Football Season Guide

Nantes flirted with relegation last season as they were pushed into the playoffs only to emerge victorious. They approach the new season hopeful that they will not get dragged into a similar issue this term. Certainly, they did show some improvements under head coach Antoine Kombouare at the end of last season but they were somewhat inefficient at times, while the manager also has questions to answer over his acumen. Meanwhile, the board continue to be engaged in a war with the fans of the club, who are deeply upset about the lack of investment in the team and also a potential stadium move. Indeed, work has been slow on the transfer front this summer. Backup goalkeeper Remy Descamps is the only new permanent addition to the squad, although Alban Lafont has arrived on a permanent basis in that same area. His future, though, is up for debate, with a suggestion that he could be sold on for a quick profit. Nantes have only lost one meaningful first-team player, with Imran Louza going to Watford. However, he was a particularly important player over the past couple of years, even if he did not touch the heights he might have wished last season. The onus will be on loan addition Wylan Cyprien to provide the dynamism that was previously brought by Louza. In attack, Randal Kolo Muani is Nantes’ big hope. They were hopelessly inconsistent in that area last season and will be seeking a dramatic improvement up front. It is difficult to see where the goals might come from, given none of their other forwards have a good offensive track record in recent weeks. Nantes have a capable bunch of defenders, led by the rugged Nicolas Pallois, while they are strongest in the right-back area, where Sebastien Corchia has won honours for France in the past and is seeking to get back to his best.