Football Season Guide

Brest flirted with disaster last term and only avoided a relegation playoff by a narrow margin after making such a promising start to the season. In any case, they have seen a change of coaching, with former Montpellier coach Michel der Zakarian, who is highly experienced in Ligue 1, stepping into the dugout. Typically a pragmatic coach, he showed at Montpellier last season that he is happy to play attacking football if presented with the right tools. With a mix of technical midfielders and aerially adept forwards, Brest have a similar profile to Montpellier, though will probably not mirror the 3-4-1-2 system that Der Zakarian favoured last season. While the squad size has been cut down, the only player of consequence that Brest have lost is dynamic left-back Romain Perraud, who left for big money to Southampton. Replacing him is Jere Uronen of Genk. The Finland international has some big shoes to fill. The composition of Brest’s squad is unlikely to change too much in comparison to the one that they used last season, particularly since Lilian Brassier has been signed full-time after a loan spell from Rennes. There are still issues to be addressed regarding depth in the heart of the midfield. Paul Lasne will miss the start of the season due to injury, and there is no outstanding candidate to partner Haris Belkebla, which leaves them at an early disadvantage. Brest do, however, have options offensively. Steve Mounie is their target man, while Irvin Cardona and Gaetan Charbonnier can both be used as more technical options around him if Der Zakarian wants to reprise the two-striker system he used to such strong effect in Montpellier. On the flanks, meanwhile, Franck Honorat and Romain Faivre are excellent options for a club of Brest’s size, although Faivre may well make a move before the end of the transfer window. He is a player who would have to be well replaced. Brest have gone public to admit they need four or five new signings, but these are not expected to arrive imminently and will go a long way to shaping their season.