strong physical presence along with experience. Yohan Bocognano comes in from relegated GFCO Ajaccio. He isn’t a bad defender and will compete for a starting spot, its also useful that he’s capable of playing on the left if required. Istres already have 3 solid starters at the back in Chafik, Sainati and Barillon. The only issue is at LDEF, and they will hope new man Vincent Le Goff is the answer. He has performed well in the lower ligues during the last couple of years, but the step up to Ligue 2 level could be too much for him. Bocognano, Cantereil or even Chafik are other options for this position should LeGoff prove to be a transfer bust. Defence is definitely Istres’ best area and they look well covered here and quite solid. They even have a couple of decent youngsters (Bosqui & Lamine) who could potentially break through.

Rating 7/10

Midfield

I think Istres look fairly lightweight here and I’m worried that they could be overpowered. Florian Tardieu and Ibrahima Ba are the main DMIDs but both are only average at best. Ba is also an injury risk and usually spends some time on the sidelines. Les Violets have lost Kevin Bru to Levski Sofia and he will be missed because he had a fairly good season for them last year. Coming in as a ‘replacement’ is the old dinosaur Jerome Leroy. Istres have managed to persuade him to come out of retirement, but quite how much he’s got left in the tank remains to be seen. He’ll be 39 in November and might have to be wrapped up in cotton wool quite a lot. Istres will hope that some of their young midfielders such as Mas, Boulaya, Hama or Belmonte can break through this season. I just don’t see this midfield being particularly good. They dont have enough quality here although its possible a couple of players might step up and be a pleasant surprise.

Rating 4/10

Attack

Plenty of change here in attack for Istres this summer. The duo of Yahia Cherif and Ludovic Genest have both gone, whilst the legend Nassim Akrour has finally decided to hang up his boots at the age of 39, happy retirement to him! The departure of these 3 players might not be the worst thing for Istres and they can now move onto pastures new. Top scorer last season, Guy Niangbo (8 goals) has stayed, although its possible he might leave because some ligue 1 clubs have been interested. The Provence side have signed Alexis Allart, very much an enigma with which anything is possible. He struggled on loan at Chateauroux last season only scoring 1 goal, but in the right environment he’s definitely capable of hitting the back of the net regularly. Bagaliy Dabo comes in from Creteil, someone who performed well last season and is considered a decent talent. It sounds like he should be able to make the step up to Ligue 2 level and do fairly well. Finally, Istres have a couple of Brazilians on loan from Fluminense, Matheus Alves and Rafael Assis. These two guys could be completely boom or bust signings. Supposedly, both are pretty talented and most vibes concerning them are positive. They could be superb for Istres or simply terrible, only time will tell. There are a lot of question marks surrounding this attack force, but there is also some potential for sure.

Rating 6/10

Coaching and other factors

Jose Pasqualetti remains in change, a difficult coach to judge. I never used to rate him very highly, I think he’s too haphazard and at times doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing. However, he has definitely settled well at Istres and the job he’s done here must be begrudgingly respected. After saving them from relegation back in 2010, he has since delivered 3 very solid seasons for them in midtable. Istres are a very strange club and often hard to predict. They don’t have much of a fanbase and their stadium is often deserted. Le Stade Parsemain will never be a fortress but they have a reasonable enough record here in recent seasons. Istres don’t usually play very well on the road, but they are occasionally capable of producing some inexplicably decent away performances from time to time.

Overall conclusion

As always, Istres will be hard to predict and likely be very inconsistent. They never seem to play the same from week to week and are capable of anything. On paper, their defense isn’t too bad and they have the possibility of being pretty solid there. They could even employ a 5 man backline if they wanted to because they’ve got the personnel for it. But their midfield looks a bit too raw and lacks quality, I’m concerned by it and its definitely their weak link. Upfront, their attack force is hard to predict. The potential is there for them to be very dangerous but at the same time their new signings could be a flop. So its just the same as ever with Istres, they will be an enigma team with which anything is possible. They will likely finish somewhere between 10th and 15th. Compared to some other sides they should have too much to avoid the drop, although might get sucked into trouble.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 11th


METZ

GK and defence

Metz will start with Johann Carrasso in between the sticks. He’s a product of the Rennes academy who should do fairly well for them. Anthony M’Fa isn’t the worst of backup options either. Les Grenats have retained all of their defence and they look to be fairly solid in this area. Sylvain Marchal has come in from Bastia and I think he’s an excellent signing. At 33 years old, he might be getting on a bit, but I’d say he’s a class above Ligue 2 level. Metz also have another talented CDEF, Guido Milan. But sadly he’s injured himself pre season and will miss the first 2 or 3 months of the campaign. They have acted swiftly though and raided Bastia for another player – Jeremy Choplin. Again, much like Marchal, he should do very well at Ligue 2 level, potentially being a real stud for them. Ali Bamba and Romain Inez are the other options in the middle of defence, but these guys are less solid and more suited to the fullback positions. Metanire and Bussman are the primary starters there though and both should be able to perform well enough In ligue 2. When at full strength Metz should be very strong at the back and this looks like a solid area for them.

