What if ASSE’s resolution in 2023 was to break with this permanent permeability? After 2 games, ASSE is undefeated, has still not conceded a single goal and is looking much better. Thanks to rookies yes, but also a state of mind worthy of the name, back today to the match between Saïdou Sow and Anthony Briançon, Monday in Niort.
The defense, the Achilles heel of AS Saint-Etienne
Worst defense in Ligue 2 tied with Laval having conceded 31 goals, AS Saint Etienne was far too friable to hope to score points frequently. However, it was not for lack of having tried to strengthen this summer with the arrivals of Anthony Briançon, Jimmy Giraudon, Léo Pétrot and Matthieu Dreyer in the defensive sector. In addition, out of four recruits, three came from the upper echelon (Troyes and Lorient), which could have been a tangible performance argument. However, quite the opposite happened and these recruits reached a level of ridiculousness rarely equaled before. However, they have not all reached the peak in this area like Matthieu Dreyer against Annecy on December 26.
The solution found internally
If the Saint-Etienne board was prospecting during this transfer window period to strengthen itself in this position of central defender, in particular on the side of Grenoble with Adrien Monfray, the solution was found in the workforce. Banned since August when he was at fault against Valenciennes, Saidou Sow was even close to leaving the ranks of Saint-Etienne this winter. However, by dint of impressing, especially against Caen where he replaced Anthony Briançon, the coach perfectly well. Even if rumors from the corridor have fueled the thesis of a potential behavior problem, he is very serious and has established himself as the keystone of the Saint-Etienne defense, along with his lieutenant: Anthony Briançon.
Impeccable since the start of the season, he thought of launching it after his goal against Grenoble, but the escapades of his teammates did not allow him to grant his wish. Courageous, both on the field and in the face of criticism, he has always respected the Green jersey and his level of performance today is the product of his intrinsic qualities but also of his seriousness.
Sow and Briançon this Monday caused headaches to the Niortais coach on the offensive animation of his team. Solid both in the duel but also in the recovery, they disgusted the only offensive situations to their advantage with 0 dribble suffered.
Complementarity of profile and performance
In terms of visual impression, Sow and Briançon showed real complementarity on the pitch. This is also verified in terms of statistics. With 9 clearances, 6 aerial duels won out of 7 and 4 tackles, the panoply of successes for the Stéphane duo was very wide.
Beyond the defensive aspect which is obviously essential when a team is the worst defense, we can also remember the quality of the recovery and this complicity which is built minute after minute, whether in match or in training. One element does not deceive, we have observed on many occasions this movement commonly called in football “loop”. It’s the fact of chaining passes between defenders, so a rather risky area but it shows a high level of mutual trust. This is an inherent element to having an impermeable defense.
Only catch are two injury prone players, hopefully that balance holds. The latter will be a fundamental element if we want to hope for a rise in the standings. Finally, the last argument supposed to satisfy the supporters of ASSE, Sow and Briançon show a very good complementarity, especially in the management of depth, where Giraudon notably displayed large gaps.
A full match, the three points, an impeccable defense: all the ingredients are there to find a smile in the Forez!
Article written by LINO VIALE
