We praised their results, their performance and their attractive game at the start of the season. We have also noted a certain drop in the speed of these three formations for several weeks. To different degrees, Angers, Nice and Lens have been in trouble for a month after having seduced the French elite during the first days. At the dawn of the 19th day and before the winter break, why these teams, all passed by the place of dolphin of PSG in the league, do they suffer so much to maintain the good performances that their start of the season suggested?
A state of mind to review
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A certain sufficiency therefore, coupled with difficulties in feeling concerned. The Niçois were starting to have a signature to catch up with delicate situations, and perhaps they took too much liking to it. To the point of not being able to find the magic formula, as Captain Dante regretted: “We got used to starting matches badly and still winning them, and we think it’s going to be like that all the time, but football punishes you“.
Less promising leaders
The second reason for explanation can be found among the strong men of these formations, in clear decline of inspiration. In Angers, now ninth in Ligue 1 but still hanging on to European places a month ago, the fantastic start to the season had a name: Mohammed Ali-Cho. The twirling 17-year-old striker, revelation of the first days and in particular executioner of the Lyon defense in August during the second day, struggles to confirm and has remained silent since October.
Identical finding in Nice, where Amine Gouiri has not been decisive for a month and Andy Delort for more than six weeks in the league. Complicated for the Nice to continue to perform, while their two top scorers (15 goals between them in Ligue 1 this season) are unable to find the opposing net. And when the leading figures of a workforce are in difficulty, it is often the whole group that suffers.
Andy Delort, Mario Lemina (left) of Nice celebrate the victory following the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between OGC Nice (OGCN) and Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon, OL) at Allianz Riviera stadium on October 24, 2021 in Nice
Credit: Getty Images
Another element that explains this decline can be found in the expectations placed in these teams. The hardest part with surprises is to be able to confirm. Beyond the pressure of a Ligue 1 runner-up, unusual for teams like Angers or Lens, it is also a different view that the Ligue 1 clubs have before facing these formations now. And by being expected, these staff must adapt to different behaviors.
When Angers defeated Clermont two weeks ago (0-1), Gérald Baticle, for example, was surprised to face an opponent refusing the game: “We found ourselves facing an increasingly compact boulder and I think we got impatient. We tried to go more into the percussion instead of trying to unbalance them. We rushed“Because, yes, Angers is not naturally used to facing low blocks, and must prepare accordingly.
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A race to the bottom
There may also be a simple question of level. Were these teams outperforming at the end of the summer and at the start of the championship? Probably. It does not seem surprising to see neither Angers in 9th place and Lens in 6th, nor Nice at the foot of the podium. But there are also elements to correct, in the mentality in particular, and in the way of mobilizing its players. “I have the possibility, in my workforce, to change certain things … and I will do it“, warned Christophe Galtier before this next home match.
Nice does not have to be ashamed of its month of December, with good performances such as a victory in Rennes and a draw at the Parc. And it’s not over. The chance of the calendar gives us an opposition between Nice and Lens this Wednesday evening, in a clash which could be a turning point in the season of these two clubs. Resuming a positive dynamic and recreating the surprise, that will also be the objective of Angers on the lawn of Montpellier. These three teams must find the magic of their start of the season to resume their march forward. And avoid that the hope aroused gives way to a fear of collapse.
Minimum service in Cholet for Nice, saved thanks to Delort: the video summary
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