Auxerre will certainly hold bitter memories of this season as they failed to reach the play-offs for promotion to Ligue 1 at the very end by only 2 points. In fact, they finished 6th but they could have gone for much more, considering all the quality they had in the squad.
Having barely touched the squad over the summer, they were expected to immediately start strongly, but in the initial 7 weeks they were as inconsistent, alternating wins and defeats. Between weeks 8 and 20, though, they became unbeatable, while scoring for fun, and thus they achieved the 4th spot on the table.
Back-to-back away defeats to Clermont and Troyes, the sides who eventually obtained direct promotion, made them fall back to the 5th spot and they would never make the top 4 again.
Although in the following 16 games they would only lose twice more, to Rodez and Pau, two sides involved in the fight for salvation, Auxerre had already lost the brightness that had characterized their previous months for good.
While they enjoyed a rather fit squad for most of the season and never really had problems offensively, Auxerre depended excessively on Le Bihan’s goals. The second-best top scorer of the Ligue 2 (19 goals) had to face a scoring drought during the second part of the season and so coach Furlan’s boys often failed to kill matches off.
Auxerre failed to win between weeks 27 and 31, collecting 4 consecutive draws, and they dropped to the 6th spot. Another 3 wins between weeks 32 and 35 momentarily brought them back to the 5th but their hopes were eventually shattered.
Besides Le Bihan, coach Furlan could enjoy the services of defenders like Jubal and Lloris, and a consistent right winger like Dugimont, who scored 14 goals and served 4 assists. But the two players who really stood out were Sakhi and Autret, the two masterminds of the midfield, who provided 11 goals and 24 assists altogether.
Auxerre will lose Le Bihan over the summer and, if they intend to compete for promotion, they need to replace him properly.