Rating 7/10

Midfield

Gregory Proment was their main midfielder last season but now he’s left. This might not be the worst thing because he’s 34 now and no spring chicken. Romain Rocchi has effectively replaced him and he’s not a bad acquisition, certainly very experienced at this level of French football. In addition, Metz have signed a youngster from Benfica called Luciano Teixeira. I know little about him but there is talk he could challenge a starting spot. Metz have a trio of younger players in midfield who could start too, Sarr, Kashi and Ngoye. Maybe this midfield could do with another more experienced addition but I suppose it looks okish. Its certainly nothing special, but should be able to compete at least.

Rating 5/10

Attack

Metz’s strongest area looks to be in attack. But each year I always ask the same question for any promoted side’s frontmen – can they also score goals at Ligue 2 level? Its all well and good smashing the hell out of the national ligue where there are some easy opponents, but now they’ve stepped up a level it should be more difficult. Metz would appear to have a couple of young gems upfront – Diafra Sakho and Yeni N’Gbakoto. Between them, they scored 30 goals last season and provided over 10 assists. Obviously this duo is key for Metz and the good thing is that they’re still young so could get even better. Les Grenats also have a number of other young strikers/wingers who will rotate in and out of the team. Kevin Lejeune on the left wing is a bit older and useful to have because of his experience at this level. Its not going to be as easy scoring goals in Ligue 2, but if these young players can adapt then they should be a threat upfront.

Rating 7/10

Coaching and other factors

Metz have the experienced Albert Cartier in charge who led them to promotion last season. This will be his first time managing in Ligue 2 for a while though, so he might not know the other teams as well as some other coaches. I’m not sure what his main tactics and style are like, so it’d be unfair to judge him until I’ve seen more. Metz had an excellent home record in the National last season, winning 13 times and only losing twice. They will need Le Stade Saint Symphorian to become a fortress again in order to aid their survival. Metz fans should be more optimistic though this season and are more likely to come out in their numbers following promotion.

Overall conclusion

Metz are of course a fairly big club. They are back in Ligue 2 where they belong, in fact some fans would argue that their true place is actually Ligue 1 level. Despite them having eventual ambitions to go higher again, I’m sure they’d be happy with a mid table finish. Its never easy moving up to a new level, but decent clubs usually tend to do quite well after being promoted from the national division. Metz have retained most of their squad, have a nice atmosphere and there seems to be some genuine talent on their roster. Every year one team that gets promoted always seems to challenge in the top 10 and Metz look best equipped to do that. I can only see them finishing midtable but it wouldn’t be a complete shock to see them doing even better than that. I’d say they have good balance all over the park and if they can continue scoring goals like they did last season then they should be able to avoid the relegation battle at least.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 12th


AUXERRE

GK and defence

Auxerre have a strong goalkeeping situation. Either Olivier Sorin or Donovan Leon is capable of being the starter, it just depends who is in the best form. L’AJA have lost quite a few players from this backline, the most notable departure being Cedric Hengbart. He’s been a rock for them in recent seasons, but at 33 years old perhaps letting him go isn’t the worst thing in the world and they can blood some new talent. They will be disappointed to have lost a young talent like Christopher Julien though, and with Adama Coulibaly also going things don’t look great. Auxerre have signed a couple of reasonable defensive players, Karim Djellabi and Eric Marester. The former will play on the left, although is also capable of filling in on the wide side of midfield. Marester will feature on the right hand side of this backline, and despite not having much game time with Monaco/Arles last season, I do rate him and he should go well. AJA’s best player at the back is Willy Boly but I’m not sure who will partner him now that Coulibaly has gone. Auxerre do have a lot of younger options such Ebanega and Ndong who are promising talents. But because they’ve lost so many experienced players I do worry for them a little bit at the back.

Rating 6/10

Midfield

They have lost the influential Georges Mandjeck from the middle of the park and he could be hard to replace. The talented youngster Souahilo Meite is another departure from midfield, he now completes his transfer to Lille. Its always hard for a team like Auxerre to see quality young players sold and it must hurt them. AJA have a raw looking midfield and may well lack the quality to compete with the better teams in this division. Rudy Haddad remains, but he’s more of an AMID in all honesty and not a player that I’ve ever rated much. Meanwhile,Prince Segbefia has yet to show that he’s anything more than mediocre. The acquisition of Jerome Ait Ben Idir is at least a sensible one because he’s a proven talent at this level and will likely be their best midfielder this season. AJA have signed a couple of CMIDs who I know nothing about, Yann Boe Kane and Nicolas Staerck. Who knows, perhaps one of these guys might prove to be a real hit, but for now there are doubts over both. There are certainly worse midfields around in Ligue 2 than Auxerre’s, but at best I’d say its only mediocre and definitely nothing special.

