Football Season Guide

As always seems to be the case with Rodez, the team has had to be rebuilt over the summer with unfashionable players after losing key figures in the summer months. Somehow, Rodez always manage to find a way to be more than competitive in Ligue 2 – even going so far as to challenge for the playoffs a couple of years ago. More typically, they are a team that is left to fight relegation, finishing 14th or lower in 5 of the last 6 years, which is no surprise given the limited means they have. This summer, Rodez have lost two important starters in the form of attacking midfielder Wannis Taibi and his counterpart in the centre of the field Noah Cadiou. At least another major outgoing is expected to follow, with last season’s breakthrough top scorer Timothe Nkada set to depart. While RAF are set for significant money coming in via these transfers, they have recruited from the bargain basement once again in a bid to find replacements. The only player of Ligue 2 experience they have recruited is Quentin Braat, who is a goalkeeper seeking to fill what was a problem position last season. The defence is set to be reconstructed around a bunch of recruits from the lower reaches of the game, Mathis Magnin and Clement Jolibois. The five-man rearguard should possess strength in the wing-back areas in the form of Nolan Galves and Mohamed Bouchouari on the right and Raphael Lipinski on the left, though the latter did suffer a big injury last year and may struggle to regain that level. The midfield is extremely young, with Alexis Trouillet the eldest player at just 24 years old. He and Wilitty Younoussa are likely to be the starters in that part of the field. Derek Mazou-Sacko is also set to have a significant role to play but was erratic last season. This is not an area of strength. Everything in attack is a little up in the air due to Nkada’s imminent sale. Ibrahima Balde will shoulder more responsibility after a season in which he scored seven goals. Mehdi Baalouji has been signed from Clermont but struggled last season, scoring only twice, and it would be a surprise if he did much better.