Football Season Guide

Strasbourg missed out on European football last term, despite a ninth-placed finish in the standings. Ultimately, repeating the previous season’s exploits was too much, but there is little doubt that Thierry Laurey’s men have firmly established themselves in the top flight just two years after making their return. As such, there has been no overhaul in the squad. Indeed, the size of the first-team squad has been trimmed slightly, with veteran midfielders Benjamin Cornet and Jeremy Grimm allowed to depart, but no vital players have otherwise been lost. Striker Majeed Waris has been signed on a permanent basis and defensive midfielder Mahame Siby arrives from Valenciennes in a somewhat puzzling deal, but the starting XI is set to stay largely intact. Laurey showed plenty of versatility in his team selections last term, shuffling through a raft of different systems as the team proved itself to be highly adaptable. Racing seemed to be at their best when right-back Kenny Lala was allowed to roam forward, although he had less influence last term than he did when Strasbourg first returned to the league. Nevertheless, he should be seen as a key player. At the back, this is a strong side, with Anthony Caci and Mohamed Simakan two of the most promising young defenders in the league. In the midfield, there is a slight lack of consistency, but in terms of their attacking work, Adrien Thomasson is the key man. Meanwhile, there are a good variety of attacking options that can be used depending on circumstances. As such, they do not have an outstanding scorer, though Ludovic Ajorque did manage eight as the campaign concluded. The lack of goals for individuals, however, should not be seen as an inherent weakness of the team, which is well balanced and will set up to play different opponents in different manners. Traditionally, they are well supported and it may be that they are one of the teams that suffer most at the start of the season when fan numbers are restricted.