Rating 5/10

Attack

I’m not fully sure where the goals are going to come from this season for AJA. They are still reeling from the loss of Dennis Oliech who left back in January, now they’ve also got to cope with the departures of 3 other key players. Langil, Sanogo and Kapo all produced a number of goals and assists between them last year and will be missed. In addition, George Ntep who had a breakthrough year is still on the radar of some big clubs and might end up being transferred out before the end of the summer window. AJA desperately need to keep him because they dont have much else. They have signed Julien Viale from Laval and he did well to score 11 times last campaign, but he’s not as good as the guys I mentioned who have now left. Frederic Sammaritano returns to the club after an unsuccessful period at Ajaccio. He should actually do alright at Ligue 2 level, although is an injury risk.Auxerre don’t have anyone else in attack apart from young unproven players. Surely this is an area they will have to strengthen in the next few weeks because they are currently heading into the season with what looks like a fairly toothless attack if Ntep is sold. Keeping him would be nice, but even if they manage to do this, more quality is still needed upfront.

Rating 5/10

Coaching and other factors

Auxerre have had a coaching nightmare in the last couple of years. Since Jean Fernandez was here they’ve gone through the hopeless Laurent Fournier and also Guy Wallemme. Since then, its been Bernand Casoni at the reigns. He is known for his hard disciplined approach and I think he’s actually a fairly good coach. However, this may well be his most difficult challenge yet. Auxerre lost 15 times last season, 11 of of those defeats came away from home. Somehow they managed to finish 9th overall despite losing so often. Clearly this proves that more wins and less draws can be an effective tactic in football. They need to become harder to beat though, especially on the road, so this will be the main target.

Overall conclusion

It doesn’t seem all that long ago since Auxerre were in the Champions League group phase, but their fortunes have declined dramatically in comparison to those days. The first year following relegation is often crucial and if a team doesn’t bounce back quickly then it can be a long road to return to former glories. Auxerre are clearly now a team in transition and have gradually been losing their ligue 1 calibre players throughout the last 12 months. They are going to have to rebuild over time because currently the squad doesn’t look good enough to challenge for promotion.The defence might go ok for them but especially a lack of goals and only a mediocre midfield wont help their cause. Heading into the season Casoni said he’s ‘very concerned that they could be in trouble’ I personally see them finishing in the bottom half of the table and they might even get sucked into the relegation battle.

MEATMAN PREDICTION 13th


CLERMONT

GK and defence

Clermont have nothing special in between the sticks. Fabien Farnolle will start but he’s just an average keeper who will have some good and bad games. They no longer have a proven back up and the no2 keeper is new signing Jerome Scolan from the CFA ligue. There has certainly been some change in the defence this summer. The Auvergne outfit has seen Perinelle, Fomen and Esor all depart. Those guys have all been a regular make-up of the back line in recent years, so it’ll be interesting without them. What they are left with is the reliable Cedric Avinel who started nearly every game for them last season. Left back Imorou remains as well, although new signing Anthony Lippini could be the starter at that spot instead. I really like this addition a lot and credit Clermont for getting him. He will give 110% every game and fights so hard, I was honestly impressed with him at Ligue 1 level for Ajaccio in the last couple of seasons. He has to be a starter either at left or right back in my opinion and could prove to be very classy. The two question mark players for Clermont are Jacques Salze and Cedric Bockhorni. Both are quality when fit, but it seems they rarely are these days. Bockhorni used to be an absolute stud right back for Clermont, but injuries have plagued him badly in recent times. They wont have a bad defence if everyone can stay fit, but this is a big ‘IF’

Rating 6/10

Midfield

This is Clermont’s weakest area and they especially lack some depth. They have lost Saiss and Bayod, both of whom were regular players for them last season. I might also add that they are still feeling the loss of Yacouba Sylla, who signed for Villa back in January. Only Eugene Ekobo remains for Clermont in the midfield area, the problem is that if and when injuries occur in defence (and this always seems to happen), Ekobo will be forced into the backline as cover. They have signed Yohan Betch from Laval, but I’m not altogether convinced he’s actually that good, Laval never really rated him that highly anyway. Thibault Moullin has come in from Caen, and he’s a useful playmaker who’s best position is AMID. However, I think he’ll be asked to play deeper here, maybe even into a DMID role at times. The problem is that he lacks the strength and physique to be a deep lying playmaker. The final signing in midfield is a young Cameroonian called Eugene ‘Junior’ Messi. This name might make him sound like something special, but from what I’ve heard he’s just a raw AMID creative type player. Clermont need to reinforce their midfield, especially by adding a couple of strongly built DMID types.

Rating 4/10


Attack

The Auvergne club only scored a measly 33 goals last season, the lowest tally in the whole of Ligue 2. However, I believe there is more cause for optimism this year in the attacking department. 13 of their 33 goals were netted by Mana Dembele in the previous campaign. He’s a decent poacher and they’ve managed to keep hold of him (so far). I can see him scoring a similar amount again because he should have some decent service. The problem is that he might be sold, in which case they could be in some trouble. Salibur and Capelle remain on the wings whilst the addition of Bilal Hamdi from Laval can only boost their attack force.Gregory Bettiol remains and they have signed in Remi Dugimont from national side Rouen as well. Remember that Thibault Moulin could easily play AMID if required too, so Clermont should definitely look better in attack this year. There is no excuse for them being such a low goalscoring team again with this line up, the worry is if Dembele is sold then they will obviously be weakened.

