[meatman]

FRENCH LIGUE 2 PREVIEW 2007/08

Friday 27th July 2007 is when the new French ligue 2 season starts back after only a 2 month break. Once again I shall be covering the ligue is great detail, even more so than ever in my quest to find winners week after week. So with not long to go here is my in depth season preview which I hope you will all find very useful indeed. This is my best ever quality of preview that I have written and I am very pleased with the work in it, now just roll on the 1st round of matches so we can all start to cash in again


Part (I) - Teams challenging for promotion


Nantes
The mighty Nantes are without doubt the most high profile name in ligue 2 this season, indeed they are probably the most high profile club that this division has seen for over 10 years. They are the last team to have won ligue 1 since Lyon started their dominance, but now find themselves in the 2nd tier of French football. They are a massive club and the expectations amongst everyone involved here is that they will be promotion challengers and will make it straight back up to the top flight. I have to say I think they should certainly be involved in the mixer at the top of the table and look to have the strongest defence in the division along with a very good midfield. However they look a bit poor in attack and need to find some strikers who can get them goals.

The defence looks to be superb and they have only lost a few players during the summer who weren’t that important. Nantes have brought in plenty of new additions all of whom should do a good job for them. Starting at right back they have brought in Olivier Thomas from Ligue 1 Le Mans and he is certainly an experienced player. At 33 years old he isn’t a spring chicken anymore, but should be ideally suited to ligue 2 football and looks a quality signing. Remi Mareval comes in on the left hand side, although id imagine Franck Signorino will be the number one left back for Nantes. In the centre, Mauro Cetto and Loic Guillon should be the first choice duo and there are plenty of other decent options that they have as cover. Obviously it’s a possibility that Nantes could lose a few important players before the end of the transfer window, but at this moment in time I think they have the best defence in ligue 2.

The midfield also looks to be very strong and Nantes have brought in 2 new players, both of whom I expect to do well. David De Freitas did an excellent job for Amiens last season and he will be a regular midfielder for Nantes this year. Harlington Shereni comes in from Guingamp and he’s a similar defensive minded player just like De Freitas. Frederic Da Rocha on the right hand side is a Nantes legend and he is a key man, although age isn’t on his side at 33 years. On the attacking side of things, Nantes welcome Guillaume Moullec in from Ligue 1 Lorient and he could certainly prove to be a useful player. Nantes have plenty of other options in the middle of the park as well, although some might say they could do with one or two more creative minded guys. It still looks really strong though and will definitely be hard to break down in combination with the defence.

At the moment, the Nantes attack force is the weakest area of their team and could do with adding one or two more real quality strikers. Mamadou Bagayoko returns form his loan away in foreign lands, and in the past has proven to be a good striker at both ligue 1 and 2 levels. If Nantes can sort him out properly then he could become a real asset for the club, but at this moment there are some question marks about him. Nicolas Gousse arrives from relegated Istres but he’s had a poor last couple of seasons and I doubt will be a regular starter. Claudio Keseru and Denis Oliech haven’t impressed me much at ligue 1 level although they could prove to be decent by dropping down a division. If Luigi Pieroni stays then he will gets goals, although he will probably move to another club. This attack force is still quite good although there are certainly some question marks about it. I do have my concerns but I’m sure Nantes will still be decent in this area of the pitch.

Nantes are the bookies favourites to win the division and I have to agree that they have every chance of doing it. In defence and midfield they look to be one of the strongest in this ligue, and if their attack force can fire, then I see them having no problems obtaining promotion. Expectations will be high though and the pressure could get to the players. Nantes will also have to play their first two home matches behind closed doors because of a pitch invasion at the end of last season. Over the long course of the season they will definitely be in the hunt at the top of the table, and I think should make it back up to ligue 1, possibly as champions. Its never easy hitting back after relegation, but Nantes look to have the ammunition to return to the top flight.

Key players

Mauro Cetto (Centre back), Frederic Da Rocha (Midfielder right)

Verdict

Defence 10/10 (The best in ligue 2and is very strong in all areas)
Midfield 8/10 (Ideally need a little bit more in the creative department but still looks very good)
Attack 7/10 (Their weakest area and some question marks about it, still potential quality though)

Overall 1st - Defence the key as Nantes promoted as champions of Ligue 2


Troyes
They have been relegated from Ligue 1 but will look to hit back immediately by making a swift return to the top flight. They are definitely going to be a promotion contender and I think ultimately they will end up in the top 3, possibly as champions. Their defensive options don’t look great, but they possess the best attack force in ligue 2 and could simply outscore their opponents in many of their matches. Caen did the same thing last year and I think Troyes are capable of achieving a similar sort of success.

