ASSE is in a worrying sporting situation. An emergency situation that requires a major response. Leaders appear to have scaled up and adapted a workforce by giving themselves the wherewithal to succeed in their market window.
A crisis meeting with an action plan
Today is January 5th. The transfer window has only been open for a few days. However, the Greens wasted no time. After Geoffroy-Guichard’s burning 2-0 home defeat against Rodez, a match was organized on 14 November. Roland Romeyer receives the management team and the coach of the professional group. While we might have expected to see immediate departures, they have chosen to maintain the Saint-Etienne board structure. Instead, an action plan is drawn up to get the team back on track. Everyone agrees to do their best to save AS Saint-Etienne. Adding instability is not the solution as it is.
Leaders are ready to put their hands in their pockets. 14 players left the club last June. The most substantial salaries have left the drill. Enough to return to Ligue 2 with a balanced budget. Budget validated without problems by the DNCG. ASSE rebuilt a workforce last summer but didn’t spend much. Most players land without a transfer fee. This is particularly the case with Anthony Briançon, Dylan Chambost, Victor Lobry, …
Enough to perform in Ligue 2? A priori, it was the opinion of the leaders of Saint-Etienne. 17 games later, the Greens are bottom of the league with just 12 points on the clock. 6 behind Dijon, the first not to be relegated. A very worrying situation that requires major adjustments.
The leaders take out their checkbooks
The first step is to convince Gaëtan Charbonnier to join the exercise. No more bets. The Greens want a reference and put in place the means to recover one of the top goalscorers in Ligue 2. Even before the championship resumed, Auxerrois joined Saint-Etienne. He was offered a 6 month contract. Maybe more..
But there is no urgency. The leaders did not hesitate to offer a salary well above the standards practiced in L2. If it is always difficult to quote figures, a salary ranging between €65,000/month and €90,000/month is mentioned. Nothing very specific, except that the salary is substantial.
The following day, the Greens lost in Annecy (2-1) and were unable to do better than the draw (1-1) at home against Caen. If Gaëtan Charbonnier has begun to amortize the investment made for his goal in added time, the accounting situation remains worrying.
The leaders seem to understand this and continue. Dennis Appiah joins AXIS. Starting player on the right wing for FC Nantes. A player who has played 6 Europa Leugue matches this season. An important recruit for the Ligue 2 Red Lantern.
It was then up to Gautier Larsonneur to disembark. After several weeks of negotiations, the Greens managed to convince Valenciennes. One of the best goalkeepers in the league will join ASSE this weekend.
Also in this case various figures are disclosed in the press. Progress speaks of a “amount just under two million euros, including bonuses. The northern club will split this sum with Brest, who sold Larsonneur to the VA this summer while keeping 50% on the resale”.
RMC specifies this The transfer fee amounts to 1.5 million euros and he will commit himself for 2 and a half years.
The Voice of the North summons him “VA and Brest (who are loaning the player) should each receive around 1 million euros for this transfer. If it went through without incident before the DNCG this winter (like all professional clubs), VA preferred this big check, although it means taking a sporting risk”.
Laurent Batlles will have more time
There is a change of gear among the leaders. AS Saint-Etienne are aiming for players who should immediately bring added value to the team. While we regret having had to wait for such an alarming situation to react, we note that the investments made this winter are significant.
Several other players are yet to join Laurent Batlles’ ranks. A left winger, an offensive player capable of playing up front and on the wing. At a minimum. A central defender and a defensive midfielder could also arrive by the end of the month.
It will then be necessary to degrease and find solutions for several players who will be invited to leave.
Once these investments have been made, it will be up to Laurent Batlles to score points. And soon … Otherwise the next lever activated by the top could be his departure.
