Despite boasting one of the biggest budgets in Ligue 2, Nancy flirted dangerously with relegation for much of the season. Indeed, in November their situation looked bleak, with the team utterly bereft of attacking flair and entirely without confidence.
Alain Perrin had been asked to replace Didier Tholot as head coach after a disastrous beginning to the campaign that saw the Lorraine side rooted to the foot of the standings from the first week of the campaign. He was their fourth coach in under a year.
Remarkably, they failed to score at all in their first seven matches. A turning point arrived in late November as they edged Red Star, which was part of a seven-match undefeated run in all competitions, including three Coupe de France games.
January, meanwhile, brought renewed hope as Vagner was signed from Saint-Etienne, Santy Ngom from Nantes and Sylvain Marveaux from Lorient, in order to pep up the attack. Abdelhamid El-Kaoutari, meanwhile, was terrific in defence after arriving, while Denis Will Poha was strong in midfield.
If Marveaux’s contribution initially was limited due to injury, Vagner exploded into life from the outset, providing the flair and finishing power that the team had for so long lacked. Once Marveaux proved his fitness and got going, he was even more influential in Perrin’s system.
The results quickly followed for Nancy, who enjoyed a four-game winning stream to drag them out of the relegation zone for the first time all season in March.
Although there was a little relapse, which threatened to damage the confidence of the team, back-to-back late home wins over Orleans and Ajaccio, claimed thanks to spectacular long-range goals, went a long way to securing their place in Ligue 2 before a narrow derby win over Metz finally sealed it.
Nancy have tough work in the summer getting some players off their books, with Danilson a particular liability as their highest earner. He has barely played all season. There are several others in a similar position. If they can trim their squad, they can seek to strengthen with the calibre of signing they found in a pinch in January.
Perrin, their saviour, has already announced he will leave, giving the board yet another headache.