The defence is where the worries are, and new coach, Denis Troch needs to reinforce in the central areas. They don’t particularly have much of a problem out wide because Ibrahima Faye and Eric Marsester will do a good job on the left and right respectively. Gael Sanz will be one of the centre backs but there is a real lack of cover for this position an it might mean a few of the defensive minded midfielders would have to fill in. Troyes have lost key goalkeeper, Ronaan Le Crom, but replaced him with the excellent Cyrille Merville from Amiens. The defence definitely looks like it will be Troyes weakest area this year, although they wont be basing their success around it, so many might not see it as a real problem.

The midfield has lost a couple of key individuals, but it still looks to be strong and they have brought in a couple of decent replacements. Blaise Matuidi was their best player last season but understandably he has opted to join ligue 1 St Etienne. Benjamin Nivet moves to Caen and Troyes will miss his creativity. But Stephane Noro comes in from Sedan, and although he was injured for most of last season, he’s a quality player and I expect him to do an excellent job in the heart of the midfield. Ousmanne Sarr arrives from St Etienne and he will be a useful addition to the left hand side. Troyes already have players like Gael Danic, so this midfield looks quite decent. I think there is a good mixture of players and should be enough cover options if injuries kick in.

The attack force has lost David Gigliotti who returns back to Monaco on loan, but they have brought in some fine players and I think this looks to be the best strike force in ligue 2. Jerome Lafourcade, Christophe Meslin and Yahia Kebe are all proven performers at this level and all are capable of scoring loads of goals. Gregory Bettiol drops down a division from Ligue 1 Lyon, and he should be a useful new addition. Troyes have also kept some of their squad players such as Georges Ba and Ibrahima Bangoura, so they have loads of cover options should injuries kick in. Troyes look really strong upfront and I certainly expect them to score plenty of goals this season.

Overall, Troyes are definitely going to be involved in the promotion hunt and I think they will be one of the teams to make it up to ligue 1, possibly as champions. Their attack force is simply superb and they have the ability to simply overpower their opponents by outscoring them most of the time. There are weaknesses in defence though, which could be costly, although I doubt it. Their midfield looks strong and I think Troyes should see plenty of ball possession this season. I expect them to be involved in quite a few exciting matches because their tactics should be positive and attacking.

Key players - Stephane Noro (Midfielder), Yahia Kebe (Striker)

Verdict

Defence 5/10 (Their weakest aspect due to lack of options in the middle)
Midfield 8/10 (Lost some key players, but bought well and look to be pretty strong)
Attack 10/10 (Best in ligue 2 as they have many proven quality performers who are sure to score goals)

Overall 2nd - An excellent attack force the key as Troyes secure promotion


Amiens
They finished in 4th position last season and were incredibly unlucky not to be promoted. Ludovic Batelli’s side obtained a record number of points never to make it up to ligue 1, but if they obtain 69 again then I’m pretty sure they’ll be celebrating. Not many players have left or arrived during the summer so there is a sense of continuity about the club. I think they will do well again and realistically should be involved in the promotion hunt. Amiens look to have a good team and I believe they are capable of making it up to the top flight.

The defence is exactly the same as last year and Amiens welcome no new faces or see anyone leave them yet. Andre Sami at centre back is of course the key man along with Aurelian Bosche in the left position. Hamed, Vairelles and Hernandez are all pretty good players as well and I like the look of the backline. The one worry is actually the goalkeeping position. Cyrille Merville has left to go to Troyes and he is a big loss for Amiens. They have replaced him by bringing in Bevegnu from Toulouse and Chabbert from Lens. I don’t know who will be given the number 1 position, but both haven’t had much competitive football in recent seasons so it will be a challenge for them to adapt.

Amiens have lost key defensive midfielder, and captain, David De Freitas who leaves to Nantes. This is a body blow but I’m still sure that this midfield is nice and strong in all areas. Amiens look to be very useful on the wings and they are spearheaded by Thibault Giresse on the left and Antoine Buron on the right. Both these guys will provide the crosses for the strikers to feed on and I was very impressed with how Amiens used the flanks last season. Thomas Deruda arrives from Marseille on loan and he will add depth to the right hand side as cover for Buron. In the middle, someone like Levrat or Nicaise will have to fill in for De Freitas and they should do a good job. Had De Freitas stayed, then this midfield would’ve looked superb, but even with him gone it still looks pretty strong.

