Football Season Guide

Angers proved to be one of the surprise packages in Ligue 1 last season as they comfortably survived against relegation and for the first half of the campaign threatened to cause a major stir by qualifying for Europe. Reality struck them after Christmas and they would not maintain such form, but they have given themselves a platform from which to establish themselves as a top-flight side. Stephane Moulin’s tactics were criticised last term as they were based around a counterattacking strategy and often saw little of the ball in matches, relying heavily on set pieces for their goals. Over the course of the summer they have so far managed to maintain the core of players who were so successful for them last term, although there are still doubts over the future of captain Romain Thomas, their defensive keystone. Rumours link him with a move away from the side, yet he has affirmed that he is committed to the club. If they were to lose him it would be a major blow. Mateo Pavlovic has been signed to add more depth to the defence, while the starting back four may profit from the arrival of Pablo Martinez from Gazelec Ajaccio, though other changes are not expected. In the midfield, similarly, no great overhaul is predicted, with Cheick Ndoye and Thomas Mangani expected to be key players once more. Mangani was particularly important last term due to his set-piece qualities, while the size of Ndoye had him linked with the Premier League. In attack, alterations have been made – and significant ones. Angers have looked to Ligue 2 to strengthen their pool, signing both Karl Toko Ekambi and Famara Diedhiou, who was so prolific with Clermont last term. These arrivals suggest they will continue to rely on set pieces, as both are physical forwards. Angers are likely to be similar to last season, probably featuring in the same 4-3-3 system, but their fortunes will rest on how their new attacking players bed in.