Promoted to the first division for the first time in its history, the women’s section of FC Nantes has started its first season in D1 Arkéma perfectly. With three wins and two defeats since the restart, the Canaries are in fifth place in the standings, just two points behind Paris FC (3rd), the next opponent for Nicolas Chabot’s players in the league. Common point between the two teams: both are in second place in the ranking of best defenses with only 3 goals conceded.
A winning recipe
To achieve this convincing result in D1 Arkema, Nicolas Chabot was first able to rely on a framework retained from last season. Second best defense in D2F (21 goals conceded), FC Nantes shone in the defensive sector, particularly thanks to the goalkeeper Emily Burns, Nelly Rodrigues or even the captain Maureen Cosson which proved to be important elements of Nicolas Chabot’s defensive system. If these players were able to show all their talent in D2F, their lack of experience at the higher level (only Emily Burns had more than 5 matches in D1 editor’s note.) led the Nantes coach to strengthen his defense.
Also read: Women. What will be the keys for FC Nantes in D1 Arkema next season?
With an XXL transfer window and a long summer preparation, the Nantes tactician was able to find the winning recipe by integrating several recruits into his squad who already had experience in the first division. In defense, this contribution of experience was reflected in particular by the arrival of Julie Pasquereau as a central defender. The one who had almost 100 matches in D1 Arkema upon her arrival, very quickly integrated the Nantes central hinge by playing the last four championship matches.
A well-oiled system
If this mix between experienced recruits and the old backbone of D2F was successful, we must finally highlight the contribution of coach Nicolas Chabot who was able to draw the framework within which his collective would express itself. With a three-central defensive system matched by pistons on the sides, the Nantes tactician seems to have found his balance with the 3-4-2-1 he has constructed. In the role of piston, Louise Fleury on the left side or Julie Rabanne on the right side, have shown very good things both offensively (Julie Rabanne opened the scoring against Reims editor’s note) and defensively since the start of the season.
With this perfectly balanced defensive base, the Nantes game can thus be organized by starting from the back with rapid transitions towards the Canary attackers. Best Nantes woman since the start of the season, Manon Uffren revealed herself as the cornerstone of the Nantes collective, seeming to sum up her coach’s playing intentions in her style. A real control tower in front of the defense, the former Saint-Étienne player was invaluable, both in recovering the ball and in directing the game in offensive phases, making the link between the solid defense and the spinning attack of FC Nantes.
