Football Season Guide

Grenoble finished comfortably clear of the relegation zone last season by virtue of being so difficult to beat. Although they only won 8 games, they lost just 11 – which was the fewest by anyone outside the top 6. Predictably with a limited squad and a conservative manager, scoring goals was the big issue. Biggest change this summer comes with the arrival of head coach Olivier Frapolli, who spent the last 7 years at Laval. He is a coach with a history of direct football with an emphasis on set-pieces and physicality – something that aligns with the previous bosses at GF38. As such, the efforts to strengthen the side have come primarily in terms of making them even more robust, with Yohann Magnin’s arrival one that should especially strengthen them. Losing midfielder Jessy Benet a big blow. Results in pre-season have not been sparkling, although hampered by a virus as they lost 3-0 to Troyes. Scoring goals continues to be a big issue, with too much emphasis placed on Yadaly Diaby in this regard. Grenoble are difficult to beat and have a strong mentality. They only conceded 39 last season and lost only 3 of their last 15, so have some momentum. Creativity is an issue that explains why their goal tally is expected to be low again. They are likely to have a pragmatic stance and not exploit attacker Diaby enough. Benet is the player charged with being creative from midfield but needs help. Beyond this, a new defence simply has to bed in successfully or it could be a difficult season.