After two promising victories, Clermont Foot 63 (CF63) lost 2-0 against AC Ajaccio for the 13th day of Ligue 2, exposing a lack of technical precision and collective weaknesses.
Struggling to get out of a strong Ajaccian pressure but not stifling either, the Clermontois suffered a worrying setback which once again brings them dangerously close to the relegation zone.
In this match at the Stade Michel Moretti, Laurent Batlles sought to structure the CF63 in a 3-4-3, with Gastien often dropping back to restart, supported by Saivet and Keita higher up in the middle.
However, Ajaccio effectively disrupted this system by pressing high on the first boosters who are Jacquet, Da Silva and Gastien and by blocking the Clermontois pistons with two blades, one on the man, the other behind so as not to be caught in the back.
Thus hindered at the restart and at the reception, the preferential paths of the team were frozen.
Add to this that the Corsicans formed a funnel in defense and isolated Diedhiou.
An attack as sterile as ever
Douane, less twirling, and Bassouamina, once again transparent, also transplanted into the axis in accordance with the instructions given against Lorient to create danger by taking advantage of Diedhiou’s supposed discounts.
This tactical plan, perfectly controlled by the Ajaccians who were not at the top of their form, made it difficult to progress in attack and forced the CF63 into sterile possession, with no real offensive impact apart from two lightning strikes that hit the posts.
The match therefore once again illustrated Clermont’s difficulties in converting their chances, thus marking their seventh match without a goal this season.
A faulty individual technique
It would be a very poor cover-up to focus on the two strikes on the posts to silence the approximations in the final gestures which prevented the team from achieving success. These approximations which, beyond the rather coherent tactical plan, are the main responsible for the result.
This is evidenced by below-standard statistics for the restarting trio: 79% of successful passes and 11 lost balls for Jacquet; 76% successful passes, 14 lost balls for Da Silva and 73% successful passes, 17 ball losses for Gastien…
But also those of the pistons: A third of duels won, 0 successful dribbles, 25 lost balls, 54% of successful passes for Konaté and 1 duel won out of 10, 15 balls lost out of 37, and 60% of successful passes for Diallo!
Added to this, only 56% of successful passes for Saivet, marked closely, and only 41 balls played for Keita, yet freer than his friends, the Clermont midfielder struggled to control the game, reflecting a worrying imprecision among those expected to be among the technical leaders of the team.
On the goalkeeper side, Ndiaye, although reassuring at the end of the match with two decisive saves, lacked precision in his long throws (less than 50% success), not to mention this totally missed hand throw which led to a shot -indirect free in full surface…
And if Batlles defended him in the post-match conference, there is no doubt that many Clermontois still have a thought for Guivarch or even Diaw after this match…
Replacements without major impact
The changes made by Batlles in the second half of this Ajaccio – Clermont Foot match, notably the entry of Baaloudj and Diop, aimed to provide an offensive boost, but did not make it possible to change the course of the match.
Baaloudj knew how to add intensity to his duels, but the Ajaccian defense contained his attempts well.
Armougom, solid in the duels (5 out of 6 won), failed to energize the end of the match, particularly with poor crosses, showing the limits of a squad still looking for solutions.
Despite visible progress in the organization, this match against Ajaccio is a reminder that CF63 will still have to refine its performances, particularly in terms of precision and offensive determination, to ensure its maintenance in Ligue 2.
There is no doubt that the Clermontois will be keen to pull themselves together from the next match in order to set in motion a positive dynamic and reassure their supporters.
