After the primary three video games of the season, there was a basic consensus that Angers SCO in all probability weren’t adequate to remain within the high flight. There was maybe a contact of affirmation bias about this perception as most had predicted Les Noirs et Blancs would wrestle to remain afloat in Ligue 1 after a stunning promotion marketing campaign and a scarcity of summer time funding outdoors of free brokers and mortgage offers.
Angers had in fact been thrown into the crucible as they began their marketing campaign with video games in opposition to RC Lens, Lille OSC, and OGC Good, groups that can doubtless be difficult for Europe come the top of the season. Nonetheless, the supervisor Alexandre Dujeux, argued that this was nonetheless not adequate and that his squad couldn’t afford to make excuses for themselves.
“If we await the much less prestigious groups, we won’t survive,” Dujeux defined, “This squad is value greater than what it’s proven by way of outcomes. It’ll show that it deserves higher.” And since then, that’s precisely what Les Noirs et Blancs have confirmed, as they’ve proven that whereas relegation continues to be an apparent and actual menace, it was far too early to put in writing them off.
Promising shoots for Angers
The issues wouldn’t proper themselves instantly and Angers would stay winless till the top of October. A 4-2 victory over fellow strugglers AS Saint-Étienne lastly ridding the membership of their unlucky label as the one group and not using a victory in Ligue 1. Nonetheless, even on this winless run, there have been shoots of promise that recommended that that they had slowly adjusted to life again within the high flight.
Les Noirs et Blancs have suffered just one additional loss since their opening three video games. A 3-1 defeat by the hands of Stade de Reims was sandwiched between 4 attracts because the membership centered on changing into a group that was arduous to interrupt down. Attracts in opposition to Olympique de Marseille and RC Strasbourg Alsace, particularly, demonstrated a defensive dedication that had been lacking beforehand.
Dujeux recommended after the 1-1 draw away to Marseille that the sport ought to turn out to be a reference level for his group. “It should be taken as a basis,” he defined, “it ought to reassure the boys and present them that we will do nice issues if we respect the basics… we’re not bragging however this level ought to give us confidence.”
Ligue 1’s final winless group secures two victories in a row
Within the final two recreation weeks, it’s precisely by respecting the basics that Angers have managed to let blossom their promising shoots. The win over Saint-Étienne was adopted by a well-known defeat of AS Monaco away on the Stade Louis II on Friday. It was a victory that ended a run of 19 away video games in Ligue 1 and not using a win, a report that stretched again till the 18th of September 2022.
Defeating Monaco was in fact a shock, the Principality have been the excellent candidate to problem Paris Saint-Germain’s grip on the title, however it was a completely deserved victory. Angers performed with vigour placing strain on Monaco from the beginning and took benefit of a sluggish opposition to go 1-0 up inside half-hour, however in addition they had the pliability to reply to the sport state and at half time dropped again and defended deep when Adi Hütter appeared to swing momentum again to the hosts.
No one expects Angers to proceed their profitable run into their subsequent fixture as they are going to be internet hosting PSG. Nonetheless, what the membership have proven this season is that they’ve the intelligence and resilience to trigger various issues, and maybe show that they’ve what it takes to safe security.
This week’s Ligue 1 subplots
Monaco dropping factors to Angers meant that PSG had been the large winners of the weekend as soon as they picked up a 1-0 victory over Lens. It was removed from the capital membership’s most convincing show in entrance of purpose, however they did sufficient to stretch their lead on the high of the desk by six factors.
PLAYER RATINGS | Nantes 1-2 Marseille: Jonathan Rowe and Mason Greenwood star as OM rise to second in Ligue 1:
🏴 Jonathan Rowe, 7🇳🇬 Moses Simon, 2🏴 Mason Greenwood, 8🇨🇫 Geoffrey Kondogbia, 3
Julien Stéphan’s time at Stade Rennais is sort of actually in peril. Outcomes have been poor for the membership since he signed a contract extension in March, and an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to newly promoted AJ Auxerre this weekend could possibly be a bridge too far for the supervisor with Rudi Garica and Niko Kovac touted as his substitute. .
Rudi Garcia, Patrick Vieira, and Niko Kovac all function on Rennes’ shortlist to interchange Julien Stéphan. (L’Éq)
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