In attack, Amiens’ best striker is of course Sebastien Heitzmann, someone who has proved himself at ligue 2 level time and time again. His partner will probably be Fabrice Begeorgi who arrives on loan from Marseille. He did a pretty good job for Libourne last year and I see no reason why he cant succeed at Amiens. There are also plenty of other back up strikers in this squad all of whom are capable of hitting the back of the net. I like the look of Amiens options in attack, they will have no problems scoring goals.
Overall, Amiens look strong in all areas and should be able to launch a promotion bid. They will be strong both home and away and I expect them to be in the mixer at the top of the table all season long. On paper, there are perhaps more talented squads, but Amiens proved last season that a key ingredient is also teamwork and spirit. It’s the same nucleus of squad as it was last season and they will want to keeping winning, setting objectives high. Other sides might also give them too much respect which we have seen happen before. Amiens will love that and feast on some sides for breakfast. I honestly think they have what it takes to make it up to ligue 1 and I predict promotion.

Key players - Andre Sami (Centre back), Sebastien Heitzmann (Striker)

Verdict

Defence 7/10 (Their weakest aspect due to goalkeeping worries, still very strong though)
Midfield 8/10 (Excellent wide players, De Freitas loss a blow but there are plenty of options)
Attack 8/10 (Heitzmann the main man, plenty of others who will also score)

Overall 3rd - Good all round strength and teamwork means promotion for Amiens.


Le Havre
They finished in 6th position last season, although for most of the year they were involved in the promotion chase. Only a nightmare end to the season cost them dearly and they will aim to hit back for this campaign. Le Havre have lost a few key players, but also reinforced quite strongly and look to have enough quality to launch a promotion bid. I’m not so sure that they will make it up to ligue 1, but they should definitely be in the mixer at the top of the table. This is a big club with big expectations and they players know exactly what they need to do and what their aim is.

The defence has lost left back Henri Bedimo and right back Medaci. As yet they have not found any new replacements for them, so there is a lack of depth and cover for those positions. However, in the central areas, Le Havre look to be very strong and they welcome new signing Abasse Ba who comes in from Dijon. He was one of the best players in ligue 2 last season so I think will do a good job. Nicolas Gillet also comes in from Ligue 1 Lens and he should do well after dropping down a division. Le Havre already have some good centre backs in Ducrocq, Henin and Soumarre, so they have no problems with their options in the back line. I like the look of their defence except for the right hand side where they seem to be thin on the ground.

The midfield has lost Didier Digard and Anthony Gauvin in the defensive midfield roles, although neither were key players. They have brought in one new replacement for that position - Damien Tixier from Lens. I’ll be honest in that I think that they lack a bit of creativity in the middle of the park. They do have a lot of defensive minded options, Jemal Ait Ben Idir being a key man for the Normans. They don’t have so many guys available to them on the wings and I’m worried about this area. Also in the middle they don’t have many attacking players which might limit their creativity. This is still a pretty solid midfield though and should do a reasonable job.

The big loss during the summer for Le Havre has been key attacker, Jean Michel Lesage. He leaves as a Le Havre legend and for many seasons he scored loads of goals for them. But now he moves on to try his luck at ligue 1 level and Auxerre have his services. Le Havre still look to be strong in attack though and Ivorian, Kandia Traore should fill his boots once again. From foreign shores, Nikezic and Dabo are unknown factors but talk is that they are excellent strikers and should go well. Guillaume Hoarau also returns from his Gueugnon loan and he did a great job for Les Forgerons last season. He will be a welcome addition back into the squad and add to the depth upfront. There are one or two question marks about the new signings, but I think in general this looks to be one of the strongest attack forces in the division.. I have no doubt that Le Havre will score plenty of goals if their strikers are supplied properly.

Overall, I’m convinced Le Havre have enough quality to be involved in the promotion race this season and they should be a top 6 side. There are one or two areas of concern, especially on the right hand side of defence and midfield, but overall Le Havre seem to be very strong. There are some real quality individuals in all areas of the pitch and I expect them to pick up plenty of points. I think perhaps they might just fall short of the level required to make it up to ligue 1, but they have every chance of claiming promotion.

Key players - Jemal Ait Ben Idir (Defensive midfielder), Kandia Traore (Striker)

Verdict

Defence 8/10 (Very strong in the middle, only concern is at right back)
Midfield 6/10 (Their weakest aspect due to potential lack of creative options)
Attack 9/10 (One of the strongest in the ligue, especially if new signings fire)

Overall 4th - In the promotion hunt but might miss out by a whisker