Rating 7/10

Coaching and other factors

Regis Brouard is still in charge and this will be his 2nd season at the club. I think he did an ok job last year, but was clearly a downgrade on Michel De Zakarian who was awesome in his 3 year spell at Clermont, during which they regularly overachieved. Clermont didn’t score many goals under Brouard last season, but with the way he’s signed certain players this summer, I believe the intention is to be more aggressive. Something Clermont have to do is sort out their home form. They had a shocking 4-7-8 record in front of their own fans last season, only netting a terrible 15 goals in the process. This isn’t much of a surprise though, Le Stade Gabriel Montpied is hardly an intimidating place to travel to. Clermont have been much better on the road in recent seasons, they have to be respected on their travels. Last season they only lost 5 away games out of 19, which is quite impressive.

Overall conclusion

They seem to be quite a hard side to predict because a lot of changes have taken place. But I really think they will be more attacking this season and score more goals. My worry is if they suffer injuries (again) in defence and if their midfield is overpowered. They WILL have problems against hard physical negative teams who pack the midfield full of bodies. But they have good width and more creative players this season which should help them out at the other end. Ultimately they may well end up in the relegation battle but I believe they will avoid the drop. I expect them to be inconsistent but should be dangerous away from home where they could be strong on the break at pace.

MEATMAN PREDICTION - 14th


ARLES

GK and defence

Arles have a pretty good keeper in Ludovic Butelle who is certainly reliable at this level. Moussa Yattara isnt a bad back-up guy either so they are well covered in between the sticks. Arles have lost Bakary Soro from the defensive line, someone who is pretty solid and could be missed. They have 3 pretty strong defenders at the back, captain Yunis Abdelhamid is perhaps the best of them. Sebastien Cantiti is now becoming an experienced right back, whilst Erwin Quintin is decent on the left. Someone else is going to have to fill Soro’s shoes because they haven’t signed anyone, it’ll likely be youngster Ousmane N’Diaye. Beyond these 4 guys, Arles dont have many options in defence and there is a lack of depth. Chaher Zarour used to be good, but he hasn’t been the same since he suffered cruciate ligament damage a couple of years ago.

Rating 5/10

Midfield

Arles look to be very thin on the ground here and definitely lack central midfielders. Romain Rocchi has departed to Metz and all they are left with is Julien Cardy and Damien Plessis.A youngster from amateur level Nader Ghandri has also been signed, but he’s completely unproven and unlikely to be that good this season even if he does eventually develop. The likes of Delclos, Ben Saada and Rodriguez are all capable of playing CMID as well, but its not their natural position. The Avignon side definitely need to sign some more players in the middle of the park because they are simply too lightweight at the moment.

Rating 3/10

Attack

Arles have more options in attack than anywhere else on the field and if they can find a settled line-up where everyone develops a nice chemistry then they could score a few goals. Amazingly, nobody who could be classed as a genuine attacking player started more than 21 games for Arles last season and this area was plagued by injuries and other issues. Raphael Caceres was a great signing in the winter and he scored 7 times from just 15 starts. If Chaouki Ben Saada can stay fit then he’ll be a quality player for Arles, but sadly he cant be relied upon and will likely spend some time on the treatment table. Bilel Omrani is on loan from OM and he could be useful at Ligue 2 level. Savanier, Dale, Sangare and Delclos are other options for Arles in attack although one or two of these will probably leave the club before the end of the summer. Finally, they have signed youngster Jackson Mendy from Monaco, but quite how much part he will play for them this season remains to be seen, I cant see him being a regular starter. I do like the potential of this Arles attack force but they need to find some consistency.

Rating 7/10

Coaching and other Factors

Arles got through 3 coaches last season but their smartest move was bringing in Franck Dumas later on in the campaign. They lost just 1 of their last 11 games with him in charge and they definitely have a decent manager at the helm now. Dumas had a very long coaching stint at Caen and his work there has to be respected. He has twice obtained promotion out of Ligue 2 as well, so knows how things work at this level. Arles had the 4th worst home record last season and only won 5 times in front of their own fans, scoring a miserable 16 goals in the process. Le Parc des Sports is never going to be a fortress and their attendances are usually quite poor. This obviously doesn’t help them too much but at least they were fairly solid on the road last year.

Overall conclusion

Arles aren’t a big club and their squad looks fairly thin on the ground in places. When everyone is available their XI wont be too bad, but they could be in trouble if injuries and suspensions kick in. Specifically they need to reinforce their midfield because its too lightweight at the moment. I’d imagine that Franck Dumas will have a plan to improve certain areas of the squad though and his management will definitely help them. Arles dont have enough quality to compete with the bigger teams at the top of the table, but they should have enough to settle comfortably around the midtable mark. I have them finishing 15th, but if they ended up better than that they I wouldn’t be surprised.

