Football Season Guide

Toulouse enjoyed a strong season last time out, finishing in a comfortable mid-table position in which they were never under any threat of relegation. Equally, they did not trouble the European spots in what was a unremarkable Ligue 1 campaign. On the other hand, they performed well in the Coupe de France, eventually focusing their attentions on a run to the semi-finals. Carles Martinez has departed as head coach with Jens Berthel Askou arriving from Motherwell in a move that has been greeted with scepticism by fans of the club. Askou is used to working on a tight budget but has seen two of the club’s most important players depart in the form of striker Emersonn and centre-back Charlie Cresswell. Frank Magri, a regular attacker last season, and Djibril Sidibe, an experienced defender, have also moved on. As yet, there have been no major arrivals. Pre-season performances have seriously encouraged fans and have them believing that the decision to appoint a left-field manager was the right one. In particular, the 2-1 win over Real Sociedad was a standout. There is, therefore, some optimism about their chances. Toulouse will be given a very definite playing style by Askou. He is a coach who favours possession football whose teams are equally adept at sitting back, soaking up pressure and playing dangerously on the counterattack. With a depleted playing staff this season, this could be vital. TFC’s squad looks light offensively. Only Yann Gboho scored more than 4 league goals last season of this group, while only Santiago Hidalgo can be added to this number when it comes to more than 2 goals from open play. No clear signings have been made that will strengthen the team. If these come, they are unlikely to arrive early enough to make an impact early in the season.