VALENCIENNES: Savidan and a few Friends

By: Sam | August 3rd, 2007

As the start of the season looms, it’s time for the France Offside to give you an in-depth look at each of the 20 teams vying for Hexagoal. Today, we meet Valenciennes AFC, the team that’s kind of like Jesus and ten other less important disciples.

The team: For a club of VAFC’s stature, it has to be said that they made some pretty slick deals in the offseason. Leaping on opportunities, they acquired Pujol and Ducourtioux from Sedan, as well as Audel from Lille. Also in are Belmadi and Sommeil from Southampton and Sheffield respectively, along with Sanchez from Montevideo. Leaving the fold, though, are Haddad, Flachez, Dufresne, Paauwe and Hassli.

Valenciennes will start Nicolas Penneteau without a shadow of protest this season, he wasn’t bad most of the time last season. Unfortunately, Valenciennes only have a handful of Ligue 1-ready defenders. Ducourtioux, Rippert, Ouaddou and Sommeil aren’t laughable, but they probably make up the weakest backline of the country. Their midfield is where it crumbles, however. Perhaps the only man with a good reputation in the league is winger Sébastien Roudet. Besides him, there’s Doumeng, Saez, Mater and the newcomer Sanchez, all who haven’t shown particular awesomeness so far. The only hope VA have is in their attack. Steve Savidan scored fourteen goals last season, including four in one match against Nantes. Pujol is not goal-devoid either, and Johan Audel can jostle for a spot if he can use the expertise he learned at Lille.

Very, very poor indeed. I don’t know how that midfield is going to do anything at all.

The coach: As much as the squad isn’t much to look at, its bench boss is a bright spot of the club. Antoine Kombouaré, former sweeper with PSG and Aberdeen, brought the club up to Ligue 1 in his first year, but stumbled upon the big guns when he got there. Can’t blame him. He won’t be scared to change things up when his side starts sucking.

The stadium: Simple yet ugly. Rectangular. Stade Nungesser. Just over 16,000 people can fit in there, but that’s a rarity, unless Marseille is in town.

The final say: Get ready for some relegationizing. That is all.