MEATMAN PREDICTION 15th



16-20


NIORT

GK and defence

There will be an open competition between Rodolphe Roche and Paul Delecroix in between the sticks, neither is guaranteed as being the starting GK. The backline has lost Djibril Konate but new signing Eric Chelle, despite being 35 years old should be an adequate replacement. Defence is possibly Niort’s strongest area and they should be well organised here. The likes of Pallois, Bernard, Bong and Letzelter all remain, along with a couple of other options. OK, perhaps they dont have any massive quality individuals at the back, but they should work well together and I expect a decent chemistry. They will be fairly solid and potentially difficult to break down when defending deep.

Rating 7/10

Midfield

Niort do have problems in midfield though, especially in the central area. They have lost both Johann Gastien and Johann Ricaud which leaves them very weak and lacking depth. They are left with Koukou, new signing Wadja or the ineffective Jimmy Juan as options in the middle of the park. It looks like some players such as Diaw or Martin will have to be employed here, even though they’d be out of their natural positions. They dont have so many problems with wide midfielders, although I’d say they should employ a wingers system because it suits their players more. Niort definitely need to reinforce their central midfield though because its devoid of quality or depth at the moment.

Rating 3/10

Attack

Niort generally struggled for goals last season, but on paper their attack shouldn’t be too bad. They have managed to retain everyone of importance here, so there should be a high level of chemistry between the players. Jimmy Roye and Jerome Lafourcade both top scored with 8 goals each and will spearhead the attack. Glombard and Diaw along with some other youngsters should be useful in the wide areas too. In addition, Niort have signed some new players in attack. Sala comes in on loan from Bordeaux whilst a youngster from Cameroon, Daouda Bassock is an unknown entity. Florian Martin did very well in the national division for Carquefou last season and could be a very promising player for Niort, but can he step up to Ligue 2 level? On paper they have a decent looking attack force but their tactics are often pretty negative so they might not be able to fully utilise their options.

Rating 6/10

Coaching and other factors

Pascal Gastien has been with the club 4 years now and is one of the longest standing managers at any Ligue 2 side. He has brought stability to Niort although is nothing special and quite a defensive coach. But he’s solid enough and not eccentric which could be a good thing for Les Chamois. Last season, they won 2 of their last 3 games which enabled them to survive and it was a close run thing if they got relegated or not. They had a very high number of draws (18) and often their main aim was to avoid defeat. Le Stade Rene Gaillard can be an intimidating place to play and Niort are typically hard to beat here.

Overall conclusion

Niort will be involved in the relegation dogfight and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they went down. However, they have a few things in their favour compared to some other clubs. Number one is stability in that they have retained most of their squad. They also have continuity in their manager and coaching staff. Niort will be a negative team and often just try to make themselves hard to break down. This is a shame because they do have a decent attacking line up on paper but this might not be utilised. A worrying lack of stability in midfield could force them to be more aggressive than normal though. They might just about survive by the skin of their teeth but it’ll be a close call.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 16th


CRETEIL

GK and defence

Yann Kerboriou and new signing Issa Ndoye will battle it out for the no1 keeper spot. I don’t know much about either of them so the jury is open on both. Neither have any previous Ligue 2 experience though so it’s hard to say who’ll have the edge. The backline has lost the versatile Jeremy Cordoval who could play on the right or left of defence. Coming in as a replacement is Augusto, from the Portuguese 2nd division. Again, here is a player I don’t know that much about but he’s expected to start so Creteil must hope that he’s at least half decent. The rest of the backline stays the same and the likes of Boris Mahon, Danilson da Cruz and Vincent di Barto need to step up to Ligue 2 level if they are to be effective. Its always so difficult to judge any promoted side’s defence, but even more so in this case because none of the players have ever really experienced football at a higher level than the national. At least they have some continuity here and the chemistry between everyone should be decent.

Rating 5/10

Midfield

A key man here for Creteil is Cheikh Ndoye who scored 11 times for them last season. He’ll be a main starter in the middle, probably along with Ibrahima Seck. Again, this is another part of Creteil’s team that’s very difficult to judge, mostly because of a lack of recognised names. They don’t seem to have too much else in this midfield though, so if their main starters go down injured then they could be light in this department. There are a lot of question marks here so I’m not sure how good (or poor) they will be.

Rating 4/10

Attack

They have lost Bagaliy Dabo who scored 9 times for them last season and was one of their best attacking players. But Creteil have strengthened well in this department and even brought in a couple of proven Ligue 2 performers. Jean Michel Lesage remains in this team and he’ll be ready to give Ligue 2 one more crack. He isn’t that old yet so should be able to go well here. They will hope that Faneva Andriatsima can adapt to this level too and go near to his previous season goal tally of 14. Nicolas Belvito and Marcel Essombe are additions to this attack force, both of them pretty much previous flops in Ligue 2 but they might be useful for Creteil. I like the signing of Cedric Collet on the left wing, this guy is a proven performer and could end up being a key player for them. I think there’s potential for Creteil to score a few goals this season, they shouldn’t lack firepower.

