Football Season Guide

Angers are becoming something of a fixture in Ligue 1, with Stephane Moulin bringing about a period of long stability at Stade Raymond Kopa. In finishing 13th last season, they were not at their best, and yet they have only once picked up more points than the 46 they finished with. Little of note has changed over the summer in terms of their playing staff. Flavien Tait’s departure is the only one that will seriously impact the quality of the squad, though as one of their best players last season, it will be one that bites hard. The rapid Sada Thioub has joined up from Nimes as a replacement but, while he offers more pace, he has less trickery and craft, and should be considered something of a downgrade. Given that Angers will probably continue to play in a rather vertical manner, he should be a good fit for the squad, though. They have strengthened their options at centre-forward by also raiding Nimes for striker Rachid Alioui, who had a hard time last season as he returned from injury. There is not great depth in this area, with Stephane Bahoken undoubtedly their first choice in that sector. Uncertainty still swirls around the midfield, with lynchpin Baptiste Santamaria linked with a move to England. Although he does not contribute in terms of goals or assists, he is a vital pivot in the team and would be tough to replace. Angers will likely go 4-3-3, Moulin’s favoured formation, with Jeff Reine-Adelaide having settled into a new position of box-to-box midfielder. He excelled in that role late last season and started to bring goals into his game – precious for a team that is lacking real class in attack and has seen its set-piece threat diminish over the last year. They do lack creativity in that sector, though. Of course, Angers remain imposing at the back. They have a string of strong defenders, good in the air but technically limited. They will be looking for an improvement from young left-back Rayan Ait Nouri over the next year, but again they will prioritise functionality over aesthetics. Goalkeeper Ludovic Butelle faces additional competition from Danijel Petkovic, though the 36-year-old remains first choice. He was not at his best last term.