AS Saint-Etienne coach Christophe Galtier looking to plug leaky holes ahead of the next season
After a disappointing 10th placed finish in the 2010/2011 Ligue 1 season, AS Saint-Etienne Loire should now re-group and see what went wrong in a season where the club could have managed a place in Europe at least.
Les Verts started the 2010/2011 season brightly and until December 2010, were in a good position to not only qualify for the UEFA Champions League but also to dare dream of their first Ligue 1 crown since 1981.
Since making their return to top flight French Football in 2004, the Rhone-Alpes club has failed to stamp its authority as one of the finest clubs in France. For a club that holds the record of the most Ligue 1 crowns in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/France-c2899 (10), not being able to even
win a place in Europe is something life-long Les Verts fans might never comprehend.
The good old days
The last time Saint-Etienne lifted the Championelle was in the 1980/81 Ligue 1 season when the club’s most famous player turned manager Robert Herbin guided Les Verts to their 10th and last Championnat. Since the departure of the red-haired Frenchman,
Saint-Etienne have failed to add to their 10 Ligue 1 titles.
After seeing things turn around so dramatically in the second half of the 2010/2011 Ligue 1 season, Saint-Etienne would be hoping to set the record straight when the 2011/2012 Ligue 1 season kicks off in August.
For the coming season, coach Christophe Galtier and the club direction would have high ambitions. Galtier should be looking to take positives from what the side achieved in the first half of last season and would also be taking note of what went wrong in
the second half.
Absence of Payet
However, before anything starts, Les Verts will have to part with a few players. Highly-rated winger http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Dimitri-Payet-c11276 has already left the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard for LOSC Lille. The youngster’s loss would definitely be felt next season. Payet’s creativity
down the flanks and his willingness to run at defenders was something that Saint-Etienne benefited from last season.
However, the 24-year-old’s departure could potentially make way for a new youngster to make his name in the green and white shirt.
Matuidi exit on the cards
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Blaise-Matuidi-c7681 has been a lynchpin of the Saint-Etienne midfield for almost three seasons. The midfielder played all but three games in the Ligue 1 for Les Verts last season. However, holding on to the highly-rated defensive midfielder might prove be asking
too much of a club that is slowly yet surely becoming more of a selling club.
Three huge disappointments
Galtier is also looking to offload three players who many analysts believe are not good enough to play at Saint-Etienne. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Boubacar-Sanogo-c7921, Guirane N’Daw and Vincent Plante are set to be sacrificed as Galtier looks to make major changes at the club ahead of
the start of the new season.
Sanogo has been the biggest disappointment of the three players. The Ivorian has managed to score just one goal in 29 games for Les Verts and is definitely going to be deemed surplus to requirements by the end of this summer.
Defensive midfielder, Guirane N’Daw spent the second half of 2010/2011 season on loan at La Liga side http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Real-Zaragoza-c40344. In his first season (after joining permanently) at the Rhone-Alpes club, the Senegalese international made just 5 appearances and will not
be retained by the club.
Putting an end to chaotic signings
In recent seasons, Saint-Etienne’s chaotic recruitment policy hasn’t helped the club at all. The three mentioned players were pretty expensive and never justified their price tags. Galtier can’t be criticised for letting go of the three as he intends to
be extra careful in the transfer market this summer.
Though no clubs have yet made any inquiry for the three players, Galtier will definitely not be looking to retain the three players as the Frenchman looks to change things around at a club that is still searching for its true identity after the glory years
the club experienced under http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Robert-c31222 Herbin.
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