Rating 6/10

Coaching and other factors

In his first full season in charge, Jean Luc Vasseur took Creteil straight to promotion by winning the National division. He’s not a very experienced coach which might work against Creteil this season, but then again many young coaches have done well before in Ligue 2. He is known for an attacking philosophy so they probably aren’t going to be a negative side unlike some teams who come up. Creteil only had the 4th best home record in the National last season which is surprising considering they won it so easily. However, some of their poor results came at the end of the season when they pretty much knew they were going up. It has to be said that their away record was very impressive, but whether or not they can maintain that in Ligue 2 remains to be seen, this will be much harder.

Overall conclusion

I think Creteil are a really difficult side to predict this season. A lot of their players are unknowns and anything seems possible with them. I like the look of their attack force and I can see them scoring goals which is always a bonus. It all depends on how their players adapt to Ligue 2 level, thats the key question. I do think they will survive though. These days, promoted teams from the National division often have a habit of staying up and its also been 10 years since a team that won the National Ligue went straight back down. Only 4 of the last 26 promoted teams into Ligue 2 have been relegated, its clear that momentum from winning and success is becoming really important these days. Les Beliers will be involved in the relegation battle but I’m tipping them to finish outside of the red zone.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 17th


CHATEAUROUX

GK and defence

Chateauroux appear to have an open competition for the GK spot. It’ll either be Jonathan Millieras or the newly signed Landy Bonnefoi from Bastia. Neither is particularly good but at least the former is a youngster who perhaps has some potential. Chateauroux’s best defender is Loic Nestor who is a stud at Ligue 2 level, although can be injury prone. Capable of playing anywhere at the back, I’d say that he’s a class above any other defender in this side. Centre back Remi Fournier isn’t too bad either though. Without being exceptionally good, he’s a solid player who can do a job. Cape Verdean Fernando Neves has plenty of experience but he’s 35 now and no spring chicken, I think Les Berrichone could do with a more energetic left back. He can switch to the middle if required though, and that might be where he’s best at now. The problem in defence is that outside of the 3 defenders I have mentioned, Chateauroux dont really have anyone thats any good. They are going to have to partner Sambou or Afougou with Fournier at CDEF, or alternatively risk starting some youngsters like Bain or Obiang. Even at full strength they are going to have to ‘carry’ a weak player in this defence and if there are any injuries to the main 3, then they could be in trouble.

Rating 5/10

Midfield

You could argue that Chateauroux have perhaps upgraded themselves slightly in this area during the summer. The have lost the experienced Hautcoeur but he was injured for most of the 2nd half of last season anyway, so his departure shouldn’t be felt too much. Ludovic Guerriero and David De Freitas are ok players and they will compete for a starting spot in DMID. But they will also have to contend with two new players, the first is a Honduran guy called Luis Ramos, signed from Hungarian club Debrecan. The word is that he should be a regular player in the XI. Amara Baby also returns from a season on loan at Le Mans, and he’s a versatile player capable of playing centrally or on the left. Behind the 4 players I mentioned, there is nothing else apart from youngsters like Ehua and Dudouit who wont get much game time unless there are injuries. Chatearoux are nothing special in the middle of the park, but look ok-ish at least.

Rating 5/10

Attack

This is the area which has seen a lot of change. Les Berrichonne have waved goodbye to Jeannot, Essombe, Allart and Orinel. Also add in the fact that they lost Beauvue back in the winter transfer window. 25 out of Chateauroux’s 43 goals were scored by those players last season. I’m just not sure who is going to step up and hit the back of the net for them this year. They have signed Maxime Bourgeois from Auxerre and he did well for them a couple of years ago on loan. However, he failed to score a single goal for Auxerre last campaign which doesn’t bode well. Likewise, another ex player Kevin Dupuis has returned, but he’s also really struggled to score goals in the last couple of years.Chateauroux at least look to have a couple of half decent wingers. Clement Tainmont is useful on the left and the newly signed Christian Kinkela could go ok on the right. But they are desperately going to need one of their youngsters to break through in the attacking midfield and central striking areas otherwise they will be in major trouble.

Rating 4/10

Coaching and other factors

They have retained coach Didier Tholot and this will now be his 4th season in charge. I have never rated him much and his finishing positions with this club have been a mediocre 14th, 14th and last season 16th. He’s not particularly great tactically and often chops and changes around his team without having too much of an idea what he’s doing. I could definitely see him getting sacked at some point this year. Les Berrichonne play their home matches on an artificial surface which is definitely an advantage. They only lost twice here last season and its difficult for opposing teams to adapt to this surface. Clearly, Chateauroux themselves also have difficulties in adapting to away grass surfaces now though. They were the only team who failed to win away from home last season, although did at least manage to pick up 9 draws.

