Football Season Guide

Dunkerque have endured a messy summer that sees them approach the start of the season without a manager. Head coach Luis Castro, who was so successful last term, has left to join Ligue 1 side Nantes and his replacement, Goncalo Feio, quit three weeks into the job. So far, the club have not found an alternative. At the time of writing, assistant coach Benjamin Rytlewski is in charge of the first team, which has had a tumultuous pre-season, losing 5-1 to Boulogne and Lens, and not recording a single win in four games. The squad, meanwhile, looks in a far weaker state than it did last season – at least at this juncture. There is precious little depth to the team in any area of the field, with several vital squad players having departed over the summer. The likes of Maxence Rivera, Gaetan Courtet and Yacine Bammou might not have had big impacts individually, but collectively their contribution was vital. A couple of key loan departures will also hit the team hard. Ugo Raghouber was an impressive performer in midfield and will be missed, though Pape Diong has arrived from Strasbourg to compensate. Dunkerque do still have significant quality in their squad, which has a clear focus on playing technical, attractive football. Key to this process will be central midfield pair Enzo Bardeli and Naatan Skytta, who will be expected to shine again, while Gessime Yassine is their other ace, although he was in and out of the team a little last season. They will be underpinned by an experienced defence that appears to have no obvious holes in it. One area of concern will be goalkeeper. At this point, only rookie Mathys Niflore is on the books, having arrived from Toulouse on loan. TFC do have a reputation of producing strong keepers, though. Dunkerque is a squad in a state of flux after being so smoothly run last season. There’s a sense that they will get back on track, but the question is who will do it and how long will it take?