Overall conclusion

I think this is going to be a really tough year for Chateauroux and they are serious relegation candidates. They only just survived last year, mostly thanks to a massive amount of 18 draws and a solid home record. The defence and midfield will be mediocre at absolute best, whilst in attack they could desperately struggle to score goals. There is a sprinkling of about 2 or 3 good players in this squad, but overall they really lack quality and are going to have to rely on some youngsters to break through. Add in the fact that they don’t have a particularly good coach and could have massive away problems. Things don’t look good and they will be fighting against relegation. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went down this year.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 18th


LAVAL

GK and defence

Laval’s first problem is GK because Arnaud Balijon has left as a free agent. He was a very solid keeper for them, often making crucial saves and will be missed. It now looks like an open competition between Mike Vanhamel and Maxime Hautbois to start in between the sticks. But neither of them are any good and whoever wins out will be a large downgrade on Balijon. Defence is the one area where Laval have actually retained most of their players. They do lack quality here though which is why the addition of Malik Couturier from Angers might not be a bad thing. They have also signed Selim Ben Djemia from Genoa, a player who I know nothing about but who can apparently play either in the middle or on the left. He’s projected to challenge for a starting spot, perhaps at the expense of either Makan Traore or Kevin Perrot. Laval do at least have a decent right back in Gaetan Belaud. The problem is that because he’s so versatile he could end up all over the field if they have injuries or suspensions. Finally, Guillaume Rippert has been signed and he’ll add some experience to the back line, he’s also capable of playing anywhere. This defence isn’t particularly strong, but at least its remained fairly settled during the summer whilst some reasonable new players have been added.

Rating 5/10

Midfield

Anthony Goncalves is an important player for Laval in midfield, a key ball winning rock sitting in front of the defence. But they have lost Oscar Ewolo and Yohan Betch, which means a lack of depth now in this area. Hassan Alla has been signed from Le Havre, but perhaps his best days are now over and he wasn’t much of a factor for HAC last season. Jordan Adeoti is an option too, but he’s not that good. Laval definitely lack central midfield options, they just don’t have enough specialist players for these positions. They will end up having to play someone like Belaud or Renouard here if injuries mount up, who just aren’t natural CMIDs. Wide midfield isn’t such a problem if the coach prefers to use a flat 4 midfield tactic. They have the likes of Tiberi, Renouard, Belaud and Perrot who are all comfortable in those positions. Laval need to sign at least one other strong DMID though, otherwise they are at risk of being overpowered.

Rating 4/10

Attack

Laval have made massive wholesale changes here. Their whole attack force from last season has departed and new players have been added. The problem is that attack was probably their best area last year and it might be difficult to replicate the goals they scored. Viale, Gamboa, Hamdi and Gimbert all had fairly good campaigns but they aren’t here anymore. Right now, I dont think they have recruited adequate replacements. Mamadou Diallo comes in from Sedan, not a bad striker but he is someone who hasn’t really fired that much in the last couple of years. Christian Bekamenga, an ex Nantes flop is another addition fresh on the back of scoring 20 goals for lower Ligue Carquefou. He has started the pre season campaign fairly well too, but I dont rate him at all and until he proves to me otherwise I have little faith he’ll score many goals in Ligue 2. Les Tangos have brought in Anthony Robic from National side Vannes. He’s an AMID/winger who had a good previous campaign, but can he step up to Ligue 2 level? Finally, they have signed Sebastien Renouard who will likely play on the right wing. When at full fitness he’s actually a quality player, who has plenty of experience at Ligue 2 level. The problem is that he’s often on the treatment table injured so unable to fulfill his ability. It’ll be very hard for all these new players to develop chemistry quickly and I don’t think they will be as good in attack as they were last season.

Rating 4/10

Coaching and other factors

Philippe Hinchberger has been head coach at Laval since 2007 and is the longest standing manager at any club in Ligue 2. However, this might not necessarily be a positive thing for them and he isn’t a particularly brilliant coach. Les Tangos underwent a huge clearout of players this summer and I think it wouldve been a good time for them to part ways with Hinchberger as well. It also probably would’ve done him some good to move on to a different challenge, it may well be that he’s too stale here now. Under a brand new supporting cast of players his relationships wont be as strong. I could see him being sacked or resigning at some point this season. Laval are a traditionally strong home side, but they lost 7 times at Le Stade Francis le Basser last season. A couple of years ago they sensationally nearly went the whole campaign unbeaten at home before finally losing in the last round. Fans are very enclosed here and it can be an awkward place to come, especially if its a TV match on Monday night or something like that. Laval are never usually very good away from home, often suffering a high number of losses and dont travel well.

Overall conclusion

They only just survived by the skin of their teeth last year but they might not be able to escape the drop this time. So many player changes have occurred and they have lost the best part of their team in attack and GK. I think it’ll be very hard for this team to gel together quickly and they may well be slow out of the blocks. Its going to be a long tough campaign for Laval and they will just have to hope that there are 3 or 4 other teams who are just as bad as them. Clearly Les Tangos are a major candidate for the drop and will be right in the mixer at the bottom of the table.

MEATMAN PREDICTION – 19th


CA BASTIA

GK and defence

At the moment CAB have 5 GKs on their books, a couple of whom are new additions. I really don’t know who’s going to be the no1 keeper, It could be last years main man Lombard, or new loanee Agostini. Its possible Antoine Phillipon could be in the mixer too. The defence also looks to have plenty of depth and a few new arrivals bolser this backline. Mamadou Camara comes in from Guingamp, a man who didn’t have much game time last season but he should be starting for a team like CAB. Raphael Romey crosses the island from GFCO Ajaccio and he’s another who might be in contention to start. Jerome Phojo is on loan from Monaco but he’s more of an unknown quantity. Their main starting defenders from last year, Truchet, Monfray, Salis and Derme remain as well, although quite who will be in the first choice backline remains to be seen, there are doubts here.

Rating 4/10

Midfield

CAB have signed Christophe Vincent on loan from SC Bastia, perhaps he could become a regular starter for them. Alexandre Craponese is another loanee, although he’s likely to be used more as a wide midfielder. Grimaldi, Marty and Oswald were regular starts for CAB in midfield last season but whether or not they can make the step up to Ligue 2 remains to be seen. There are a lot of unknown players here as well and its difficult to know who is going to line up exactly where.

Rating 3/10

Attack

Romain Pastorelli scored a whopping 26 goals for them last season, which was nearly half of their whole season tally! Clearly he is a massive player for them and they will desperately hope he can fire again. Alassane N’Diaye contributed 10 goals in the previous campaign and will likely line up with Pastorelli upfront. Apart from these two guys, CAB dont seem to have much in attack and they appear to lack genuine wingers. Obviously a lot rests on the shoulders of Pastorelli here, if he doesn’t fire then they’lll be in big trouble.

Rating 4/10

Coaching and other factors

Stephane Rossi is head coach and I have to admit I know nothing about him. He’s been at the club for 10 years though, so he’ll know the place inside out. I’ll reserve judgement on him until I’ve seen his tactics in action. Amazingly, CAB were promoted despite having the 3rd worst away record in the National division last season! Their shocking stats were 3-5-11 and two of those wins were against relegated clubs. Clearly they were terrible on the road which doesn’t bode well for this season where the opposition will be much tougher. The Corsicans were sensational at home however, winning 15 times out of 19 and only losing twice. This season they won’t be playing home matches at their own stadium though because it doesn’t meet ligue approval. Instead, they will be playing games at SC Bastia’s Furiani which could be a disadvantage for them.

Overall conclusion

CA Bastia are by far the hardest team to analyse and predict. So many of their players are unknown and the general lack of information about them is worrying. It seems to me that this club weren’t and aren’t ‘ready’ to be promoted. Only a freak home record last season in what looked like a poor National division has enabled them to come up to Ligue 2 and I think they could really struggle. They are clearly reliant on one man to get them goals and I don’t like the idea of that because it’ll be far tougher at this level to hit the back of the net. There are a lot of question marks, but a lack of proven performers is a massive concern. The only positive for them is that teams who get promoted from the National tend to have a good recent record of surviving. This is also their 3rd successive promotion, so they are clearly used to success. But much like GFCO Ajaccio last year, this may well be a step too far for CAB and they’ll most likely finish bottom of the pile.

MEATMAN PREDICTION - 20th


tl;dr:

1. lens
2. troyes
3. le havre
4. caen
5. nancy
6. dijon
7. brest
8. nimes
9. angers
10. tour
11. istres
12. metz
13. auxerre
14. clermont
15. arles
16. niort
17. creteil
18. chateauroux
19. laval
20. bastia
bearbeitet von forvert
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Trujillo

Trujillo

Kennt das ASB in und auswendig
Geschrieben

Handicap zahlt gut, ist aber halt net so häufig wie der Tipster oft meint. Ich selber spiele lieber HT/FT wobei ich bei Außenseiterpicks immer um einen 10er das HT/FT mitlaufen lass. Bei einem Treffer ist das immer fette $$$.

V2 und V8 kommen auch häufiger als man glaubt und die quoten sind meistens >10.00

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Matze

Matze

Wir müssen gewinnen, alles andere ist primär! HK
Geschrieben

Weiß man wieso oberwart mit 3.6 als Außenseiter gesetzt wird gegen Retz 1.9?

Oberwart hat letzte Saison beide Spiel gewonnen mit 4:1(H) und mit 3:2 (A)

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Trujillo

Trujillo

Kennt das ASB in und auswendig
Geschrieben

Weiß man wieso oberwart mit 3.6 als Außenseiter gesetzt wird gegen Retz 1.9?

Oberwart hat letzte Saison beide Spiel gewonnen mit 4:1(H) und mit 3:2 (A)

das müsste der lp ganz genau wissen.

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